Lý Dynasty
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The Lý dynasty ( vi, Nhà Lý, ,
chữ Nôm Chữ Nôm (, ; ) is a logographic writing system formerly used to write the Vietnamese language. It uses Chinese characters ('' Chữ Hán'') to represent Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary and some native Vietnamese words, with other words represent ...
: 茹李, chữ Hán: 李朝, Hán Việt: ''Lý triều'') was a Vietnamese dynasty that existed from 1009 to 1225. It was established by
Lý Công Uẩn LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
when he overthrew the Early Lê dynasty and ended when Lý Chiêu Hoàng (then 8 years old) was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh. During Lý Thánh Tông's reign, the official name of state was changed from Đại Cồ Việt to Đại Việt. Domestically, while the Lý monarchs were devout to
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, the influence of
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
from China was on the rise, with the opening of the Temple of Literature in 1070 for selection of civil servants who are not from noble families. The first imperial examination was held in 1075 and Lê Văn Thịnh became the first Trạng Nguyên ( Zhuangyuan) of Vietnam. Politically, they established an administration system based on the rule of law rather than on autocratic principles. The fact that they chose the Đại La Citadel as the capital (later renamed Thăng Long and subsequently
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...
) showed that they held onto power due to economic strength and were liked by their subjects rather than by military means like previous dynasties. Noblemen scholars such as Lê Văn Thịnh, Bùi Quốc Khái, Doãn Tử Tư, Đoàn Văn Khâm, Lý Đạo Thành, and
Tô Hiến Thành Tô Hiến Thành ( Hán tự: 蘇 憲 誠) (died 1179) was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông and Lý Cao Tông, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý dynasty. Being a capable official of Lý Anh Tông who helped the emperor in ...
made vast contributions culturally and politically, allowing the dynasty to flourish for 216 years.


History


Founding

The last emperor of the Early Lê dynasty, the unpopular Lê Long Đĩnh died in 1009. His crown prince of was still very young and he could not take the power from his dad. Members of royal court including the official
Đào Cam Mộc Dao is a surname in Canada, India, the Philippines, Hong Kong (R.China), mainland People's Republic of China, Singapore, Scotland, UK, Portugal, Native American Indian, and Vietnam Persons with the surname * Đào Cam Mộc, imperial official inv ...
and the Buddhist monk Vạn Hạnh decided to install general
Lý Công Uẩn LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
to become the new emperor of Đại Cồ Việt. The first ruler of the Lý dynasty,
Lý Công Uẩn LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
, was of Min Chinese ancestry (from Min kingdom, today's
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
province).千年前泉州人李公蕴越南当皇帝 越南史上重要人物之一
/ref> yet the identity of his birth-father was unknown; likewise, little is known about his maternal side except for the fact that his mother was surnamed Phạm. Very few direct details about his parents (unknown birth-father, mother, and adoptive father Lý Khánh Văn) are known, however, the ethnic Chinese background of Lý Công Uẩn, at least on his paternal side, was accepted by Vietnamese historian Trần Quốc Vượng. The Lý clan of Lý Công Uẩn's adoptive father Lý Khánh Văn was a Vietic ''Tao-hua'' clan originated from the highland regions in Feng district. Công Uẩn himself was born in 974 CE in Cổ Pháp region, Bắc Giang circuit (now in
Từ Sơn Từ Sơn is a city of Bắc Ninh Province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2021, Từ Sơn had a population of 202,874, covering an area of 61.08 km². The district capital lies at Từ Sơn. In 974, Lý Thái Tổ was bo ...
, Bắc Ninh Province, Vietnam). When three-year-old, Công Uẩn was adopted by Lý Khánh Văn, whose surname Công Uẩn inherited. The good-looking and intelligent Công Uẩn was noted as an extraordinary child by Buddhist Zen master Vạn Hạnh. When mature, he joined the palace guard and rose through the ranks to commandership. In 1009, Công Uẩn succeeded Lê Long Đĩnh of the Lê family, thereby founding the Lý dynasty.


