King Louis Xiv Letter To Vietnam

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In 1681, King Louis XIV of France wrote a letter to the King of Tonkin requesting permission for Christian missionaries to be allowed to convert the people in Vietnam. King Louis did not only want to trade with the Vietnamese, but he also felt that the people should be allow to be taught about the one true God of the Christian religion. He argues that if the King of Tonkin knew of the truths that Christianity taught that he would be the first of his subjects to convert. Louis also mentions the offerings of many appealing presents and opens up his letter with mentions of the two people, Messrs. Deydier and de Bourges, that the King seemed to like the most out of the men that were trading with the Vietnamese. It seems that King Louis is trying to distract the King of Tonkin with pleasants so that he would be in a gracious mood and would …show more content…
Both rulers were firm in their beliefs, one that believed the Word of God needed to spread everywhere, and the other that opposed that belief. Though King Louis of France and the King of Tonkin held different opinions on whether or not the missionaries should be allowed in Vietnam, they had other differences as well as some similarities. In their letters, King Louis makes his gifts seem like they are extravagant and that they are worthy presents of the king; the King of Tonkin also mentions a gift to the King of France in his letter but refers to it as “a modest gift, which we offer you with a glad heart”. This shows that the King of Tonkin believes that the meaning behind the gift is more important than the extravagance of it, while King Louis clearly believes the opposite. The two rulers also date their letters very differently which is very significant. King Louis XIV dates his letter “Written at

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