Lý dynasty

The LÃÂ½ dynasty (, , chÃ¡Â»Â¯ NÃÂ´m: Ã¨ÂÂ¹Ã¦ÂÂ, chÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ¡n: Ã¦ÂÂÃ¦ÂÂ, Vietnamese: triÃ¡Â»Âu LÃÂ½), officially ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i CÃ¡Â»Â ViÃ¡Â»Ât (chÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ¡n: Ã¥Â¤Â§Ã§ÂÂ¿Ã¨Â¶Â) from 1009 to 1054 and ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât (chÃ¡Â»Â¯ HÃÂ¡n: Ã¥Â¤Â§Ã¨Â¶Â) from 1054 to 1225, was a Vietnamese dynasty that existed from 1009 to 1225. It was established by LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n when he overthrew the Anterior LÃÂª dynasty. The dynasty ended when empress regnant LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng (then 8 years old) was pressured to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh in 1225, the dynasty lasted for 216 years. During LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng's reign, the official name of the state was changed from ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i CÃ¡Â»Â ViÃ¡Â»Ât to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât, a name that would remain Vietnam's official name until the onset of the 19th century.

Domestically, while the LÃÂ½ emperors were devout in their adherence to Buddhism, the influence of Confucianism from China was on the rise, with the opening of the Temple of Literature in 1070, built for the veneration of the Confucius and his disciples. Six years later in 1076, the QuÃ¡Â»Âc TÃ¡Â»Â GiÃÂ¡m (Guozijian) was established within the same complex; Initially the education was limited to the children of the emperor, the imperial family as well as mandarin and nobility, serving as Vietnam's first university institution. The first imperial examination was held in 1075 and LÃÂª VÃÂn ThÃ¡Â»Ânh became the first TrÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng NguyÃÂªn (Zhuangyuan) of Vietnam.

Politically, the dynasty established an administration system based on the rule of law rather than on autocratic principles. They chose the ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i La Citadel as the capital (later renamed ThÃÂng Long and subsequently Hanoi). Ly Dynasty held onto power in part due to their economic strength, stability and general popularity among the population rather than by military means like previous dynasties. This set off a historical precedent for following dynasties, as prior to the Ly Dynasty, most Vietnamese dynasties lasted very briefly, often fall to the state of decline following the respective dynasty founder's death.

Noblemen scholars such as LÃÂª VÃÂn ThÃ¡Â»Ânh, BÃÂ¹i QuÃ¡Â»Âc KhÃÂ¡i, DoÃÂ£n TÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ°, ÃÂoÃÂ n VÃÂn KhÃÂ¢m, LÃÂ½ ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o ThÃÂ nh, and TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh made vast contributions culturally and politically, allowing the dynasty to flourish for 216 years.

History

Founding

The last emperor of the Anterior LÃÂª dynasty, the unpopular LÃÂª Long ÃÂÃÂ©nh, died in 1009. His crown prince son was still very young and could not take over power from his own father. Members of the imperial court, including the official ÃÂÃÂ o Cam MÃ¡Â»Âc and the Buddhist monk VÃ¡ÂºÂ¡n HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡nh, decided to install general LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n to become the new emperor of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i CÃ¡Â»Â ViÃ¡Â»Ât.

The first ruler of the LÃÂ½ dynasty, LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n, was of Min Chinese ancestry (from Min kingdom, today's Fujian province). The identity of his birth-father is unknown; likewise, little is known about his maternal side except that his mother was surnamed PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m. Very few direct details about his parents (unknown birth-father, mother, and adoptive father LÃÂ½ KhÃÂ¡nh VÃÂn) are known, however, the ethnic Chinese background of LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n, at least on his paternal side, had been accepted by Vietnamese historian TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n QuÃ¡Â»Âc VÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng. The LÃÂ½ clan of LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n's adoptive father LÃÂ½ KhÃÂ¡nh VÃÂn was a Vietic Tao-hua clan that originated from the highland regions in Feng district.

CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n himself was born in 974 CE in CÃ¡Â»Â PhÃÂ¡p region, BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Giang circuit (now in TÃ¡Â»Â« SÃÂ¡n, BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Ninh Province, Vietnam). When he was three years old, CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n was adopted by a monk of CÃ¡Â»Â PhÃÂ¡p pagoda named LÃÂ½ KhÃÂ¡nh VÃÂn, whose surname CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n inherited. The good-looking and intelligent CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n was noted as an extraordinary child by Buddhist Zen master VÃ¡ÂºÂ¡n HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡nh. When mature, he joined the palace guard and rose through the ranks to commandership. In 1009, CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n succeeded LÃÂª Long ÃÂÃÂ©nh of the LÃÂª family, thereby founding the LÃÂ½ dynasty.