Moving the capital

File:遷都詔.jpg, Thiên đô chiếu (遷都詔), written in 1009 by Emperor Lý Thái Tổ when he decided to move from Hoa Lư to
Đại La Đại La (), means ''the Citadel of the Great Dike'', or La Thành (羅城, means ''the Citadel of the Dike'') was an ancient fortified city in present-day Hanoi during the third Chinese domination of the 7th and 8th centuries, and again in the 11 ...
(later renamed Thang Long, as known as
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...
today) File:Imperial palace of Thang Long.jpg, The model of imperial palace of Thăng Long in Ly dynasty File:ChuaMotCot2.JPG, alt=, One Pillar Pagoda, built by emperor Lý Thái Tông in 1049
After a year of enthronement, in 1010, Lý Thái Tổ started to move the capital from Hoa Lư( Ninh Bình) to
Đại La Đại La (), means ''the Citadel of the Great Dike'', or La Thành (羅城, means ''the Citadel of the Dike'') was an ancient fortified city in present-day Hanoi during the third Chinese domination of the 7th and 8th centuries, and again in the 11 ...
( Hà Nội), and renamed it Thang Long. He wrote the
Edict on the Transfer of the Capital Edict on the Transfer of the Capital (, vi, Thiên đô chiếu or Chiếu dời đô) is the edict written by the asking of emperor Lý Thái Tổ and was issued in the fall of 1010 to transfer the capital of Đại Cồ Việt from Hoa Lư to ...
to announce his plan to move to the new place. This decision had a marked influence on Vietnam, which opening the flourishing era of the dynasty Following dynasties such as
Trần Trần (陳) or Tran is a common Vietnamese surname. More than 10% of all Vietnamese people share this surname. It is derived from the common Chinese surname Chen. History The Tran ruled the Trần dynasty, a golden era in Vietnam, and succe ...
, and Mạc continued to use Thang Long as their capital, as does the Socialist Republic of Vietnam today.


Crisis of the three princes

In 1028, Lý Thái Tổ died at the age 55 with Posthumous name Thần Vũ hoàng đế (神武皇帝), he was buried at Thọ Lăng royal tomb. In his funeral, most of his mandarins expected crown prince
Lý Phật Mã LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
(Prince Khai Thiên) to take a throne. However, three of his brothers: Prince Đông Chinh (Đông Chinh vương), Prince Dực Thánh (Dực Thánh vương) and Prince Vũ Đức (Vũ Đức vương) rejected the decision and attacked the royal palace with their own armies to take Prince Khai Thiên's throne.
Lý Phật Mã LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
discovered the plot, he ordered all the gates of palace to be closed and arranged guards for protection. However his eunuch Lý Nhân Nghĩa advised him to engage with betrayers.
Lý Phật Mã LY or ly may refer to: Government and politics * Libya (ISO 3166-1 country code LY) * Lý dynasty, a Vietnamese dynasty * Labour Youth of Ireland * Legislative Yuan, the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Science and tech ...
decide to let Lý Nhân Nghĩa to lead the royal army to fight against his brothers. Lý Nhân Nghĩa succeeded in his campaign and caught Vũ Đức Vương, while the two other princes escaped. Lý Phật Mã then enthroned and take the temple name Lý Thái Tông. He grant mercy to all those who tried to opposed him and pardoned his two brothers Đông Chinh vương and Dực Thánh vương.


