This vintage postcard features a portrait of Vietnamese feudal lord, Le De-Tham (1858-1913). His actual name was Hoang Hoa Tham and he was also known as Commander Tham. He was the leader of the “Yen The” insurrection, a 25 year long popular revolt in the “Yen The” district of Vietnam. The insurrectionists were resisting French colonial rule. Interestingly, his parents were also resistance fighters. They both died as members of a resistance group fighting against the Court of Hue. Most of Le De-Tham’s resistance forces were routed by French troops as they swept through the province in 1890-1891. The French troops suffered a significant setback when De Tham attacked the area’s railroad. The French agreed to a peace plan and that gave De-Tham a regional fiefdom. He became a symbol for other anti-French movements. De-Tham was killed in 1913 by one of his own men.
