Nguyễn Phúc Lan

Nguyễn Phúc Lan (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Phúc Lan/ ; 13 August 1601 – 19 March 1648) was one of the Nguyễn lords who ruled south Vietnam from the city of Phú Xuân (modern-day Huế) from 1635 to 1648. During his rule the Trịnh–Nguyễn War continued.

Map of Vietnam showing (roughly) the areas controlled by the Trịnh, Nguyễn, Mac, and Champa about the year 1640
Nguyễn Phúc Lan
阮福瀾
Nguyễn lords
Lord of Cochinchina
Nguyễn Lords
Reign1635 1648
PredecessorNguyễn Phúc Nguyên
SuccessorNguyễn Phúc Tần
BornAugust 13, 1601
DiedMarch 19, 1648(1648-03-19) (aged 46)
Cochinchina
SpouseĐoàn Thị Ngọc
IssueNguyễn Phúc Vũ
Nguyễn Phúc Tần
Nguyễn Phúc Quỳnh
Full name
Nguyễn Phúc Lan (阮福瀾)
Regnal name
Chúa Thượng (主上 "Lord Thượng")
Posthumous name
Thừa Cơ Toản Thống Quân Minh Hùng Nghị Uy Đoán Anh Vũ Hiếu Chiêu Hoàng Đế
承基纘統剛明雄毅威斷英武孝昭皇帝
Temple name
Thần Tông (神宗)
HouseNguyễn Lords
FatherNguyễn Phúc Nguyên
MotherMạc Thị Giai
ReligionBuddhism

Nguyễn Phúc Lan was the second son of Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên. His father died in the midst of the war by Trịnh Tráng to conquer the southern provinces. Unwilling to make peace, Nguyễn Phúc Lan continued his father's policies of maintaining a strong defensive position on the great walls while continuing friendly relations with the Portuguese and expanding south into Cambodian and Champa territory. Following after his grandfather, he took the title of Vuong (Prince/Lord), calling himself Cong-Thuong Vuong.

In 1640, famed Jesuit missionary Alexandre de Rhodes returned to Vietnam, this time to the Nguyễn court at Phú Xuân. He had been forced to leave the court at Hanoi ten years earlier but now he was back, reasoning correctly that rules against him in Hanoi did not apply in Phú Xuân. He began work on converting people to the Roman Catholic faith and building churches. However, after six years, Nguyễn Phúc Lan came to the same conclusion as Trịnh Tráng had: that de Rhodes and the Catholic Church represented a threat to his rule. De Rhodes was condemned to death but the sentence was reduced to exile on pain of death should he return. De Rhodes never returned to Vietnam but Vietnamese Catholics remained and continued to practice their new religion.

After a break of nine years, Trịnh Tráng launched a new major assault in 1642. This time they had their own European cannons, purchased from the Dutch. They also had modern Dutch ships to lead their fleet. At first the assault went well and the first of the great walls was breached. The attack was renewed in 1643 but the second wall could not be taken. At sea, once again the Nguyễn fleet defeated the Royal (Trịnh) fleet. The offensive halted and the Trịnh withdrew.

On March 19, 1648, Nguyễn Phúc Lan died and was succeeded by his son, Nguyễn Phúc Tần, who was 28 years old.

See also

Sources

  • Encyclopedia of Asian History, Volume 3 (Nguyen Lords) 1988. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
  • The Encyclopedia of Military History by R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy. Harper & Row (New York)
Vietnamese royalty
Preceded by
Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên
Nguyễn lords
Lord of Cochinchina

1635–1648
Succeeded by
Nguyễn Phúc Tần


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