Golden era

From the reign of Lý Thái Tổ with the other emperors, Lý dynasty began to focus on solving some major and minor situation: *Strengthen internal rule: the economy was promoted to high progress, especially agriculture. The government introduced "Hình thư" (Ministry of Punishments) as the first system of law and legislation of Vietnam after gain independence from
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
and opened the education system based on imperial examination of China *Strengthen territory reigning : The royal court tried to expanded their influence to the remote areas by managing the marriage policy such as giving princesses to marry with the other local lords for closer relationships with royal family. To conciliate those who were not loyal mto government, the emperor will order princes to eliminate the revolts. *Protecting country from foreigners: Resolve and reconcile some minor issues with
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
, fighting against the invasions of Nanzhao and Champa. One of the big event of Lý dynasty is changing name of country from Đại Cồ Việt (大瞿越) to Đại Việt (大越) in 1054 under reign of Lý Thánh Tông. During the Lý dynasty, the Vietnamese began their long march to the south ('' Nam tiến'') at the expense of the Chams. In 1069, Champa Kingdom gained support from the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
and stopped paying tributary to Đại Việt. As the result, the emperor Lý Thánh Tông ordered an expedition against Champa and successfully captured King Rudravarman III of Champa. Rudravarman III had to sign a treaty with Lý Thánh Tông to cede
Quảng Trị Quảng Trị () is a district-level town in Quảng Trị Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is second of two municipalities in the province after the provincial capital Đông Hà. History The Sino-Vietnamese name Qu ...
and Quảng Bình to Đại Việt which massively contributed to the expansion of Đại Việt territory. Champa also had to restore the tributary system to Lý dynasty. The Lý Emperors supported the improvement of Vietnam's agricultural system by constructing and repairing dikes and canals and by allowing soldiers to return to their villages to work for six months of each year. As their territory and population expanded, the Lý Emperors looked to China as a model for organizing a strong, centrally administered state.In 1070, Lý Thánh Tông ordered the construction the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám) and the confucian Văn Miếu Temple to boost education. Minor officials were chosen by examination for the first time in 1075, and a civil service training institute was set up in 1076. In 1089 a fixed hierarchy of state officials was established, with nine degrees of civil and military scholar officials. Examinations for public office were made compulsory, and literary competitions were held to determine the grades of officials.The Ly dynasty
Countrystudies.us
Emperor Lý Thánh Tông died in 1072, the crown prince Càn Đức was enthroned at 7 as emperor
Lý Nhân Tông Lý Nhân Tông (22 February 1066 – 15 January 1128), personal name Lý Càn Đức, temple name Nhân Tông was the fourth monarch of the Lý dynasty, ruling the kingdom of Đại Việt from 1072 until his death in 1128. Succeeding his ...
. Empress Thượng Dương became regency but was toppled the next year by a plot by Lý Nhân Tông's mother, Concubine Ỷ Lan. She ordered the former Empress to be buried alive in the emperor's mausoleum along with 76 other servants. Ỷ Lan then became regency with help of Chancellor Lý Thường Kiệt. In the 1050s, tensions between Đại Việt and the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
became high. In 1075, Wang Anshi, the chancellor of the Song dynasty, told Emperor Shenzong that Đại Việt was destroyed by Champa, with less than ten thousand soldiers surviving, so it would be a good occasion to annex the country. The Song emperor then mobilized his troops, this prompted the Emperor Lý Nhân Tông to authorize a preemptive invasion into Song territory. Lý Thường Kiệt lead an army to capture Qinzhou, Lianzhou and laid siege to Yongzhou (present day Nanning). Yongzhou fell in 1076, its populace of 58,000 were massacred. The Song sent a great army to invade Đại Việt but Lý Thường Kiệt managed to stop them at the Battle of Như Nguyệt (1077). The Song and Dai Viet would then made a peace treaty.


