Lý Thái Tổ

Lý Thái Tổ (, 8 March 974 – 31 March 1028), personal name Lý Công Uẩn (李公蘊), was the founding emperor of the Lý dynasty. He reigned the empire for 18 years, from 1009 until his death in 1028.

With the background as a military personnel under the Anterior Lê dynasty, Công Uẩn was quickly promoted to Palace Commander and held a strong position at the royal court. After the death of Emperor Lê Hoàn, the Lê dynasty immediately fell into crisis due to wars among the princes for the throne. The succession crisis officially ended when Lê Long Đĩnh ascended the throne. However, Lê Long Đĩnh died young and ruled the empire for only four years. With great prestige and widespread renown throughout the empire, Lý Công Uẩn was enthroned by the royal court, thereby establishing the Lý dynasty - the very first Vietnamese dynasty to endure for more than two centuries, ruling for a total of 216 years and experiencing periods of both prosperity and crisis.

The first achievement of his reign was the relocation of the capital from Hoa Lư to Đại La which was later renamed Thăng Long. This event marked the beginning of more than 1000 years of Hà Nội's history as the capital. During his reign, Đại Cồ Việt witnessed numerous achievements in economic and agricultural development, administrative and territorial reforms, tax reform, and the promotion of Buddhism. In addition, his reign successfully suppressed all domestic uprisings, achieved victories in wars against Champa and Dali, thereby secured widespread popular loyalty. Neighboring states such as Champa and Chenla paid tribute, while the Song Empire refrained from exerting pressure and instead maintained peaceful relations with Đại Cồ Việt. His 18-year rule built a strong foundation for the Lý dynasty. In recognition of his great contributions to history, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam officially designated him as one of the 14 Vietnamese national heroes.

Early years

Lý Công Uẩn was born in Cổ Pháp village Bảng, Từ Sơn, Bắc Ninh Province in 974. There are no historical records about his maternal side except that his mother was surnamed Phạm. The identity of his birth-father is unknown although he was posthumously granted the title Duke of Hiển Khánh when Công Uẩn was enthroned. Although Vietnamese chronicle Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and Đại Việt sử lược recorded Công Uẩn's mother only by the surname Phạm, or referred to her as Mrs. Phạm, local folklore associated with the historical relics in Dương Lôi (Từ Sơn, Bắc Ninh) states that her name was Phạm Thị Ngà. Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and Khâm định Việt sử record that when Mrs Phạm went sightseeing at Tiêu Sơn temple, she was intimate with a demigod, and later gave birth to Công Uẩn.

Đại Việt sử lược also records Công Uẩn has an elder brother, later entitled Duke of Vũ Uy, and a younger brother, later entitled Duke of Dực Thánh. Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư also records that Công Uẩn has an uncle, who was entitled Duke of Vũ Đạo.

Still according to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Công Uẩn's mother gave him up for adoption to a Buddhist monk named Lý Khánh Vân at the age of three. From an early age, Công Uẩn proved himself to be an extraordinarily intelligent boy with an impressive physical appearance. At the age of six or seven, he was sent to Lục Tổ Pagoda in Đình Bảng village, to be raised by the Buddhist monk Vạn Hạnh, the most eminent Buddhist patriarch of the time. Upon seeing Công Uẩn, Vạn Hạnh immediately said: "This boy is exceptional, he will grow up to resolve the nation’s problems and be a great emperor".

