Võ Tánh (
武 性, ?—1801) was an 18th-century
Vietnam
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 ...
ese military commander, best known for his role as a general of
Nguyễn Ánh
Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...
, who unified modern-day Vietnam and ruled as Emperor Gia Long.
Early life
Võ Tánh was born in Phước Tinh Village, in what was then
Bà Rịa
Bà Rịa () is a city in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province in the Southeast region of Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of ab ...
(present day
Biên Hòa
Biên Hòa (Northern accent: , Southern accent: ) is the capital city of Đồng Nai Province, Vietnam, and is part of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area. Situated northeast of Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon), Biên Hòa is connect ...
and
Đồng Nai). Tanh's elder brother, Võ Nhàn, was a follower and a general of
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn (died 1781) was an 18th-century Vietnamese military commander.
Early life
Details of Nhơn's early life are unknown except that he was a low-ranking naval officer of lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần.
The Dong Son army
In the early ...
, an officer in the Nguyễn army.
[Huynh Minh, p. 111.]
Kiến Hòa army
In 1781, when
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn (died 1781) was an 18th-century Vietnamese military commander.
Early life
Details of Nhơn's early life are unknown except that he was a low-ranking naval officer of lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần.
The Dong Son army
In the early ...
was assassinated by his own leader,
Nguyễn Ánh
Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...
, Võ Tánh and his brother, Võ Nhàn, revolted and occupied
Hóc Môn
Hóc Môn is a township () and capital of Hóc Môn District, Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
Th ...
, a village on the northern outskirts of
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
. Afterwards, the rebels moved to
Gò Công
Gò Công is a provincial city (''thành phố thuộc tỉnh'') of Tiền Giang province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. The city of Gò Công is not to be confused with East Gò Công and West Gò Công Districts ( and ) which also be ...
and built their base there. At that time, Võ Tánh's army, called the Kiến Hòa army, grew to a force of 10,000 men.
Meanwhile, Nguyễn Ánh was badly defeated at the
Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút
The Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút (, ) was fought between the Vietnamese Tây Sơn forces and an army of Siam in present-day Tiền Giang Province of Vietnam on January 20, 1785. It is considered one of the greatest victories in Vietnames ...
and fled to
Siam
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
which made the Kiến Hòa army the only rival of the
Tây Sơn in the
Gia Định
''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Eliza ...
region. In 1787, Nguyễn Ánh returned to Gia Định from Siam and began attacking the Tây Sơn. When Nguyễn Ánh was preparing his march to Saigon, he offered to make an alliance with the Kiến Hòa army, but Võ Tánh refused.
[Wook, p. 27.]
General for Nguyễn Ánh
The next year, in 1788, Võ Tánh decided to join Nguyễn Ánh's side and integrated his entire army into the Nguyễn army. Later, Nguyễn Ánh bestowed Võ Tánh the position of Khâm sai Chưởng Cơ Tiên Phong Doanh(欽差掌奇先鋒營 -
Imperial Commissioner, Vanguard Regiment Commander) and married off his sister, princess Ngọc Du, to the commander.
[Huynh Minh, p. 112.]
In 1789, Tánh forced the Tây Sơn general
Pham Van Tham, who was the general-in-chief of the Tây Sơn garrison in
southern Vietnam
Southern Vietnam () is one of the three geographical regions of Vietnam, the other two being Northern and Central Vietnam. It includes 2 administrative subregions, which in turn are divided into 19 ''First Tier units'', of which 17 are provi ...
, to surrender to the Nguyễn army, which marked the end of Tây Sơn rule in Gia Định. Later in 1790, Võ Tánh led an army that captured the citadel of
Diên Khánh.
In 1793, Nguyễn Ánh launched the first expedition to Quy Nhơn. While the Nguyễn army was fighting against the Tây Sơn army in the surrounding area, Nguyễn Ánh appointed Võ Tánh Khâm Sai Quản Soái Hậu Quân Doanh, Bình Tây Tham Thắng Tướng Quân Hộ Giá (欽差管帥後管營, 平西參勝將軍護駕 -
Imperial Commissioner, Managing General of the Army Logistics & Protectorate General to Victoriously Pacify the West). Then, in 1793, Nguyễn Ánh built a citadel in
Diên Khánh and appointed Võ Tánh as the governor of the city.
Shortly thereafter, Võ Tánh returned to Gia Định, where he was elevated to the position of ''Đại Tướng Quân'' ("Grand General") and was given the title ''Quận Công'' (lit., "Duke").
In 1797, Tánh assisted Nguyễn Ánh in launching a seaborne attack on
Quảng Nam, where they quickly defeated the Tây Sơn garrison and occupied the province.
