Dong Khanh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emperor Đồng Khánh (Hán tự: ; 19 February 1864 - 28 January 1889) was the 9th Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam. He reigned between 1885 and 1889, and was considered one of the most despised emperors of his era.

Đồng Khánh's birthname was Nguyễn Cảnh Tông. He was the son of Prince Nguyễn Phúc Huong Hoiou Cai, but because his uncle, the Tự Đức Emperor, had no children, he was adopted and made the Duke of Kiên Giang. Đồng Khánh, however, did not succeed to the throne until four others, Dục Đức, Hiệp Hoà, Kiến Phúc and Hàm Nghi were all enthroned, and removed in the year after the death of Tự Đức.

Đồng Khánh came to the throne because of the events of July 4, 1885, when the regent, Ton That Thuyet, kidnapped the young Hàm Nghi Emperor from the Purple Forbidden City, and took him to the mountains as the figurehead of a revolutionary movement against the French. To take away the legitimacy of Hàm Nghi, the French enthroned Nguyễn Cảnh Tông, who took the era name of "Đồng Khánh".

Madame Nhu, the First Lady of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1963, is a great-granddaughter of Đồng Khánh.[1]

Dong Khanh
Born: 19 February 1864 Died: 28 January 1889
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Hàm Nghi
Emperor of Vietnam
18851889
Succeeded by
Thành Thái