King Thanh Thai (1889 – 1907)
King Thanh Thai (1889-1907), born Nguyen Phuc Buu Lan, was the 10th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, reigning from 1889 to 1907. Due to his resistance to the French, he, along with Kings Ham Nghi and Duy Tan, were the three patriotic kings in the history of Vietnam during the French colonial period, who were exiled abroad.
As a child, he was the 7th son of King Duc Duc. He ascended the throne on February 2, 1889, Buu Lan ascended the throne at Thai Hoa Palace with the title Thanh Thai, at that time Buu Lan was only 10 years old. Thanh Thai was a young king with many special characteristics. In the early days, although he was already king, because he was still a child, he still liked to play around and be mischievous.
Anti-French spirit: Thanh Thai gradually revealed a very high national spirit. He despised flattering mandarins. During his reign, there were also anti-French movements. King Thanh Thai also secretly established female soldiers to deceive the French. Some documents recorded that the king recruited 4 teams, each with 50 people. After the previous team was trained, he returned home and recruited a new team, when the opportunity arose, they would rise up against the French. However, the matter was eventually exposed when Minister of Personnel Truong Nhu Cuong and the Privy Council informed the French Resident Levécque, after which he was forced to abdicate.
Exile: On September 12, 1907, the Protectorate Government brought Thanh Thai to Saigon, asking to discuss the form of address. Thanh Thai was taken to be placed under house arrest in Bach Dinh, Cap Saint Jacques (present-day Vung Tau). In 1916, he was exiled to Reunion Island with his son, King Duy Tan.
