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Nguyễn Quyền (1869–1941) was a Vietnamese scholar-gentry anti-colonial revolutionary activist who advocated independence from French colonial rule. He was a contemporary of
Phan Bội Châu Phan Bội Châu (; 26 December 1867 – 29 October 1940), born Phan Văn San, courtesy name Hải Thụ (later changed to Sào Nam), was a pioneer of 20th century Vietnamese nationalism. In 1904, he formed a revolutionary organization called ...
and
Phan Chu Trinh Phan may refer to: * Phan (surname), a Vietnamese family name * Phan District, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand * Phan River, Bình Thuận Province, Vietnam * Phan (tray) Phan (, ) is an artistically decorated tray with pedestal. It is common in T ...
, and one of
Tonkin Free School The Tonkin Free School (, ) was a short-lived but historically significant educational institution in Hanoi that aimed to reform Vietnamese society under the French protectorate during the beginning of the 20th century. History The school was fou ...
's (Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc) founders. Quyen was born in Thượng Trì (or Đìa Village), Thượng Mão, Thuận Thành, Bắc Ninh Province. He was the principal of the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc School in 1907. Quyen gained the rank of ''tu tai'' in the regional imperial examinations and as a result found himself appointed the ''huan dao'' (education officer) of
Lạng Sơn Lạng Sơn () is a city in far Northern Vietnam, and the capital of Lạng Sơn Province. It is accessible by road and rail from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and it is the northernmost point on National Route 1. History Due to its geograph ...
prefecture. As a result, he was often known as Huan Quyen.Marr, p. 92. Quyen was not the first choice for the role. The regional authority in the area was Vi Van Ly, a seventy-year-old descendant of a Chinese immigrant family that had inherited authority in the area due to its bestowal to them by the
Nguyễn dynasty The Nguyễn dynasty (, chữ Nôm: 茹阮, chữ Hán: 朝阮) was the last List of Vietnamese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasty, preceded by the Nguyễn lords and ruling unified Vietnam independently from 1802 until French protectorate in 1883 ...
. Ly had requested a ''huan dao'' via the French resident, but since the highlands area had a poor record in academic performance, there were very few students preparing for exams, so Quyen was appointed to the post from out of district since nobody else was available. As it was, there was a lack of interest in education in the area, so Quyen had very few duties to fulfil. Instead, he spent most of his time reading books. Since Lạng Sơn was near the Chinese border, Quyen quickly came across Chinese translations of European literature and the writings of
Kang Youwei Kang Youwei (; Cantonese: ''Hōng Yáuh-wàih''; 19March 185831March 1927) was a political thinker and reformer in China of the late Qing dynasty. His increasing closeness to and influence over the young Guangxu Emperor sparked confli ...
and Liang Chi Chao. Later in his life, he reflected on his time in Lạng Sơn and recalled the excitement he derived rom reading the ''Chung-kuo hun'' and ''Ch'un chi chuan chieh lun'', often going without sleep or food to continue reading. As a result, Quyen advocated the modernisation of Vietnam's education system. In approximately 1903 or 1904, Quyen met Tang Bat Ho, who had recently returned from his travels abroad and talked extensively about the modernisation of Japan. In 1904 he met with
Phan Bội Châu Phan Bội Châu (; 26 December 1867 – 29 October 1940), born Phan Văn San, courtesy name Hải Thụ (later changed to Sào Nam), was a pioneer of 20th century Vietnamese nationalism. In 1904, he formed a revolutionary organization called ...
, but Quyen had little in common with Chau's ideology of using violence to achieve independence. Quyen went on the work with Lương Văn Can and Le Dai in setting up the Dong Kinh Thuc Nghia, which sought to strengthen the Vietnamese people and thereby the likelihood of independence through the training of a new, more modern generation of scholars.Marr, p. 93. In 1908, Quyen was arrested in a general crackdown by French authorities and sent to jail on Côn Lôn island.Marr, p. 195.


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* Vietnamese nationalists Vietnamese revolutionaries Vietnamese merchants 1869 births 1941 deaths People from Bắc Ninh province {{Vietnam-bio-stub