Growing up, Công Uẩn was an upright and ambitious man, who had no interest in material riches, and just loved delving into Confucian classics and Buddhist scriptures, though his knowledge of them remained largely at an overview level. He acquired a reputation as a devout Buddhist, and then a historian student, and a soldier. According to the Lê royal genealogy in Bảo Thái, Hà Nam (present-day Ninh Bình) and historical sources from Hoa Lư Ancient Capital, Công Uẩn followed Patriarch Vạn Hạnh to serve emperor Lê Hoàn in Hoa Lư annually. The emperor then allowed Công Uẩn to stayed at the court to learn military affairs, married his daughter Lê Thị Phất Ngân off to him, and gradually promoted him from a minor official to Điện Tiền Chỉ Huy Sứ (Commander of the Palace). However, Đại Việt sử lược records that Lý Công Uẩn served the Lê royal court during the Ứng Thiên era (994-1005), while Khâm định Việt sử Thông giám cương mục records his serving in the middle of the that era. Until 1003, emperor Lê Hoàn starts being sickness, and finally died in 1005. Before 1003, during the Ứng Thiên era, the emperor regularly led campaigns to suppress rebellions and barbarians, all of which resulted in victory. From these events, it can be inferred that Lý Công Uẩn married the emperor’s princess, Phất Ngân, became a military personnel, and later rising to the rank of general, in the middle of the Ứng Thiên era, between 1000 and 1003. No historical sources record any contributions of Lý Công Uẩn to emperor Lê Hoàn during this era.

In 1005, emperor Lê Hoàn died, resulting in a civil war between his sons which lasted 8 months over the succession to the throne. By the end of 1005, Lê Long Việt was successfully enthroned as emperor Lê Trung Tông, but was assassinated by the thugs of Lê Long Đĩnh just 3 days after his enthronement. All mandarins fled the royal court for fear of being executed by Long Đĩnh following the coup d’état. Only Lý Công Uẩn remained at the court, embracing the body of Long Việt and mourning him. Long Đĩnh was surprised by this and praised Công Uẩn’s loyalty, rather than executing him for siding with the deposed emperor. The coup-installed emperor Lê Long Đĩnh then promoted Công Uẩn to Tứ sương quân Phó Chỉ huy sứ (Deputy Commander of the Tứ Sương Army) then was ultimately bestowed with the title Tả Thân Vệ Điện Tiền Chỉ Huy Sứ (The Commander of the Palace's Left Flank), which was one of the most important positions within the royal guards. This is the very first time Lý Công Uẩn is recorded by historians. Before that, during the 8 months civil war for the throne, only Đại Việt sử ký tiền biên recorded that Lý Công Uẩn supported Long Việt, while no other historical records clearly state which side Lý Công Uẩn supported, but it can reasonably be inferred that as Long Việt’s, given that Công Uẩn mourned for his death after his assassination. The entire empire descended into chaos as a result of the civil war, which left the court without an emperor for eight months. Not until Long Đĩnh was enthroned and had defeated all rival princes, did the empire return to peace, with all princes and bandits capitulating to the royal court.

Before the assassination of Long Việt and the enthronement of Long Đĩnh, at Ứng Thiên Tâm pagoda in Cổ Pháp village, a dog gave birth to a puppy with white hair marked by a black fur spot forming the Chinese characters for “Son of Heaven." Confucian scholars throughout the empire at this time believed that a man born in the year of the dog would become emperor. Lý Công Uẩn was also born in the year of the dog, in 974.

During his 5 years ruling, emperor Lê Long Đĩnh launched many military campaigns to suppress rebellions and barbarians throughout the realm, as well as dealing with the invasion threat from the Song dynasty. There are no historical records indicating any involvements of Lý Công Uẩn in those events. All military campaigns during this period are recorded in detail as having been personally led by Lê Long Đĩnh, with no mention of the emperor issuing any imperial edicts authorizing Lý Công Uẩn or other generals to launch those campaigns. The wrongdoing of the emperor - such as his arousal when torturing and abusing the captured defeated forces, engaging in debauchery, and allowing disorder at the royal court, including letting clowns to mock the presentation of the mandarins - are not mentioned to be criticized and restrained by Lý Công Uẩn, who served as a general during this reign (while histories of East Asian countries strong praised the mandarins who criticized imperial wrongdoing). Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư records the folk stories of Long Đĩnh as a hedonistic tyrant who died of hemorrhoids, yet it contains no political activities of Lý Công Uẩn during this reign. Only An Nam chí lược of the Trần dynasty born historian Lê Tắc during the Yan dynasty briefly records: "Lý Công Uẩn was born in Jiaozhou (while someone incorrectly claimed him to be born in Fujian), and renowned for his administrative talent, Lê Chí Trung appointed him as the General officer, and is also his close aide."