Succession crises and regencies

Emperor
Lý Nhân Tông Lý Nhân Tông (22 February 1066 – 15 January 1128), personal name Lý Càn Đức, temple name Nhân Tông was the fourth monarch of the Lý dynasty, ruling the kingdom of Đại Việt from 1072 until his death in 1128. Succeeding his ...
was the longest reigned ruler in the history of Vietnam. As he was childless, #his nephew Lý Dương Hoán (李陽煥), who he adopted, was chosen to be the crown prince. Lý Nhân Tông died in 1128. Lý Dương Hoán was enthroned at age 11 and took temple name Lý Thần Tông. The death of
Lý Nhân Tông Lý Nhân Tông (22 February 1066 – 15 January 1128), personal name Lý Càn Đức, temple name Nhân Tông was the fourth monarch of the Lý dynasty, ruling the kingdom of Đại Việt from 1072 until his death in 1128. Succeeding his ...
had marked the transition of succession from the main line to the cadet line. Lý Thần Tông would die young after ruling for 10 years. Crown prince Lý Thiên Tộ then enthroned as Emperor Lý Anh Tông at 3 year old. Thần Tông's Empress Cảm Thánh became regency. Her lover Commandant Đỗ Anh Vũ (杜英武) would rise into power in the court. This was met with opposition from other mandarins and royal members, who staged to arrest Đỗ Anh Vũ. However, by the empress's intervention, he was not killed but instead banished as a peasant. The empress dowager used her influence to restore the position for Anh Vũ, he was subsequently pardoned and took revenge on the people who tried to arrest him. The emperor unwillingly had to approve it and Anh Vũ's enemies were impeached then executed. Đỗ Anh Vũ died in 1158.
Tô Hiến Thành Tô Hiến Thành ( Hán tự: 蘇 憲 誠) (died 1179) was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông and Lý Cao Tông, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý dynasty. Being a capable official of Lý Anh Tông who helped the emperor in ...
(蘇憲誠), a relative of Anh Vũ, later become the chancellor. Different from his brother in law, Tô Hiến Thành was loyal to the Lý court, his skills and talents were proven in organizing successful military campaigns against Champa and Lan Xang. In 1174, Lý Anh Tông's crown prince Lý Long Xưởng was involved in debauchery with a concubine of the emperor, he was made retired from the titled and replaced by Lý Long Cán. In 1175, emperor Anh Tông died at aged 40, the young Lý Cao Tông was enthroned with Tô Hiến Thành again holding the regency. Lý Cao Tông became the emperor at three. His mother, Concubine Đỗ became Chiêu Thiên Chí Lý Empress dowager. Her younger brother Đỗ An Di became Consort kin and Tô Hiến Thành was still a regent and teacher to teach the emperor. Empress Chiêu Linh, mother of the deposed Prince Lý Long Xưởng tried to take the throne back for his son but failed because of Tô Hiến Thành's determination. In 1179, Chancellor Tô Hiến Thành died when emperor Cao Tông was only six and Đỗ An Di replaced him as regent. In 1188, Đỗ An Di died and Ngô Lý Tín replaced him until his death in 1190. Then, Đàm Dĩ Mông (譚以蒙), the younger brother of Empress An Toàn, became regent. Emperor Lý Cao Tông pursued a corrupted policy in which rich people could buy themselves to become high rank officials, which led the nation into crisis. He enjoyed the luxury life and exploit his people to build him palaces, resulting in the hatred of people being cumulated and revolts happened.


