Emperor Cảnh Thịnh ( vi-hantu, ), born Nguyễn Quang Toản ( vi-hantu, ; 1783–1802), was the third and last emperor of the

Tây Sơn dynasty The Tây Sơn dynasty (; , (chữ Hán: 朝西山; Chữ Nôm: 茹西山), officially Đại Việt (Chữ Hán: 大越), was an imperial dynasty of Vietnam. It originated in a revolt led by three peasant brothers with the surname Nguyễn, r ...

. He followed his father Quang Trung (

Nguyễn Huệ Emperor Quang Trung (; vi-hantu, 光中, 1753 – 16 September 1792) or Nguyễn Huệ ( vi-hantu, 阮惠), also known as Nguyễn Quang Bình ( vi-hantu, 阮光平), or Hồ Thơm (chữ Hán: 胡𦹳) was the second emperor of the Tây Sơn dy ...

ruled 1788–1792) at the age of 9, and reigned for 10 years.Anh Thư Hà, Hò̂ng Đức Trà̂n ''A brief chronology of Vietnam's history'' 2000 p. 174 "Emperor Cảnh Thịnh (1793–1802): Being the eldest son of Quang Trung, Nguyễn Quang Toản succeeded his father at the age of ten (1793) icunder the reigning name of Cảnh Thịnh. Quang Toản appointed Bùi Đắc Tuyên, a brother of his..." Cảnh Thịnh was defeated by the

Nguyễn dynasty The Nguyễn dynasty (, chữ Nôm: 茹阮, chữ Hán: 朝阮) was the last List of Vietnamese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasty, preceded by the Nguyễn lords and ruling unified Vietnam independently from 1802 until French protectorate in 1883 ...

in 1802. He was taken, along with a number of his royalties, officials, and generals, to

Phú Xuân Phú Xuân (富春) was the historic capital of the Nguyễn lords, the Tây Sơn dynasty, and later became the Nguyễn dynasty's capital (renamed Huế). History In 1306, the King of Champa Chế Mân offered Vietnam two Chăm prefectures, Ô ...

. There, he was executed by

Gia Long Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...

, first emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Biography

Nguyễn Quang Toản was the eldest son of

(Emperor Quang Trung). According to '' Đại Nam chính biên liệt truyện'', he was born to the Empress Consort Phạm Thị Liên. After Nguyễn Huệ crowned the emperor, Nguyễn Quang Toản was designated as

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

. In 1790, Toản received the title ''An Nam quốc vương thế tử'' ("Crown Prince of Annam") from China. The title indicated that his heirship was also recognized by China. Quang Trung died in 1792. On the deathbed, Quang Trung described Nguyễn Quang Toản as "a clever boy but too young". Toản ascended the throne and changed the

Vietnamese era name Vietnamese era names were titles adopted in historical Vietnam for the purpose of year identification and numbering. Era names originated in 140 BCE in China, during the reign of the Emperor Wu of Han. Since the middle of the 6th century CE, inde ...

to "Cảnh Thịnh" () in the same year, when he was only nine years old. He granted his stepmother Bùi Thị Nhạn the title Empress dowager. Bùi Đắc Tuyên was granted the position ''thái sư'' ("Grand Preceptor"). Bùi Đắc Tuyên was favoured by the young emperor, and became the ''de facto'' ruler of the country. Tuyên banished one of important ministers, Trần Văn Kỷ (), from the capital

(modern

Huế Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...

). His behavior had aroused the anger of many ministers and generals. In 1793, Nguyễn Nhạc was attacked by Nguyễn lord, thus asking for Nguyễn Quang Toản's help. Toản repulsed the attack, then annexed Nhạc's territory. Nhạc died soon after suffering from vomiting blood. Nhạc's eldest son, Nguyễn Văn Bảo, was granted the title ''Hiếu công'' by Toản. Bùi Đắc Trụ () and Nguyễn Văn Huấn () were left in

Quy Nhơn Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...

