Citadel of Saigon - Le Van Khoi Revolt

Le Van Khoi Revolt

Main article: Le Van Khoi revolt See also: Le Van Duyet

The citadel was not used during the rule of Gia Long and the only military action occurred after his son had ascended the throne as Minh Mang. Years of tension between the monarch and General Le Van Duyet, the governor of southern Vietnam, came to a head after the death of the latter in 1831. Tension between the pair surfaced when Gia Long made Minh Mang the heir to the throne. Duyet had opposed the succession, favouring the enthronement of a young son of the late Prince Canh, the eldest of Gia Long's sons.

After Gia Long's death, Minh Mang and Duyet clashed frequently. As the southern governor, Duyet had significant autonomy, as only the centre of Vietnam was under direct royal rule. Duyet was a supporter of Catholic missionaries, while Minh Mang was a staunch Confucianist. Duyet often disobeyed Minh Mang's orders, and the emperor attempted to reduce the Duyet's autonomous power, which became easier with the general's death in 1831. The governor's post was abolished and the region was put under direct control.

Following the integration of southern Vietnam into the central administration, newly appointed imperial officials arrived in Saigon. The new mandarins carried out a detailed inquiry into Duyet's rule and claimed that widespread corruption and abuse of power took place. Bach Xuan Nguyen, the head of the inquiry, called for Duyet's posthumous prosecution, which resulted in 100 lashes being applied to his grave. Many of Duyet's subordinates were arrested and 16 of his family members were executed. This action prompted the Duyet's officials—fearful of their positions and security under the central system—to launch a revolt under the leadership of his adopted son Le Van Khoi. Historical opinion is divided with scholars contesting whether the humiliation of Duyet or the loss of southern autonomy was the main catalyst.

On the night of May 18, 1833, Duyet's supporters took control of the citadel, executing Nguyen and his subordinates. They then held a torch-lit ceremony at Duyet's tomb, during which his adopted son Khoi formally rejected the imperial authority of Minh Mang and declared his support for An Hoa, the son of Prince Canh. On the same evening, Khoi's men assassinated Nguyen Van Que, the newly appointed Governor-General who was overseeing the integration of the south into the central administration. All of the centrally appointed officials were killed or fled the citadel. Surprise attacks caught the imperial garrisons off guard and within three days, all six southern provinces were in the hands of Khoi's forces. Khoi convinced a French priest named Joseph Marchand to come and stay within the citadel, hoping that his presence would win over support from the local Catholics. Khoi's support of An Hoa was also calculated to gain Catholic support, because Canh had converted to Catholicism. He further called on Catholics to congregate in the citadel under his protection. Vietnamese priests went on to lead Catholic armies in fighting off imperial forces as well providing messengers to communicate with the world outside their besieged citadel.

In mid-1834, the imperial forces managed to finally repel the Siamese invaders and gained the upper hand over the rebels, regaining control of the southern countryside and besieging the rebel fortress. Although Khoi died during the siege in November 1834, the rebels defending the citadel of Saigon held out against imperial troops until September, 1835. The rebel commanders put to death. In all, between 500 and 2,000 citadel defenders were captured and executed, including Marchand.