Gia Long - Early Years

Early Years

Born on 8 February 1762, Nguyen Anh was the son of Nguyen Phuc Luan and Nguyen Thi Hoan. Luan was the designated heir of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat of southern Vietnam. However, a high-ranking mandarin named Truong Phuc Loan changed Khoat's will of succession on his deathbed, and installed Luan's younger brother Nguyen Phuc Thuan on the throne in 1765. Luan was jailed and died in the same year.

However, Thuan lost his position as lord of southern Vietnam and was killed during the Tay Son rebellion led by the brothers Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Lu in 1777. Nguyen Anh was the most senior member of the ruling family to have survived the Tay Son victory, which pushed the Nguyen from their heartland in central Vietnam, southwards towards Saigon and into the Mekong Delta region in the far south. Nguyen Anh fled to Ha Tien on the southern coastal tip of Vietnam, where he met Pigneau de Behaine, a French priest who became his adviser and played a major part in his rise to power. Together, they escaped to the island of Pulo Panjang in the Gulf of Siam. Pigneau hoped that by playing a substantial role in a Nguyen Anh victory, he would be in position to lever important concessions for the Catholic Church in Vietnam, helping its expansion in South East Asia.

In late-1777, the main part of the Tay Son army left Saigon to go north and attack the Trinh Lords, who ruled the other half of Vietnam. Nguyen Anh stealthily returned to the mainland, rejoining his supporters and reclaimed the city. He was crucially aided by the efforts of Do Thanh Nhon, who had organized an army for him, which was supplemented by Cambodian mercenaries and Chinese pirates. The following year, Nhon expelled further Tay Son troops from the surrounding province of Gia Dinh, and inflicted heavy losses on the Tay Son naval fleet. Taking advantage of the more favorable situation, Nguyen Anh sent a diplomatic mission to Siam to propose a treaty of friendship. However, this pact was derailed in 1779 when the Cambodians held an uprising against their pro-Siamese leader Ang Non. Nguyen Anh sent Nhon to help the uprising, which saw Ang Non defeated decisively and executed.

Nhon returned to Saigon with high honor and concentrated his efforts on improving the Nguyen navy. In 1780, in an attempt to strengthen his political status, Nguyen Anh proclaimed himself Nguyễn vương (Nguyễn king or Nguyễn ruler in Vietnamese). Then, in 1781, Nguyen Anh sent further forces to prop up the Cambodian regime against Siamese armies who wanted to reassert their control. Shortly thereafter, Nguyen Anh had Nhon brutally murdered. The reason remains unclear, but it was postulated that he did so because Nhon's fame and military success was overshadowing him. The Tay Son brothers reportedly broke out in celebration upon hearing of Nhon's execution, as Nhon was the Nguyen officer that they feared the most. Nhon's supporters rebelled, weakening the Nguyen army, and within a few months, the Tay Son had recaptured Saigon mainly on the back of naval barrages. Nguyen Anh was forced to flee to Ha Tien, and then onto the island of Phu Quoc. Meanwhile, some of his forces continued to resist in his absence.

In October 1782, the tide shifted again, when forces led by Nguyen Phuc Man, Nguyen Anh's younger brother, and Chau Van Tiep drove the Tay Son out of Saigon. Nguyen Anh returned to Saigon, as did Pigneau. The hold was tenuous, and a counterattack by the Tay Son in early 1783 saw a heavy defeat to the Nguyen, with Nguyen Man killed in battle. Nguyen Anh again fled to Phu Quoc, but this time his hiding place was discovered. He managed to escape the pursuing Tay Son fleet to Koh-rong island in the Bay of Kompongsom. Again, his hideout was discovered and encircled by the rebel fleet. However, a typhoon hit the area, and he managed to break the naval siege and escape to another island amid the confusion. In early-1784, Nguyen Anh went to seek Siamese aid, which was forthcoming, but the extra 20,000 men failed to weaken the Tay Son's hold on power. This forced Nguyen Anh to become a refugee in Siam in 1785. To make matters worse, the Tay Son regularly raided the rice growing areas of the south during the harvesting season, depriving the Nguyen of their food supply. Nguyen Anh eventually came to the conclusion that using Siamese military aid would generate a backlash amongst the populace, due to prevailing Vietnamese hostility towards Siam.