to watch Bảo. Tây Sơn launched a powerful offensive in 1794. Two Tây Sơn generals, Trần Viết Kết () and Nguyễn Văn Huấn, laid siege to Diên Khánh in 1794, but Nguyễn lord's forces were able to keep them out. Several months later, Trần Quang Diệu and Nguyễn Văn Tứ () were sent to attack Diên Khánh again. However, a ''coup d'état'' occurred in the next year, forcing Diệu to withdraw. One night, Nguyễn Quang Toản was in Bùi Đắc Tuyên's house. Vũ Văn Dũng, Phạm Công Hưng, and Nguyễn Văn Huấn besieged the house, forcing Cảnh Thịnh to hand over Tuyên. Later, Tuyên was executed together with Bùi Đắc Trụ and his right hand Ngô Văn Sở. As a niece-in-law of Tuyên, general Trần Quang Diệu was not trusted by the three generals. Diệu quickly marched north and stayed at An Cựu. In the same time, an army under Vũ Văn Dũng and Nguyễn Văn Danh () also marched there. The young emperor was afraid because a civil war could break out at any moment. Finally, Diệu was reconciled with the three generals. Nguyễn Quang Toản started to rule the country directly; he appointed Trần Quang Diệu, Vũ Văn Dũng, Nguyễn Văn Huấn, and Nguyễn Văn Danh (or Nguyễn Văn Tứ) as his assistants. This arrangement proved to be unsatisfactory. Not long after, Diệu was removed from military leadership. Diệu was fearful and anxious, from then on, he refused to attend the imperial court. The power struggle destabilized the regime, which provided Nguyễn lord an opportunity to launch an offensive attack in 1797. Nguyễn Văn Bảo occupied

and planned to surrender to Nguyễn lord. Later on, the rebellion was put down in 1798, however, many ministers were accused of getting involved in the incident, including Lê Trung () and Nguyễn Văn Huấn, causing them to get arrested and executed. Tây Sơn generals felt themselves imperilled, as they were at odds with the emperor. In 1799, Quy Nhơn was besieged by Nguyễn Ánh. Trần Quang Diệu and Vũ Văn Dũng was sent to reinforce, but was ambushed by Nguyễn army in Thạch Tân. Hearing the news of defeat, governor Lê Văn Thanh () surrendered to Nguyễn Ánh. Quy Nhơn was captured by Nguyễn lord, and its name was changed to Bình Định. Trần Viết Kết and Hồ Công Diệu () spoke evil of Trần Quang Diệu. Nguyễn Quang Toản ordered Dũng to kill Diệu, but Dũng showed the letter to Trần Quang Diệu, leading Trần Quang Diệu to march to Phú Xuân. Hồ Công Diệu was chosen as a scapegoat; he was arrested and transferred to Trần Quang Diệu. In 1800, Trần Quang Diệu and Vũ Văn Dũng were sent south to besiege Quy Nhơn.

Nguyễn Ánh Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...

led a large number of army to reinforce Bình Định. However, Võ Tánh, the governor of Bình Định, suggested that he would pin the main Tây Sơn force down there so that Nguyễn Ánh could attack their capital Phú Xuân. Ánh agreed, and then he marched north. In this time, Nguyễn Quang Toản had to deal with several internal rebellions.

Hà Công Thái Hà is a Vietnamese given name, male or female, meaning "river". Hà is a Vietnamese 'surname' (during French colonialism). The name is transliterated as He in Chinese and Ha in Korean. Ha is the anglicized variation of the surname Hà. It is ...

(), a Degar leader, revolted in Thanh Hóa Province and pledged loyalty to Nguyễn lord; a Christian-inspired revolt broke out in

Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the ...

. To make matters worse,

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

and

Muang Phuan Muang Phuan (, ; ; Country of Phuan) or Xieng Khouang (, ; ), also known historically to the Vietnamese as Trấn Ninh (chữ Hán: 鎮寧; lit. "securement of peace"), was a historical principality on the Xiang Khouang Plateau, which constitut ...

attacked Nghệ An Province, cooperating with Nguyễn forces. Nguyễn Quang Toản had to ask Nguyễn Thiếp for advice. Thiếp said it was impossible to deal with current affairs; however, if the capital could be relocated in '' Phượng Hoàng trung đô'' (, in present-day

Vinh Vinh () is the capital of Nghệ An province and an economic and cultural center of North-Central Vietnam. A key point in the East–West economic corridor linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, the city is situated in the Southeast of ...

), the lifetime of the dynasty may be prolonged. Toản vacillated for too long and the opportunity to accept was lost. In 1801, Nguyễn Ánh's army reached Tư Dung estuary (present-day Tư Hiền estuary), defeating Nguyễn Văn Trị in Quy Sơn Hill. A naval battle broke out in Nộn estuary (present-day Thuận An estuary); both Nguyễn Quang Toản and Nguyễn Ánh directed the battle personally. Many Chinese pirates were hired by Tây Sơn to fight against Nguyễn lord. In Nguyễn lord's side, several Western adventurers joined the battle, including

Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau (1769–1832) was a French Navy sailor and an adventurer who played an important role in Vietnam in the 19th century. He served the Nguyễn dynasty from 1794 to 1819, and 1821 to 1826,Tran, p. 206. and took the Vietnamese ...

