Phan Châu Trinh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phan Châu Trinh
潘周楨 |
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| Born | 9 September 1872 Quảng Nam, Đại Nam
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| Died | 24 March 1926 (aged 53) |
| Resting place | 9 Phan Thuc Duyen, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Movement | Duy Tân (Modernization) movement |
| Spouse(s) | Lê Thị Tỵ |
| Children | Phan Thị Châu Liên Phan Thị Châu Lan Phan Châu Dật |
| Relatives | Nguyen Thi Binh (granddaughter) |
Phan Châu Trinh (born September 9, 1872 – died March 24, 1926) was an important Vietnamese leader in the early 1900s. He wanted to end France's control over Vietnam. He believed Vietnam could become free by educating its people and asking France to follow its own ideas of fairness and democracy. He did not believe in using violence or asking other countries for help.
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Early Life and Education
Phan Châu Trinh was born in a village in Quảng Nam province, Vietnam, on September 9, 1872. His family was wealthy, and his father was a scholar. When he was 13, his father passed away, leaving him an orphan. His older brother taught him about Confucianism, which was a traditional way of thinking in Vietnam.
Phan Châu Trinh was a very smart student. In 1900, he earned a high degree called Cử nhân. A year later, he earned another important title called Phó bảng in national exams. These were like getting advanced degrees today.
A New Path for Vietnam
In 1905, Phan Châu Trinh decided to leave his government job. He strongly disagreed with the old ways of the Vietnamese government, which was a monarchy (ruled by a king). He wanted Vietnam to become a democratic republic, where people would have more say.
He met another Vietnamese leader, Phan Bội Châu, in 1903. In 1906, Phan Châu Trinh traveled to Hong Kong and then to China to meet him again. He even disguised himself as a regular worker to make the journey. Later, he went to Japan with Phan Bội Châu as part of a movement to learn from other countries.
While in Japan, Phan Châu Trinh and Phan Bội Châu had different ideas. Phan Châu Trinh did not trust Japan's military power and thought it was wrong to ask them for military help. He believed Vietnam should focus on its own people. He wanted to teach people about their rights and help them become more educated.
He returned to Vietnam and continued to share his ideas. He used slogans like "Up with Democracy, Out with Monarchy" and "Using the French for Progress." This meant he wanted to use French ideas of democracy to help Vietnam, rather than fighting them with weapons.
The Duy Tân Movement
In 1906, Phan Châu Trinh came back to Vietnam. He worked with other leaders like Huỳnh Thúc Kháng to start the Duy Tân Movement. This movement aimed to modernize Vietnam. Their main slogan was "Broaden the People’s Mind, Invigorate the People’s Spirit, then Enrich the People’s Well-being." This meant they wanted to educate people, make them feel proud, and improve their lives.
Phan Châu Trinh wrote a letter to the French governor of Indochina. In this letter, he asked France to truly help Vietnam develop. He pointed out that some Vietnamese people working with the French were taking advantage of others. He urged France to build modern schools, laws, and businesses in Vietnam.
In 1907, Phan Châu Trinh and his friends opened a special school in Hanoi called the Tonkin Free School. This school taught young Vietnamese people new ideas. They used books translated from other countries that talked about modern thinking. Phan Châu Trinh taught at the school, and its goal was to "broaden the people’s mind without taking money." The school wanted to teach people new ways of thinking and help farmers get a modern education.
Challenges and Exile
In 1908, farmers started protesting against high taxes. Because of this, Phan Châu Trinh was arrested, and his school was closed. He was sentenced to death, but his supporters in France helped change his sentence to life in prison. He was sent to a prison island called Côn Đảo.
After three years, in 1911, he was pardoned but put under house arrest. He preferred to go back to prison rather than have only partial freedom. So, he was sent to France with his son, where the French government continued to watch him.
In Paris, he worked with other Vietnamese people who wanted independence, including Hồ Chí Minh. They formed a group called "The Group of Vietnamese Patriots." They wrote articles about patriotism, sometimes using the name Nguyễn Ái Quốc, which Hồ Chí Minh later used. Phan Châu Trinh worked as a photo retoucher to support himself.
He returned to Saigon in 1925 and passed away on March 24, 1926, at the age of 53. His funeral was huge, with over 60,000 people attending. It led to big protests across Vietnam, with people demanding an end to French rule.
Different Ideas for Freedom
Phan Châu Trinh had many discussions with other Vietnamese leaders, like Phan Bội Châu, about the best way to free Vietnam.
Phan Châu Trinh believed that the Vietnamese people needed to be educated and understand their rights first. He thought that once people were enlightened, they could then work towards independence. He wanted to get rid of the old monarchy and create a democratic system.
Phan Bội Châu, on the other hand, thought that Vietnam should first drive out the French. He believed that once Vietnam was independent, they could then decide on their government. He was willing to use the monarchy to achieve independence.
Even though they had different ideas, Phan Châu Trinh and Phan Bội Châu respected each other. They both wanted Vietnam to be free, but they had different plans on how to get there.
His Writings
Phan Châu Trinh wrote several important works:
- Trưng Vương bình ngũ lãnh: A play he wrote with Huỳnh Thúc Kháng in 1908 while in prison. It was about the Trưng Sisters, who were ancient Vietnamese heroes.
- Trung kỳ dân biến thỉ mạt ký: A book written in 1911 when he was in France. It described the peasant protests of 1908.
- Tây Hồ thi tập and Santé thi tập: Collections of his poems, including those he wrote while in prison in France.
His Legacy
Phan Châu Trinh is remembered as a very important figure in Vietnamese history. In 2006, his granddaughter, Nguyễn Thị Bình, helped create a cultural foundation named after him. This foundation works to share and preserve Vietnamese culture.
Today, many cities in Vietnam have major streets named after Phan Châu Trinh, showing how much he is respected.
