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The Man with Many Sons Becomes the Greatest King: Who is He?

In Vietnamese history, there is a notable figure who, although not a king himself, saw all three of his sons ascend to the throne, each with their own unique destiny. Who is this man?

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20 March, 2024

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The history of Vietnam records that although not being a king, a man whose 3 sons were successively crowned kings with different fates. Who is he?

The man who did not become a king but had the most sons becoming kings

Nguyen Phuc Hong Cai (1845 – 1876), styled Kien Thai Vuong, was the prince of King Thieu Tri of the Nguyen dynasty (younger brother of King Tu Duc). He is known as the father of three consecutive kings of the Nguyen dynasty: Kien Phuc (Nguyen Phuc Ung Dang), Ham Nghi (Nguyen Phuc Ung Lich), and Dong Khanh (Nguyen Phuc Ung Ky). As Tu Duc had no children, he took these three relatives as his adopted sons. The fates of these three sons were very different. The people of Hue have a saying: “One family gives birth to three kings. Kings alive, kings dead, kings running away.”

+ King Kien Phuc

King Kien Phuc (1869 – 1884), real name Nguyen Phuc Ung Dang, was the 7th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. In 1883, when he was only 14 years old, Ung Dang was enthroned, but 8 months later he suddenly passed away. There are many different theories about his death, such as the king died of illness or poisoning. He became the shortest-lived monarch in the history of the Nguyen dynasty, passing away at the age of 15, without a queen and children.

Nguyen Phuc Hong Cai (1845 – 1876), styled Kien Thai Vuong, the prince of King Thieu Tri of the Nguyen dynasty (younger brother of King Tu Duc) (illustration) (source: internet)

+ King Ham Nghi

King Ham Nghi ascended the throne in August 1884, but less than a year later, the capital was lost. Ton That Thuyet took King Ham Nghi and his royal entourage leaving the Hue capital and fleeing to Son Phong Tan So (Quang Tri). Here, the king issued a call to all people to respond to the Can Vuong movement, which aimed at supporting the king and saving the country.

After staying in Quang Tri for a while, to avoid the intense pursuit of the French army, Ton That Thuyet took King Ham Nghi and his entourage out of Tan So, crossed Laos, and arrived in Au Son (Huong Khe, Ha Tinh). However, in September 1888, he was betrayed by Nguyen Dinh Tinh and Truong Quang Ngoc, and was handed over to the French army.

+ King Dong Khanh

When Nguyen Phuc Ung Ky ascended the throne of Dai Nam, contrary to the usual practice, the new king would announce his own reign title, but Ung Ky still used the reign title Ham Nghi of the previous king and also his younger brother in official documents and decrees.

Faced with this unusual situation, the court officials sought an audience with Queen Mother Tu Du to seek her guidance in requesting the king to choose a reign title for himself. The Dong Khanh Chronicle wrote: “Before that, the court officials discussed and followed the guidance of Queen Mother Tu Du saying that although the king had ascended the throne for more than a month, he still kept the reign title Ham Nghi, which made people suspicious. Therefore, we propose to immediately use the reign title Dong Khanh to stabilize the people’s minds without having to wait until the following year… The king agreed and copied the guidance and the court’s proposal which was promulgated both inside and outside the country.”

Which Vietnamese king had the most sons?

During his reign, King Minh Mang had up to 142 children, including 78 princes and 64 princesses.

Minh Mang is one of the most capable rulers in the history of feudal Vietnam. Under his reign, the Nguyen dynasty built a powerful nation, inspiring respect from neighboring countries.

Not only known as a strict and capable ruler, Minh Mang also had the most children among the other emperors of feudal Vietnam. During his lifetime, King Minh Mang had a total of 142 children, including 78 princes and 64 princesses. King Minh Mang of the Nguyen dynasty had many wives and was famous for his methods that made five women pregnant in one night. King Minh Mang enjoyed the most pleasures among the Nguyen kings in the harem. The number of concubines who had children with him was 43, but according to many documents in the palace, there were 500-600 people. His wives were mostly from southern Vietnam. King Minh Mang passed away on December 28, 1841, at the age of 50, after reigning for 21 years. His tomb is still preserved almost intact in Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province.

Frequently asked questions

King Kien Phuc, the seventh emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, ruled for only 8 months and passed away at the age of 15. King Ham Nghi lost the capital less than a year after ascending the throne and had to flee with his entourage. King Dong Khanh ascended the throne and kept the reign title of his predecessor and brother, Ham Nghi, which was an unusual move.

King Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty had the most children among the feudal emperors of Vietnam. He had a total of 142 children, including 78 princes and 64 princesses.