Le Van Khoi revolt
Encyclopedia
The Lê Văn Khôi revolt was an important revolt in 19th century Vietnam
, in which southern Vietnamese, Vietnamese Catholics, French Catholic missionaries
and Chinese settlers under the leadership of Lê Văn Khôi
opposed the Imperial rule of Minh Mạng
.
, a former faithful general of Emperor Gia Long
, who had opposed his enthronement. Since Lê Văn Duyệt had already died earlier in 1831, his tomb was profanated, and inscribed with the words "This is the place where the infamous Lê Văn Duyệt was punished".
Lê Văn Khôi
, the adoptive son of general Lê Văn Duyệt, had also been imprisoned, but managed to escape on May 10, 1833. Soon, numerous people joined the revolt, in the desire to avenge Lê Văn Duyệt and challenge the legitimacy of the Nguyễn Dynasty.
according to the rule of primogeniture
, in the person of his remaining son An-hoa. This choice was designed to obtain the support of Catholic missionaries and Vietnamese Catholic, who had been supporting with Lê Văn Duyệt the line of Prince Cảnh. Lê Văn Khôi further promised to protect Catholicism.
On May 18, 1833, the rebels managed to take the Citadel of Saigon
(Thanh Phien-an). Lê Văn Khôi was able to conquer six provinces of Gia Dinh in the space of one month. The main actors of the revolt where Vietnamese Christians and Chinese settlers who had been suffering from the rule of Minh Mạng.
. Rama III, king of Siam, accepted the offer and sent troops to attack the Vietnamese provinces of Ha-tien and An-giang and Vietnamese imperial forces in Laos
and Cambodia
. The Siamese troops were accompanied by 2,000 Vietnamese Catholic troops under the command of Father Nguyen Van Tam. These Siamo-Vietnamese forces were repelled in summer 1834 however by General Truong Minh Giang. Lê Văn Khôi died in 1834 during the siege and was succeeded by his 8-year old son Le Van Cu.
It took three years for Minh Mạng to quell the rebellion and the Siamese offensive. When the fortress of Phien An was invested in September 1835, 1,831 people were executed and buried in mass graves (now situated in 3rd District, Saigon). Only 6 survivors were spared, among whom were Le Van Cu, but also the French missionary Father Joseph Marchand
, of the Paris Foreign Missions Society
. Marchand had apparently been supporting the cause of Lê Văn Khôi, and asked for the help of the Siamese army, through communications to his counterpart in Siam, Father Taberd
. This revealed the strong Catholic involvement in the revolt Father Marchand was tortured and executed on November 5, 1835, as was the child Le Van Cu.
The failure of the revolt had a disastrous effect on the Christian communities of Vietnam. New waves of persecutions against Christians followed, and demands were made to find and execute remaining missionaries. Anti-Catholic edicts to this effect were issued by Minh Mạng in 1836 and 1838. In 1836-1837 six missionaries were executed: Ignacio Delgado, Dominico Henares, Jean-Charles Cornay
, José Fernández, François Jaccard, and Bishop Pierre Borie
.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, in which southern Vietnamese, Vietnamese Catholics, French Catholic missionaries
Paris Foreign Missions Society
The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious order, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons dedicated to missionary work in foreign lands....
and Chinese settlers under the leadership of Lê Văn Khôi
Le Van Khoi
Lê Văn Khôi was the adopted son of the Vietnamese general Lê Văn Duyệt. He led the 1833–1835 Lê Văn Khôi revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng, but died in 1834....
opposed the Imperial rule of Minh Mạng
Minh Mang
Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Canh, had died in 1801...
.
Origin
The revolt was spurred by the prosecutions launched by Minh Mạng against southern factions which had opposed his rule and tended to be favourable to Christianity. In particular, Minh Mạng prosecuted Lê Văn DuyệtLe Van Duyet
Lê Văn Duyệt was a Vietnamese general who helped Nguyễn Ánh—the future Emperor Gia Long—put down the Tây Sơn rebellion, unify Vietnam and establish the Nguyễn Dynasty...