Rebellions and civil war

The Quách Bốc rebellion was the main reason of weakening the dynasty. In 1207, the Governor Đoàn Thượng (段尚) of Hồng Châu (now Hải Dương and Hải Phòng provinces) began the revolt against the court. The emperor ordered generals Phạm Bỉnh Di (范秉異), Phạm Du (范兪), Đàm Dĩ Mông and the others to lead army to suppress the revolt. Nevertheless, Đoàn Thượng corrupted Phạm Du to retreat his infantry and persuade emperor to retreat all soldiers. Phạm Du was then sent to train the military in Nghệ An but he started to recruit criminals for his own agenda. Emperor Cao Tông dispatched Phạm Bỉnh Di to capture Phạm Du, Du lost the battle and fled to Hồng province.In 1209, Phạm Bỉnh Di had victory over the Đoàn Thượng rebels. The emperor then summoned Du back to Thăng Long but Du slandered Phạm Bỉnh Di to prove himself innocent. Cao Tông trusted Du's accusation and ordered to capture Phạm Bỉnh Di and his son (Phạm Phụ). Upon the capture of his lord, Quách Bốc (郭卜), a general of Bỉnh Di, decided to assault the royal palace to rescue his master. Emperor Cao Tông had Bỉnh Di and his son killed and they both fled to Phú Thọ. Quách Bốc captured the royal palace and installed Prince Lý Thầm to be the new emperor. Prince Lý Hạo Sảm (李日旵) fled to Hải Ấp with his mother Empress An Toàn, where they met the leader of Trần clan, Trần Lý (陳李) and general Tô Trung Từ, both support Lý Hạo Sảm as the emperor. Lý Hạo Sảm was then married to the daughter of Trần Lý, Trần Thị Dung (陳氏庸). Emperor Lý Cao Tông put a fight against Sảm but failing to reclaim the throne. Finally, Trần Lý led the army against Quách Bốc and ended the rebellion. However the Đại Việt kingdom was already in partition by many warlords. In 1210, Lý Cao Tông died. Lý Hạo Sảm was enthroned as Emperor Lý Huệ Tông. General Tô Trung Từ gained too much power that he was killed by other officials. His nephew Trần Tự Khánh, amassed an army and threatened the capital. Emperor Huệ Tông then turned to warlord Đoàn Thượng who rebelled earlier for help, but they were defeated by Tự Khánh. The emperor had to escape to Lạng Sơn. In 1214, Tự Khánh installed the Emperor Lý Nguyên Hoàng as a puppet ruler. At the same time,
Nguyễn Nộn Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元)is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this su ...
, a warlord attacked the capital and burnt all the palaces, forcing Tự Khánh and Emperor Nguyên Hoàng to move to
Hà Nam Hà is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as He in Chinese and Ha in Korean. Ha is the anglicized variation of the surname Hà. It is also the anglicized variation of Hạ. Notable people with the surname Hà * Hà Kiều Anh, ...
. The country is again divided by multiple warlords, the major ones being Nguyễn Nộn, Tự Khánh and Đoàn Thượng. In late 1214, Trần Tự Khánh forces retook the capital and gradually managed to conquered the warlords. In 1217, Đoàn Thượng surrendered to the court, he was pardoned and granted title of Prince of Hồng. By the end of 1220, all the minor warlords excepts Nguyễn Nộn, were subdued. Nguyễn Nộn himself later died of illness in 1229.


Rise of Trần clan

In winter 1216, Trần Thị Dung was granted the title Empress. People of Trần clan were then promoted to several important positions in the court: Trần Tự Khánh became chancellor, his brother Trần Thừa was titled Marquis, Trần Thừa's son Trần Liễu was titled Prince of Phụng Cần. In 1217, Emperor Lý Huệ Tông suffered a serious illness and became mentally ill. He occasionally called himself the Heaven General and would dance all day long holding his sword and shield. By this time, most of the court matters are managed by chancellor Trần Tự Khánh and not by the emperor anymore, the court power base gradually switched to the Trần clan. In 1223, the chancellor Trần Tự Khánh died, Trần Thừa replaced his position and was given even more privileges from the Emperor.


Abdication of Lý Chiêu Hoàng

Emperor Huệ Tông did not have a son as heir. Captain Trần Thủ Độ (Trần Thừa's cousin) then decided the emperor's second daughter Princess Chiêu Thánh will be crowned as Queen of Đại Việt. In 1224, Huệ Tông abdicated and gave the throne to the crowned princess. Lý Chiêu Hoàng, at 6 years old, became the first reigning queen of Vietnam. Trần Thủ Độ took on his hand all the daily handling of the Lý court. He brought his nephew Trần Cảnh (the second son of Trần Thừa) to become the confidant of young Queen. Both of them then had blossom closed relationship. In aim to overthrow the rule of Lý dynasty, Trần Thủ Độ arranged their marriage in the next year. Trần Cảnh later became the Consort of Lý dynasty. In 1226, Trần Thủ Độ forced Lý Chiêu Hoàng to give the throne to Trần Cảnh, Trần Thừa became the Regent Retired Emperor. The rule of Lý was formally transferred to Trần. The former emperor Huệ Tông was forced to commit suicide at Chân Giáo Temple. The Lý aristocrats were then massacred in 1232 by Thủ Độ. The Lý dynasty ceased to exist and Trần dynasty was officially established. After the Lý dynasty was toppled, some royal members of the clan escaped to Korea and became generals of
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...
dynasty.


