The son of Emperor Gia Long, 1st ruler of the Nguyen dynasty, Minh Mang was born in 1791 and came to the throne in 1820 at the age of 29. His reigning name translates to "The Radiant Mandate". His motto was "Conform to the constant movement of Heaven. He was not the oldest son, but the Crown Prince, Nguyen Canh, had died from an illness years earlier. Compared with most Nguyen emperors, Minh Mang's reign as the Son of Heaven was a fairly long one, lasting from 1820 to 1841. Minh Mang is remembered as a strong, traditional Confuciunist emperor who ruled with wisdom and majesty. The reign of Emperor Minh Mang is considered the "Golden Age" of Imperial Vietnam. Due to the victorious campaigns of his father, "The Great Conqueror", Emperor Minh Mang inherited a realm that stretched across modern Vietnam as well as most of Laos and Cambodia. He continued the traditional and conservative policies of Gia Long but also made many improvements. He reorganized Vietnam's government administration and improved the examinations for the mandarins that ran the country as well as broadening education.
As well as being an effective government leader, Emperor Minh Mang was also a very skilled writer. A famous poem he composed has been used to choose the names of successive monarchs and members of the Nguyen dynasty. He also added greatly to the architectual treasures of Vietnam, building many temples within the imperial capitol of Hue. His masterpiece was the Mieu Temple built in 1821 which honors ten of the Nguyen emperors. He was also the one who ordered the casting of the nine large urns of the Nguyen dynasty outside the Hien Lam Pavillion and the Mieu Temple.
In terms of his foreign policy, Emperor Minh Mang is not well thought of in the western world. He was worried about foreign encroachment on his country, a fear that later proved to be well founded. While he allowed French commerce into the Vietnamese market place he turned away official diplomatic relations with France. The United States made an attempt to set up official relations with the Empire of Vietnam, and the Son of Heaven was at first impressed that these men had come from so far away just to contact his country. Others however warned the emperor of foreign trickery and pointed to the on-going exploitation of China by Europe and America. When the United States envoys mistakenly snubbed the Emperor and left without a last farewell, he refused all further relations with them. As a devoted follower of traditional Vietnamese beliefs he was also extremely distrustful of the Catholic missionaries trying to convert his people. These feelings were also fueled by the part played by several French clergymen in past revolts against the Nguyen dynasty. When this happened to Minh Mang he outlawed the practise of Christianity in Vietnam, and sadly, many were persecuted.
However, as unfortunate as such an event is, it must be seen in context with other events. Certainly the missionaries had no business getting involved in local politics and certainly it was not the place of spiritual leaders to take part in plots against the government that had allowed them to minister in their country. It was also true that the Emperor was acting out of devotion to his own religion as well. He also feared foreign involvement on any level after the Opium War in China and his desire to avoid such a thing happening in Vietnam. All in all, the reign of Emperor Minh Mang was a great one in the history of Vietnam, one of growth, prosperity, strength and flowering culture. Emperor Minh Mang had a small army of children and upon his death in 1841 he was succeeded as the Son of Heaven by Emperor Thieu Tri. |