, Philippe Vannier, and Laurent André Barisy. Chaigneau described it as the fiercest battle between Tây Sơn dynasty and Nguyễn lord. The battle ended with a near annihilation of both Tây Sơn navy and Chinese pirates. Three famous pirates, Mo Guanfu, Liang Wengeng (, ''Lương Văn Canh''), and

Fan Wencai Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling * Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially with ...

( ''Phàn Văn Tài''), were captured by Nguyễn lord. The Nguyễn army soon occupied the capital

. Nguyễn Quang Toản fled to

Đồng Hới Đồng Hới () is the capital city of Quảng Bình Province in the north central coast of Vietnam. The city's area is . Population as per the 2019 census was 133,672. It is served by National Highway 1A, the Đồng Hới Railway Station, a ...

with a dozen men, then to Thăng Long. In there, he was supported by his brother Nguyễn Quang Thùy. Nguyễn Quang Toản changed the

to "Bảo Hưng" (). He made efforts to gain popularity among Northern Vietnamese. In foreign affairs, he sent an envoy to seek aid from the

Jiaqing Emperor The Jiaqing Emperor (13 November 1760 – 2 September 1820), also known by his temple name Emperor Renzong of Qing, personal name Yongyan, was the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He was ...

Qing China The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty ...

. Meanwhile, Nguyễn Ánh also sent an envoy, extraditing Mo Guanfu, Liang Wengeng, and Fan Wencai to China. The three pirates confessed that they were supported by Tây Sơn dynasty, proving that the Tây Sơn dynasty had shielded many Chinese pirates. Before this incident, the Chinese government had captured two pirates, Wang Guili (, ''Vương Quý Lợi'') and Fan Guangxi (, ''Phạm Quang Hỉ''); in their vessels, the Chinese found two Tây Sơn

official seal A seal is a device for making an impression in wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or to prevent interference with ...

s. The irate Jiaqing rejected to help Nguyễn Quang Toản, and deported his envoy.''

Draft History of Qing The ''Draft History of Qing'' () is a draft of the official history of the Qing dynasty compiled and written by a team of over 100 historians led by Zhao Erxun who were hired by the Beiyang government of the Republic of China. The draft was publ ...

'', vol. 527 In 1802, Nguyễn Quang Thùy was sent to attack Lũy Thầy (in present-day

Quảng Bình Province Quảng Bình was formerly a southern coastal Provinces of Vietnam, province in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Việt Nam, Vietnam. It borders Hà Tĩnh province, Hà Tĩnh to the north, Quảng Trị province, ...

). Later, Nguyễn Quang Toản led around 30,000 men to march to Linh River (modern

Gianh River The Gianh River () is a river in the Quảng Bình Province of Vietnam's North Central Coast (Bắc Trung Bộ). The river is in length. It was the border between ruling families during the partition of Vietnam following the Trịnh–Nguyễn ...

) to attack Nguyễn Ánh. Both of their armies were beaten. Toản fled to Nghệ An, where he met Nguyễn Quang Thùy. They fled back to Thăng Long together. Nguyễn Ánh's army marched further north. In June, they captured Thăng Long. Nguyễn Quang Toản fled across the Nhị River (present day Red River) along with Nguyễn Quang Thùy, Nguyễn Quang Thiệu (), Nguyễn Văn Dụng (), Nguyễn Văn Tứ, and the Empress dowager Bùi Thị Nhạn. In Phượng Nhãn ( Lạng Giang), They were captured alive by local villagers. Nguyễn Quang Thùy and Bùi Thị Nhạn committed suicide; the others were transferred to

and executed by Nguyễn Ánh. According to ''Đại Nam thực lục'', Nguyễn Quang Toản and his three brothers, Nguyễn Quang Duy (), Nguyễn Quang Thiệu, and Nguyễn Quang Bàn (), were executed by

slow slicing ''Lingchi'' ( IPA: , ), usually translated "slow slicing" or "death by a thousand cuts", was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 until it was banned in 1905. It was also used in Vietnam and Korea. In this form of ex ...

, then their bodies were dismembered by five elephants ().'' Đại Nam thực lục chính biên'', kỷ 1, vol. 19

References

Sources

* * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Quang Toan Tây Sơn dynasty emperors 1783 births 1802 deaths Child monarchs from Asia 18th-century Vietnamese monarchs 19th-century Vietnamese monarchs People executed by Vietnam Executed Vietnamese people Vietnamese monarchs