Civil service system

At the central level, under the king were the ''Thái'' positions: ''Tam thái'' for the three literary mandarins (''Thái sư'', ''Thái bảo'' and ''Thái phó''), and ''Thái úy'' for the martial mandarin. Under the ''Thái''s were the ''Thiếu'' positions like ''Thiếu sư'', ''Thiếu bảo'', ''Thiếu phó'', and ''Thiếu úy''.


Administration division

In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ changed the 10 ''đạo'' subdivisions into 24 ''lộ''. The ''lộ'' was possibly subdivided into ''châu'' (in mountainous areas) or ''phủ'' (in the lowlands). The ''châu'' and ''phủ'' were further subdivided into ''huyện'' and ''giáp'', and under them ''hương'' and ''ấp''.


Law

During the Lý dynasty, laws in Đại Việt were primarily based on royal proclamations, although a body of law composing of civil laws, criminal laws, litigation laws, and laws dealing with marriage existed. However, because the Lý rulers were devout Buddhists, the punishments during this era were not very severe.


Foreign relations

The Lý dynasty has maintained trade relationships with China, the Dali Kingdom, and other Southeast Asian kingdoms.


Song dynasty

In foreign relations with the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
, Vietnam acted as a vassal state, although at its zenith it had sent troops into Chinese territory to fight the Song during the Lý–Song War.Anderson, James A. (2008). "'Treacherous Factions': Shifting Frontier Alliances in the Breakdown of Sino-Vietnamese Relations on the Eve of the 1075 Border War", in ''Battlefronts Real and Imagined: War, Border, and Identity in the Chinese Middle Period'', 191–226. Edited by Don J. Wyatt. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. . In 1016, Lý Công Uẩn was appointed as ''Jinghai Junjie Dushi'' (Military Commissioner of Jinghai) and was crowned ''Giao Chi Quan Vuong'' (King of
Giao Chi Jiaozhi ( standard Chinese, pinyin: ''Jiāozhǐ''), or Giao Chỉ (Vietnamese), was a historical region ruled by various Chinese dynasties, corresponding to present-day northern Vietnam. The kingdom of Nanyue (204–111 BC) set up the Jiaozhi C ...
) by the Song emperor. For the first time in the Song dynasty's relations with Vietnam, the Song dynasty reciprocated Lý tributes in 1028 as recognition of the political power of the Lý. The Song dynasty also deployed officers to attend the funeral of a deceased Vietnamese king for the first time during the Lý dynasty. Tensions between the Lý and Song increased during the reign of Lý Nhân Tông (1072–1128), whose military seized Qinzhou, Lianzhou, and Yongzhou along the Lý-Song border after his attack on Champa. In 1075, Song prime minister
Wang Anshi Wang Anshi ; ; December 8, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu (), was a Chinese economist, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. He served as chancellor and attempted major and controversial socioeconomic reforms ...
informed the Song emperor of the decline in the Lý's power following its defeat by the Champa, prompting the Lý-Song War during which the Song launched a failed invasion. The conflict ended after Lý Nhân Tông sought reconciliation following Lý military successes. During the era of Lý Anh Tông (1138–1175), the Song dynasty changed its name for Vietnam from ''Jiaozhi'' (''Giao Chi'') to ''Annan'' (''Annam'').


