Tống Duy Tân

Tống Duy Tân
Born	1838 Vĩnh Lộc district, Thanh Hóa
Died	1892 (aged 53–54) Thanh Hóatown, Thanh Hóa
Other names	Báo Tiền
Occupation(s)	Official, revolutionist
Movement	Cần Vương
Children	Tống Nhữ Mai

Tống Duy Tân( tống duy tân, 1838 - 1892),courtesy nameCơ Mệnh,was aVietnameserevolutionary who led insurgent armies inThanh Hóa Provinceof northern Vietnam as part of theCần Vươngmovement that sought to install the boy EmperorHàm Nghias the leader of an independent Vietnam. He was captured in 1892 by the French colonial forces and executed.

Early years

Tống Duy Tân was born in 1838, under the reign of KingMinh Mạng,in Đông Biện village, Bồng Thượng canton (now is Bồng Trung village, Vĩnh Tân commune) ofVĩnh Lộc district,Thanh Hóa province. He graduated with a bachelor's degree inThi Hươngexam 1870, and gained a doctorate title inThi Hộiexam 1875, then became an official in Ministry of Justice under the reign of KingTự Đức.

In 1876, he was assigned as reviewer of Thi Hương exam school in Nam Định, then promoted toTri phủ(Prefect) of Vĩnh Tườngfu,Sơn Tây province (now areVĩnh Tườngand 4 other districts ofVĩnh Phúc province,and 2 districts ofPhú Thọ province).

After two years served as a prefect, the Sơn Tây mandarins proposed to the court to promote him to the position ofÁn sát(Surveillance Commissioner), but the situation was troubled at that time, afterthe 2nd French invasion,Huế courtwas divided into war faction and peace faction... Tống refused to work as a mandarin, asked to go back to his hometown to open a school. Later, RegentTôn Thất Thuyết- the top leader of the war faction knew that Tống was a patriot who had a good reputation, so he appointed Tống toĐốc học(Education Commissioner), thenChánh sứ Sơn phòng(Chief ofMountain warfareforce) of Thanh Hóa province, to prepare the French resistance.

Legacy and memory

A high school in Vĩnh Lộc district has been named after Tống Duy Tân since 1978.

Temples and tomb of Tống Duy Tân in his hometown of Vĩnh Lộc and Thanh Hóa city have both been ranked as a national historical and cultural relic.