In 1799, Nguyễn Ánh launched the third expedition to Quy Nhơn. The expedition was successful, and Nguyễn Ánh captured the Citadel of Quy Nhơn and renamed the fortress town ''
Bình Định'' (lit., "Pacified"). Afterwards, Nguyễn Ánh appointed Võ Tánh as the new governor of the city and withdrew his main forces to
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
.
The Siege of Quy Nhơn
In early 1800, two senior Tây Sơn generals,
Tran Quang Dieu and
Vu Van Dung, led a large force consisting of army and naval units toward Quy Nhơn with a view to recapturing it.
The Tây Sơn swiftly occupied the territory surrounding the Citadel of Quy Nhơn, including the vital
Thị Nại Port. Then, they set up a solid defensive system and besieged the citadel. Besides the military tactics, Tây Sơn commanders applied a psychological tactic that made the former Tây Sơn soldiers who were now serving in Nguyễn forces to defect and return to the Tây Sơn army.
The tactic succeeded, forcing Võ Tánh to seal the citadel's door and wait for reinforcements.
[Tạ Chí Đại Trường, pp. 319–320.]
Although Nguyễn Ánh immediately led a force northwards to Quy Nhơn in order to relieve Võ Tánh's besieged forces, the Nguyễn reinforcements could not break the Tây Sơn encirclement and a long battle resulted. Acknowledging the poor situation, Nguyễn Ánh ordered Võ Tánh to abandon the citadel, but Võ Tánh rejected and suggested that he would pin the main Tây Sơn force down there so that Nguyễn Ánh could attack their
Citadel of Phú Xuân. Nguyễn Ánh agreed and then he attacked and captured Phú Xuân, forcing Tây Sơn emperor
Quang Toan to flee to northern Vietnam. This victory was a turning point of the war, from which the Tây Sơn became very weak and never posed any other significant threat to Nguyễn Ánh. The siege of Quy Nhơn continued for over a year to June 1801, when the citadel's food provisions were exhausted.
Death
After refusing to consider the thought of a surrender, Võ Tánh requested the Tây Sơn field commander
Trần Quang Diệu to spare his men in exchange for Tanh's own life. Inside the citadel, Võ Tánh ordered his men to pile straw around a wooden tower and fill it with gunpowder. Tánh then went in and blew himself up. Following Tánh's death, one of his generals,
Ngô Tòng Châu, drank poisoned wine and another,
Nguyễn Tấn Huyên, self-immolated.
[Trần Trọng Kim, pp. 396.] Afterwards, the citadel defenders surrendered to the Tây Sơn and Trần Quang Diệu spared all the Nguyễn captives. Moreover, Dieu ordered his men to build a tomb for Võ Tánh and his generals.
Later, Nguyễn Ánh, now emperor
Gia Long
Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...
, reburied his remains in
Phú Nhuận,
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, and posthumously gave him the title ''Quốc Công'' (lit., "Duke of the Nation"). Furthermore, he was also posthumously honored by the emperor
Minh Mạng
Minh Mạng (), also known as Minh Mệnh (, vi-hantu, 明 命, lit. "the bright favour of Heaven"; 25 May 1791 – 20 January 1841; born Nguyễn Phúc Đảm, also known as Nguyễn Phúc Kiểu), was the second emperor of the Nguyễ ...
, Gia Long's son.
[Huỳnh Minh, p. 113.]
In popular culture
Võ Tánh, along with
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn
Đỗ Thanh Nhơn (died 1781) was an 18th-century Vietnamese military commander.
Early life
Details of Nhơn's early life are unknown except that he was a low-ranking naval officer of lord Nguyễn Phúc Thuần.
The Dong Son army
In the early ...
and
Châu Văn Tiếp
Châu Văn Tiếp ( 朱 文 接, 1738–1784), born Châu Doãn Ngạnh ( 朱 尹 梗), was an 18th-century Vietnamese military commander, best known for his role as a general of Nguyễn Ánh.
Early life
Born in 1738, Châu Văn Tiếp was a s ...
, was called ''Gia Định Tam Hùng'' ("Three Heroes of Gia Định") in Vietnamese folk culture. The spirit of Võ Tánh is honoured in festivals and temples - including those where the general speaks through a medium. Pigs sacrificed at the
đình festival honouring Võ Tánh are not offered roasted since the general died in a burning fort.
[Philip Taylor ''Modernity and Re-enchantment: Religion in Post-revolutionary ..'' "Similarly sacrificed pigs at the đình festival honouring Võ Tánh are not to be offered roasted, so as to show respect for the circumstance of the general's actual death in a burning fort."]
References
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vo, Tanh
1801 deaths
Mandarins of the Nguyễn lords
Military history of Vietnam
Year of birth unknown
Vietnamese military personnel who died by suicide
People from Đồng Nai province
Thái sư