Ton that Thuyet

Date of birth unknown; died in 1913. Vietnamese state and political figure; one of the leaders of the people’s armed struggle against the French colonialists in the late 19th century.

Ton That Thuyet headed a patriotic group at the court of the emperor Tu Due and his successors. After Tu Due’s death, Ton That Thuyet succeeded in overthrowing the emperor Hiep Hoa (1883–84) and his successor Kien Fuk (1884–85)—both of whom had made agreements with the French colonialists—and installed as emperor Ham Nghi, still a minor. In July 1885, Ton That Thuyet led an anti-French rebellion in the city of Hué, laying the foundation of the can vuong (“in defense of the emperor”) movement. When the Hué rebellion was suppressed, Ton That Thuyet, together with Ham Nghi, settled down in the mountain fortress of Tan So in Quang Tri Province, whence for a time he carried on the struggle. In 1886 he went into southern China and from there continued the anticolonial struggle, sending weapons and small armed detachments into Vietnam until 1894.