Nguyễn Phúc Chu


Nguyễn Phúc Chu was one of the Nguyễn lords who ruled southern Vietnam from 1691 to 1725.
During his time in power, he had to deal with a Champa rebellion and the first major war against the Cambodians. Nguyễn Phúc Chu was the eldest son of Nguyễn Phúc Trăn. He gained the throne on his father's early death, at just 15 years old. He took for himself the title Tong Quan-Cong.
Early in his reign the Champa ruler of Panduranga, Po Sot, began a rebellion against the Nguyễn. The revolt was at first unsuccessful and after the Nguyễn army put down the revolt there was an outbreak of plague in Panduranga. Three years later, a Cham aristocrat, Oknha Dat, obtained the help of General A Ban.
Together they defeated a Nguyễn military force in 1695. The new Champ king, Po Saktiray Da Patih, made a treaty with Nguyễn Phúc Chu. The result was the Cham rulers in Panduranga were recognised as Trấn Vương for the next 135 years, though they had no authority over Vietnamese living in the area. In 1714, Nguyễn Phúc Chu sent an army into Cambodia to support Keo Fa who claimed the throne against Prea Srey Thomea. The army of Siam also got involved in the war, the Siamese sided with the Prea Srey Thomea against the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese won several battles against the Siamese but shifting fortunes led to the war ending with negotiations rather than military defeat on either side.

Last years

In 1720, near the end of his reign, Nguyễn Phúc Chu, took formal control over the last lands of the Champa. Whether this was a violation of the peace treaty he signed with the Cham 25 years earlier is not known. On 1 June 1725, Nguyễn Phúc Chu died and was succeeded by his second son, Nguyễn Phúc Trú.