Jin dynasty

In 1168, Jin Emperor Shizong sent an envoy to Thăng Long to establish relationship. Both Jin and Song ambassadors visited Lý court in the same time, but emperpor Lý Anh Tông ordered do not let them face together to avoid tension.


Dali kingdom

In 1013, administration in mountain prefecture Vị Long (now in southeast
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...
) was Hà Trắc Tuấn allied with Dali kingdom started rebelling against the Lý government. Dali forces and Tuấn with tribal supports invaded Đại Cồ Việt in spring 1014. According to ''
An Nam chí lược The ''An Nam chí lược'' (literally ''Abbreviated Records of An Nam'') is a historical text that was compiled by the Vietnamese historian Lê Tắc during his exile in China in early 14th century. Published for the first time in 1335 durin ...
'' by 14th-century historian Lê Tắc, Dali and rebel forces numbered about 30,000 troops. They occupied Bình Nguyên province (southeast Yunnan and Hà Giang province), stationed there and waited for the Lý reinforcement were coming. Lý Thái Tổ sent an army and crushed the rebels. Dali general Yang Zhanghe was captured. Peace was restore in mountainous border next few years.


Champa

The Lý had trade relationships with Champa and fought them in 2 battles in 1044 and 1069 of Cham-Vietnamese wars.


Religion

The main religion of the Lý dynasty was Buddhism. The first Ly emperor was a Buddhist monk, and was patroned by Buddhist leaders. Ly emperors were fundraisers and sponsors of the Buddhist sangha. Buddhism became the state religion as members of the royal family and the nobility made pilgrimages, supported the building of pagodas, sometimes even entered monastic life, and otherwise took an active part in Buddhist practices. The kingdom was governed according to Buddhist ideas and laws. Emperors built pagodas to commerate military victories, such as when Lý Thường Kiệt had defeated the
Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...
, the Bao An pagoda was built to show gratitude for the Buddha. Along with Buddhism, the emperors also participated in other religious ceremonies involving local spirits, gods of Indra and Brahma. Temples were built dedicating to the Trung sisters and the king-of-king Phung Hung. Bonzes became a privileged landed class, exempt from taxes and military duty. A stone inscription dated 1209 from Bao An Temple retells the emperor donated 126 acres of land to the clergy, three to pagoda keepers and spiritual festivals. Other inscriptions and runic stones also describe the important role of Buddhism in the monarchy and Vietnamese society.


Fashion


Nobility

The Emperor wore a golden robe, purple trousers and wore his hair in a bun fastened with a golden brooch. The court officials and aristocrats wore a dark tunic having four flaps, closely buttoned collar, dark trousers, and wore a bun with an iron brooch. On their heads they wore a black gauze chuddar and peaked cap. They also wore leather sandals and carried fans of stork feathers. The military uniforms were “dau mau” cap covering the ears, knee-length tunic, neatly sewn sleeves tightly fitted around the wrist. The whole of the frock was covered with small pieces of armor plate full of spiral designs, or patterns of multiple large petalled flowers at the chest. In addition, there were patterns of parallel curved brims or spiral designs below which hung small bells, drooping fringes, and finally a line of bells. For some other kinds of frocks, the shoulder straps were adorned with bells, and the two shoulder bands and waistband decorated with tiger-face designs. The surface of the frock was decorated with prominent small multi-petalled flowers. The fabric had a tiled or scaled pattern, which might have been embroidered or woven into the fabric. A waistband made of cloth was tied with the ends dropping to the front. If a leather waistband was worn, it would be tightly fastened around the belly to reveal the body muscles. The boots reached up to the knee and were simply decorated. Female dancers had a “skyward” bun, a decorative fringe of hair on the forehead, with flowers adorning the hair. They wore bracelets, strings of beads, as well as multi-pleated short skirts. The musician's costumes were quite original. A cap fully covered the hair, with a high and zigzag-fringed top. The inner shirt was with long sleeves, tight at the wrist. Added to that, there was a short-sleeved shirt, with vân kiên shards. They wore wide embroidered and fringed strips of cloth around the waist. On their calves were leggings, and covering the feet were pointed-toe canvas shoes. Tattooing remained a custom during this period, a common practice for the King and his soldiers as well. The Imperial Guards tattooed distinctive marks on their chest and legs, as well as dragon patterns. Similar to the Anterior Lê Dynasty, they would brand the three words Thiên tử quân on the forehead. The armor of military leaders was also decorated with attached bells, which signaled that they were highly grateful to their benefactors. This was done in a spirit of national pride and the continuing development of traditional customs. There is a special statue from this period which shows a very refined dress style. The Buddha Amitabha statue, sometimes known as Buddhalokanatha statue, in Phật Tích Pagoda is a breathtakingly beautiful stone sculpture with sophisticated costuming. The ritual robe has curved, straight, zigzag or drooping fringes which make it full of movement. The robe's pleats rise like the veins of a lotus leaf, closely fitted to the body, and drop either vertically as a spring stream, or pliantly like waves in the ocean, even expanding horizontally in a gentle way. Although the statue is made of stone, the above features show that the robe was broad and made of smooth and delicate fabrics. The inner garment, a kind of tunic has a broad collar with crossed edges. The sleeves are very wide. The waistband, worn outside the tunic is tied into the shape of a horizontal Figure 8, with dropping straps.


