Nguyễn Thị Duệ (阮氏叡, 1574 – 1654)

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Ngọc Toàn (玉全),

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Diệu Huyền (妙玄), Đào Hoa Am (桃花庵), was a Vietnamese Imperial

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

and

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

, referred to as the first female

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

of Việt Nam.

Biography

Nguyễn Thị Duệ, also recorded in some documents as Nguyễn Thị Du (阮氏游), or Diệu Huyền, or Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Toàn (阮氏玉瓚), was born on March 14, 1574, in the village of Kiệt Đặc (now Văn An Ward,

Chí Linh Chí Linh is a District-level town (Vietnam), city in Hải Dương Province, in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. In 2010, Chí Linh District (Vietnam), District was upgraded to a District-level town (Vietnam), district-level town and in 20 ...

City,

Hải Dương Province Hải Dương was a former province in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. Its name derives from Sino-Vietnamese "ocean sun", though the modern province is in fact landlocked. Located in the Northern Key Economic Region, Hai Duong Provin ...

). She was regarded as a woman of exceptional beauty and intelligence. By the age of ten, she was already composing essays and poems, drawing the attention of many aristocratic families who came to ask for her hand in marriage. However, her family did not agree to any proposals. In 1592, the capital Thang Long was captured by the

Trịnh Trịnh is a Vietnamese language, Vietnamese Vietnamese family name, family name. It exists in Calque, equivalent forms in other languages of the Sinosphere such as (Zheng (surname), 鄭, Zheng, Cheng) in Chinese language, Chinese and Korean languag ...

army. The

Mạc dynasty The Mạc dynasty (; Hán-Nôm: 茹莫/ 朝莫) (1527–1677), officially Đại Việt (Chữ Hán: 大越), was a Vietnamese dynasty which ruled over a unified Vietnam between 1527 and 1540, and northern Vietnam from 1540 until 1593. The M ...

had lost all of

Việt Nam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

except for the areas around

Cao Bằng Province Cao Bằng is a province of the Northeast region of Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has a common international border with Guangxi province in Chi ...

. The remnants of the Mạc fled to

Cao Bằng Cao Bằng () is a city in northern Vietnam. It is the capital and largest settlement of Cao Bằng Province. It is located on the bank of the Bằng Giang river, and is around away from the border with China's Guangxi region. According to the 2 ...

, and Nguyễn Thị Duệ followed her family there. Being an avid learner, but living in a time when women were not allowed to study or take exams, Nguyễn Thị Duệ disguised herself as a man to pursue education. In the Imperial Civil Service Exams of the year 1594, she registered under the alias ''Nguyễn Du'' and topped the exam at the age of 20, achieving the rank and title of

, according to many sources, the first women in Vietnam to do so. At the banquet held to honor the new laureates, Emperor

Mạc Kính Cung Mạc Kính Cung (莫敬恭, ?–1593) was the eighth emperor of the Mạc dynasty. He reigned from 1592–1625. He was the seventh son of Mạc Kính Điển. The emperor Mạc Kính Chỉ was captured by Trịnh lord in 1593, he was enthrone ...

noticed the slim build and elegant features of the top scholar and grew suspicious. Upon questioning and investigation, it was revealed that the scholar was in fact a woman in disguise. Cross-dressing to take the imperial exam was considered a crime of deceiving the sovereign, but the emperor, rather than punishing her, was amused and praised her talent. Later, the Mạc emperor summoned her to the palace to teach the Imperial Consorts, and she was eventually selected to become a royal concubine herself, some months later, titled ''Tinh Phi '' (The Star Consort) – a name that praised her for being both beautiful and brilliant like a shining star. People affectionately called her “Bà Chúa Sao” (Lady Star)Chỉ có ''Tinh Phi cổ tháp'' ghi "Tinh Phi". Bia "Lập cử tự bia" ở chùa Phổ Chiếu, xã Kiệt Đoài, huyện Chí Linh, tỉnh Hải Dương dựng năm Thịnh Đức (1653) và sắc phong tại đình xã Kiệt Đài ghi bà chỉ là: ''Thị nội cung tần Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Toàn'' While serving in the royal court, she was deeply concerned with examinations and the nurturing of talents. In most imperial and national exams, she was involved in reviewing and grading the candidates’ works. Several times a month, she would join esteemed scholars to teach and review lessons for young students. She also petitioned the royal court to allocate fertile lands to be cultivated for profits to support hardworking, talented poor students. In 1625, the Lê and

armies advanced to Cao Bằng and defeated the Mạc dynasty. Nguyễn Thị Duệ retreated into the forest to go into hiding but was captured by soldiers. Instead of executing her, admiring her intellect, the Trịnhs allowed her to oversee education in the royal court. During a celebration, Nguyễn Thị Duệ befriended Empress Trịnh Thị Ngọc Trúc (wife of Emperor

Lê Thần Tông Lê Thần Tông (黎神宗, 19 November 1607 – 2 November 1662) was the 17th emperor of Vietnamese Later Lê dynasty. Biography Lê Thần Tông's birth name is Lê Duy Kỳ (黎維祺). He was born in 1607 and reigned in 1619–1643 following ...

). From then on, the two would often go to temples together, meeting wise monks and virtuous religious leaders, and also engaging with talented scholars like

Giang Văn Minh Giang Văn Minh ( vi-hantu, 江文明, 1573 - 1638) was a Vietnamese mandarin and envoy of the Revival Lê dynasty. Biography Giang Văn Minh has the courtesy name Quốc Hoa (國華), posthumous name Văn Trung Tiên Sinh (文忠先生). He wa ...

, Khương Thế Hiền, and others to gain insights into national affairs. She would then advise the emperor and lords to adjust policies accordingly. Due to her many contributions, she was promoted to the title and rank of '' Chiêu Nghi'' the third highest concubine rank of nine in the court, just below the Empress and the Noble Consort. She was also given the honorific ''Nghi Ái Quan'' the (Esteemed Court Lady of Grace and Affection) given for recognition of her virtue, intellect, service and the respect she commends. At the age of 70, Nguyễn Thị Duệ requested to retire and return to her hometown, when she was retired she had a small hermitage called Đào Hoa Am (Peach Blossom Retreat), where she read books and mentored local and curious students. The Lê emperor granted her the annual tax revenue of the entire Kiệt Đặc region as a pension. However, she only used a small portion for personal needs, dedicating the rest to public welfare and helping the poor. She died on November 8, 1654, at the age of 81. After her death, the local people built a temple in her honor and worshipped her as a deity of benevolence.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Thi Due 1574 births 1654 deaths People from Hải Dương province Vietnamese Confucianists Vietnamese women poets Vietnamese writers Lê dynasty officials Mạc dynasty Deified Vietnamese people 16th-century Vietnamese women 16th-century Vietnamese people 16th-century women writers 17th-century Vietnamese women 17th-century Vietnamese people 17th-century women writers 16th-century educators 16th-century women educators 17th-century educators 17th-century women educators