, a former faithful general of Emperor Gia Long
Gia Long
Emperor Gia Long , born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh , was an emperor of Vietnam...
, who had opposed his enthronement. Since Lê Văn Duyệt had already died earlier in 1831, his tomb was profanated, and inscribed with the words "This is the place where the infamous Lê Văn Duyệt was punished".
Start of the revolt
Le Van Khoi
Lê Văn Khôi was the adopted son of the Vietnamese general Lê Văn Duyệt. He led the 1833–1835 Lê Văn Khôi revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng, but died in 1834....
, the adoptive son of general Lê Văn Duyệt, had also been imprisoned, but managed to escape on May 10, 1833. Soon, numerous people joined the revolt, in the desire to avenge Lê Văn Duyệt and challenge the legitimacy of the Nguyễn Dynasty.
Catholic support
Lê Văn Khôi declared himself in favour of the restoration of the line of Prince Cảnh, the original heir to Gia LongGia Long
Emperor Gia Long , born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh , was an emperor of Vietnam...
according to the rule of primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, in the person of his remaining son An-hoa. This choice was designed to obtain the support of Catholic missionaries and Vietnamese Catholic, who had been supporting with Lê Văn Duyệt the line of Prince Cảnh. Lê Văn Khôi further promised to protect Catholicism.
On May 18, 1833, the rebels managed to take the Citadel of Saigon
Citadel of Saigon
The Citadel of Saigon also known as the Citadel of Gia Dinh was a square Vauban stone fortress that stood in Saigon , Vietnam from its construction in 1790 until its destruction in February 1859...
(Thanh Phien-an). Lê Văn Khôi was able to conquer six provinces of Gia Dinh in the space of one month. The main actors of the revolt where Vietnamese Christians and Chinese settlers who had been suffering from the rule of Minh Mạng.
Siamese support
As Minh Mạng raised an army to quell the rebellion, Lê Văn Khôi fortified himself into the Saigon fortress, and asked for the help of the SiameseThai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
. Rama III, king of Siam, accepted the offer and sent troops to attack the Vietnamese provinces of Ha-tien and An-giang and Vietnamese imperial forces in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The Siamese troops were accompanied by 2,000 Vietnamese Catholic troops under the command of Father Nguyen Van Tam. These Siamo-Vietnamese forces were repelled in summer 1834 however by General Truong Minh Giang. Lê Văn Khôi died in 1834 during the siege and was succeeded by his 8-year old son Le Van Cu.
Defeat and repression
Joseph Marchand
Joseph Marchand was a French missionary in Vietnam, and a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society....
, of the Paris Foreign Missions Society
Paris Foreign Missions Society
The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious order, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons dedicated to missionary work in foreign lands....
. Marchand had apparently been supporting the cause of Lê Văn Khôi, and asked for the help of the Siamese army, through communications to his counterpart in Siam, Father Taberd
Jean-Louis Taberd
Jean-Louis Taberd was a French missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, and Bishop of Isauropolis, in partibus infidelium.-Career:...
. This revealed the strong Catholic involvement in the revolt Father Marchand was tortured and executed on November 5, 1835, as was the child Le Van Cu.
The failure of the revolt had a disastrous effect on the Christian communities of Vietnam. New waves of persecutions against Christians followed, and demands were made to find and execute remaining missionaries. Anti-Catholic edicts to this effect were issued by Minh Mạng in 1836 and 1838. In 1836-1837 six missionaries were executed: Ignacio Delgado, Dominico Henares, Jean-Charles Cornay
Jean-Charles Cornay
Jean-Charles Cornay was a French missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society in Vietnam. He was born in Loudun, Vienne, France, and was executed in Ha Tay, Vietnam, during the persecutions of Emperor Minh Mạng....
, José Fernández, François Jaccard, and Bishop Pierre Borie
Pierre Borie
Pierre Dumoulin-Borie was a French Catholic missionary priest and a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. He is a Catholic saint, canonized in 1988 along with other Vietnamese Martyrs.-Life:...
.