Chronicle


Gallery

File:Chạm rồng trên cột đá Chùa Dạm.JPG, Ly dynasty dragons, Dạm Temple File:Bright pointed circule engraved with dragon, Phat Tich pagoda, Bac Ninh, 1057 AD, stone - Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC04766.JPG, Bodhi tree leaf with dragon carving, a common decorative theme of Ly dynasty File:Dish, gold, XI-XII cent Ly dynasty, Hung Yen, Vietnam.jpg, alt=, Royal gold dishes, Hung Yen, 11th century File:Teapot, celadon glaze ceramic - Lý dynasty, 11th-12th century AD - Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05386.JPG, Celedon glaze ceramic teapot, 11th century File:Bowl, celadon glaze ceramic - Lý dynasty, 11th-12th century AD - Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05401.JPG, Celedon glaze ceramic, 11th century File:Lion figurine, Vinh Phuc, Thang Long, Hanoi, Ly dynasty, 11th-13th century AD, brown pattern ceramic - National Museum of Vietnamese History - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05444.JPG, Ceramic lion, 11th century File:Vase– Ceramics (11th – 12th C), Ceramics of Ly Dynasty (11th - 13th c.) of the Museum of Vietnamese History.jpg, Ceramic vase, 11th–12th century File:Dish, Ly dynasty, 11th-12th century AD, stoneware - Museum of Vietnamese History - Ho Chi Minh City - DSC06171.JPG, Ceramic dish, 11th–12th century File:National Museum Vietnamese History 47 (cropped).jpg, Terracotta pagoda model with lotus, bodhi leaf, dancer decoration, Hanoi (11th–13th century) File:Oil lamp base, Ly-Tran dynasty, 11th-14th century AD, white and brown glazed ceramic - National Museum of Vietnamese History - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05528.JPG, Oil lamp base, 11th–13th century File:Coins, Ly dynasty, 1010-1225 AD, bronze - National Museum of Vietnamese History - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC05536.JPG, Coins of the Lý dynasty File:Nền bó đá ở Chùa Dạm.JPG, Old stone wall in Dạm pagoda, 11th century


See also

* List of emperors of the Lý dynasty


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Cœdès, George. (1966)
''The Making of South East Asia''
(illustrated, reprint ed.). University of California Press. . Retrieved 7 August 2013. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ly Dynasty 1225 disestablishments in Asia 13th-century disestablishments in Vietnam Hokkien royalty Medieval Asia Vietnamese dynasties 1009 establishments in Asia 11th-century establishments in Vietnam States and territories established in 1009 States and territories disestablished in the 1220s