Phan Dinh Phung - Court Official

Court Official

Phan was born in the village of Dong Thai in the northern central coast province of Ha Tinh. Dong Thai was famous for producing high-ranking mandarins and had been the home of senior imperial officials since the time of the Le Dynasty. Twelve consecutive generations of the Phan family had been successful mandarinate graduates. All three of Phan's brothers who lived to adulthood passed the imperial examinations and became mandarins. Early on, Phan indicated his distaste for the classical curriculum required of an aspiring mandarin. He nevertheless persevered with his studies, passing the regional exams in 1876 and then topping the metropolitan exams the following year. In his exam response, Phan cited Japan as an example of how an Asian country could make rapid military progress given sufficient willpower.

Phan was never known for his scholarly abilities; it was his reputation for principled integrity that led to his quick rise through the ranks under the reign of Emperor Tu Duc. He was first appointed as a district mandarin in Ninh Binh Province, where he punished a Vietnamese Roman Catholic priest, who, with the tacit support of French missionaries, had harassed local non-Catholics. Amid the diplomatic controversy that followed, he avoided blaming the unpopular alliance between Vietnamese Catholics and the French on Catholicism itself, stating that the partnership had arisen out of the military and political vulnerabilities of Vietnam's imperial government. Despite this, the Huế court eventually removed Phan from this post.

Phan was transferred to the Huế court as a member of the censorate, a watchdog body that monitored the work of the mandarinate. He earned the ire of many of his colleagues, but the trust of the emperor, by revealing that the vast majority of the court mandarins were making a mockery of a royal edict to engage in regular rifle practice. Tu Duc later dispatched Phan on an inspection trip to northern Vietnam. His report led to the ousting of many officials who were deemed corrupt or incompetent, including the viceroy of the northern region. He rose to become the Ngu Su, or Imperial Censor, a position which allowed him to criticise other high officials and even the emperor for misconduct. Phan openly criticised Ton That Thuyet, the foremost mandarin of the court, believing him to be rash and dishonest. Aside from his work in rooting out corruption, Phan also compiled a historical geography of Vietnam, which was published in 1883.

Despite his prominent position in the Nguyen Dynasty, little is known about Phan's personal stance on Vietnamese relations with France, which was in the process of colonising Vietnam. France had first invaded in 1858, beginning the colonisation of southern Vietnam. Three provinces were ceded under the 1862 Treaty of Saigon, and a further three in 1867 to form the colony of Cochinchina. During the period, there was debate in the Huế court on the best strategy to regain the territory. One group advocated military means, while another believed in the use of diplomacy in addition to financial and religious concessions. By the time of Tu Duc's death in 1883, the whole of Vietnam was colonised, henceforth incorporated with Laos and Cambodia into French Indochina.

Upon his death in 1883, the childless Tu Duc had named his nephew, Kien Phuc, as his successor, rather than Duc Duc, his most senior heir. Tu Duc had written in his will that Duc Duc was depraved and unworthy of ruling the country. However, led by Thuyet, the regents enthroned Duc Duc under the pressure of the ladies of the court. Phan protested against the violation of Tu Duc's will of succession and refused to sanction anyone other than Kien Phuc. Lucky to escape the death penalty, Phan was stripped of his positions. Later, Duc Duc was deposed and executed by Thuyet on the grounds of ignoring court etiquette, ignoring the mourning rites for Tu Duc and having affairs with the late emperor's consorts. Phan again protested the regents' actions and was briefly imprisoned by Thuyet, before being exiled to his home province.