Enthrone

According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and Việt sử lược, during the reign of Lê Long Đỉnh, in Diên Uẩn village (Cổ Pháp province), there was a kapok tree struck by a lightning. The resulting marks formed a poem which is called by Vietnamese historian as Sấm cây gạo (The kapok tree prophecy):English translation based on the original translation from Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and Việt sử lược:

Thụ Căn yểu yểu (The root is deep), the root symbolizes to the emperor, "yểu" means short-live. It predicts the emperor is short-live. Mộc biểu thanh thanh (The tree bark is green), bark symbolizes the mandarins under the emperor, while green signifies flourishing or prosperity. The phrase thus indicates that the mandarinate would flourish. In the third sentence, Hòa (禾) + Đao (刀) + Mộc (木) combine to form the character Lê (黎), this indicates the fall of the Lê dynasty. In the fourth sentence, Thập (十) + Bát (八) + Tử (子) combine to form the character Lý (李), which is interpreted as indicating the establishment of the Lý clan or dynasty.'

The first four sentences are interpreted as predicting the fall of the Lê dynasty and the rise of the Lý dynasty. The final four sentences are understood as indicating historical events up to the Trịnh–Nguyễn warlord era. However, footnotes in the 1993 edition of Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư claim the last four sentences were entirely fabricated by the historians of the Trần and Later Lê dynasty in order to legitimize their rule through the Mandate of Heaven theory.'

News about the kapok tree prophecy started spreading all over the realm. Patriarch Vạn Hạnh told Công Uẩn: "I have seen the prophecy glyphs indicates that the Lý's clan will flourish and rise to the throne. There are so many people who bear the surname Lý in this realm, yet none possess have the warm heart like yours, Commander. You are now in charge of the national guard. If it is not you who governs the empire, then no one will. I'm in my 70s now, and simply want a peaceful death. However, I just wanna see your morality turn into the kingship, which is a once-in-a-thousand-years chance." From that moment, Công Uẩn developed the idea to rise to the throne being held by the Lê clan, but he feared that the words of Patriach Vạn Hạnh would be exposed publicly, so he asked his brother to hide Vạn Hạnh in Tiêu Sơn. By that time, public sentiment had already rallied around Công Uẩn.

Aware of the kapok tree prophecy, Lê Long Đĩnh once ate a pear (Vietnamese: lê/quả lê) and found a jambos (Vietnamese: lý/quả lý) seed inside, an omen that convinced him of the prophecy. The emperor then ordered his men to secretly murder people bearing the surname Lý, but Lý Công Uẩn still remained unharmed as if nothing had happened. Palace attendant' Đào Cam Mộc, who had already known of Công Uẩn’s ambition for kingship, tried to taunt Công Uẩn into taking the throne during a private, one-on-one conversation. Công Uẩn was pleased by that and pretended to scold Cam Mộc for saying so, then threaten to expose his "treason words" to the royal court, but those were merely Công Uẩn's ruse for Cam Mộc to prove his commitment. Cam Mộc replied at ease: "I simply based on the Mandate of Heaven and the public sentiment to say so. If you want to report my words to the court, feel free to do so – I'm not afraid of dead." Công Uẩn replied: "I can't bear to do that. But I'm scared of your words might be exposed, so I just say this as a warning." Cam Mộc then discussed that idea with the empress dowager to enthrone Công Uẩn. The next day, Cam Mộc persuaded Công Uẩn to ascend the throne, saying: "All then people in the realm know the Lý clan has begun a big dream, the prophecy is absolutely true and no one can conceal it. Let us turn that adversity into fortune in just one day. It's the Mandate of Heaven, why are you still worried and delaying ?". Công Uẩn replied: "I fully get your idea, which is no different from Vạn Hanh's. So what should we do if those words are true ?". Cam Mộc continues: "Commander, you are a man with a warm heart who already commands public support. In those days, the realm was exhausted and oppressed. You should take advantages of that to comfort the nation, then people will rally around you, like water cascading from a waterfall, no one will be able to stop it !"

