The Scholars Revolt in 1868 was led by officials at the imperial court angered by the spread of Catholicism and French power. Catholic missionaries had been active in winning converts since the early 17th century and by the middle of the 18th century had converted some 3,00,000 people.It led to a general uprising in the provinces of Ngu An and Ha Tien where a thousand Catholics were killed.The French successfully crushed the movement, but the revolt was significant for it served as inspiration for other patriots to rise up against the colonial power.