In 1009, emperor Lê Long Đĩnh, who had already developed serious illnesses due to his hedonistic lifestyle, had to lie down while listening to officials’ reports, while folk stories claim his hemorrhoids leads to his lying down during court affair.' Incapacitated by declining health, Long Đĩnh watched helplessly as people launched a propaganda campaign that nurtured belief in the inevitability of Lý Công Uẩn becoming king. Since news of the upcoming regime change to the Lý clan had spread throughout the realm, Đào Cao Mộc felt rushed and discussed that idea with the royal court, which gained strongly support from all of them. Emperor Long Đĩnh died on 19th November 1009 under the wrath of the people because of his brutality and cruelty during his reign. Two day after his death, the royal court declared: "Millions of people in realm are divided, and harbor hatred toward the royal court due to the tyranny of the late emperor. No one wished to see the throne pass to his descendants; instead, they desired it to be bestowed upon the Commander of the Palace. If we don't enthrone the Commander at this moment, can we truly expect to keep our heads when chaos or crisis arises ?". The royal court then escorted Công Uẩn to the main hall and proclaimed him emperor. All mandarins knelt and exclaimed: "Long live the king!", after which they bestowed upon him his regnal name: "Phụng Thiên Chí Lý ứng Vận Tự Tại Thánh Minh Long Hiện Duệ Văn Anh Vũ Sùng Nhân Quảng Hiếu Thiên Hạ Thái Bình Khâm Minh Quang Trạch Chương Minh Vạn Bang Hiển Ứng Phù Cảm Uy Chấn Phiên Man Duệ Mưu Thần Trợ Thánh Tri Tắc Thiên Đạo Chính Hoàng Đế". The incident in which Công Uẩn accepted the regnal title of more than 50 words was criticized by historian Ngô Sĩ Liên in Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư: "The Book of Documents gave emperor Yao the title Fangxun (放勳) and emperor Shun the title Chonghua (重華). According to custom, the subjects bestowed regnal titles based on the emperors’ virtues, and even then the titles were no more than ten characters long. However, in this case, the subjects submitted a regnal title of 50 words, something without precedent in historical records and clearly an act of flattery. Emperor Lý Thái Tổ accepted it without objection, which suggests that he indulged such praise, showed off and boasted so that no one in the future could surpass him. This was improper. His successor, Emperor Lý Thái Tông, also adopted a regnal title of nearly 50 words, repeating the same practice."

Lý Công Uẩn ascended the throne on 21st November 1009, officially established the Lý dynasty. Historians also named his dynasty the Later Lý to distinguish it from the Anterior Lý of Lý Nam Đế. After his ascension to the throne, Lý Công Uẩn named his era "Thuận Thiên" (順天) meaning "Accordance with Heaven['s Will]". He posthumously conferred the title of Duke of Hiển Khánh on his father, Minh Đức Empress Dowager on his mother, Duke of Vũ Đạo on his uncle, Duke of Vũ Uy on his elder brother, and Duke of Dực Thánh on his younger brother. He established six empresses; his eldest son, Lý Phật Mã, was appointed Crown Prince. His other sons were also conferred the title of duke. Đào Cam Mộc was conferred the title of Marquis of Nghĩa Tín and was married to princess An Quốc (daughter of Công Uẩn). Lý Bảo Hòa, another princess of Công Uẩn, was married to the chieftain Giáp Thừa Quý. This marriage marked the beginning of the heqin tradition in Vietnamese feudal dynastic history, in which the emperor's princesses were married to chieftains in order to secure their loyalty to the royal court.

Based on the basic annals, the enthronement of Lý Công Uẩn and the dynastic transition occurred without civil war. However, according to An Nam chí lược, in 1009, when Lê Long Đĩnh died and his crown princess was still a minor child, his two brothers Lê Minh Đề and Lê Minh Xưởng launched a military campaign for the throne, only to be killed by Công Uẩn.'