Moving the capital

After a year of enthronement, in 1010, LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃ¡Â»Â started to move the capital from Hoa LÃÂ° (Ninh BÃÂ¬nh) to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i La (HÃÂ NÃ¡Â»Âi), and renamed it Thang Long. He wrote the Edict on the Transfer of the Capital 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 TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n, LÃÂª and MÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c continued to use HÃÂ NÃ¡Â»Âi as their capital, as does the Socialist Republic of Vietnam today.

Crisis of the three princes

In 1028, LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃ¡Â»Â died at the age 55 with Posthumous name ThÃ¡ÂºÂ§n VÃÂ© hoÃÂ ng ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¿ (Ã§Â¥ÂÃ¦ÂÂ¦Ã§ÂÂÃ¥Â¸Â), he was buried at ThÃ¡Â»Â LÃÂng imperial tomb.

In his funeral, most of his mandarins expected crown prince LÃÂ½ PhÃ¡ÂºÂt MÃÂ£ (Prince Khai ThiÃÂªn) to assume the throne. However, three of his brothers: Prince ÃÂÃÂ´ng Chinh (ÃÂÃÂ´ng Chinh vÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng), Prince DÃ¡Â»Â±c ThÃÂ¡nh (DÃ¡Â»Â±c ThÃÂ¡nh vÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng) and Prince VÃÂ© ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c (VÃÂ© ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c vÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng) rejected the decision and attacked the imperial palace with their own armies to take Prince Khai ThiÃÂªn's throne.

LÃÂ½ PhÃ¡ÂºÂt MÃÂ£ discovered the plot, he ordered all the gates of palace to be closed and arranged guards for protection. However his eunuch LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n NghÃÂ©a advised him to engage with betrayers. LÃÂ½ PhÃ¡ÂºÂt MÃÂ£ decide to let LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n NghÃÂ©a to lead the imperial army to fight against his brothers. LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n NghÃÂ©a succeeded in his campaign and caught VÃÂ© ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c VÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, while the two other princes escaped. LÃÂ½ PhÃ¡ÂºÂt MÃÂ£ then enthroned and take the temple name LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃÂ´ng. He grant mercy to all those who tried to opposed him and pardoned his two brothers ÃÂÃÂ´ng Chinh vÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng and DÃ¡Â»Â±c ThÃÂ¡nh vÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, letting them return to their former positions. The emperor issued a rule requiring government officials to make an annual pledge of loyalty, with heavy punishments for those who avoided.

Golden era

From the reign of LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃ¡Â»Â with the other emperors, the LÃÂ½ dynasty began to focus on solving some major and minor situations:

Strengthen internal rule: the economy was promoted to high progress, especially agriculture. The government introduced "HÃÂ¬nh thÃÂ°" (Ministry of Punishments) as the first system of law and legislation of Vietnam after gaining independence from China and opened the education system based on imperial examination of China
Strengthen territory reigning : The imperial court tried to expand 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 imperial family. To conciliate those who were not loyal to the government, the emperor will order princes to eliminate the revolts.
Protecting country from foreigners: Resolve and reconcile some minor issues with Song dynasty, fighting against the invasions of Nanzhao and Champa.

One of the big events of the LÃÂ½ dynasty is changing the name of the country from ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i CÃ¡Â»Â ViÃ¡Â»Ât (Ã¥Â¤Â§Ã§ÂÂ¿Ã¨Â¶Â) to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât (Ã¥Â¤Â§Ã¨Â¶Â) in 1054 under the reign of LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng. During the LÃÂ½ dynasty, the Vietnamese began their long march to the south (Nam tiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n) at the expense of the Chams. In 1069, Champa Kingdom gained support from the Song dynasty and stopped paying tribute to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. As the result, the emperor LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng ordered an expedition against Champa and successfully captured King Rudravarman III of Champa. Rudravarman III had to sign a treaty with LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng to cede three territories ÃÂÃ¡Â»Âa LÃÂ, Ma Linh and BÃ¡Â»Â ChÃÂnh (modern QuÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng TrÃ¡Â»Â and QuÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng BÃÂ¬nh) to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât in exchange for his release. Champa also had to restore the tributary system to LÃÂ½ dynasty.

The LÃÂ½ 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 LÃÂ½ Emperors looked to China as a model for organizing a strong, centrally administered state.

In 1070, LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng ordered the construction of the Imperial Academy (QuÃ¡Â»Âc TÃ¡Â»Â GiÃÂ¡m) and the confucian VÃÂn MiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u 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.

Emperor LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng died in 1072, the crown prince CÃÂ n ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c was enthroned at 7 as emperor LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng. Empress Dowager DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng became regent, but was toppled the next year by a plot by LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng's mother, Concubine Ã¡Â»Â¶ Lan. She ordered the former Empress to be buried alive in the emperor's mausoleum along with over 70 servants. Ã¡Â»Â¶ Lan then became regency with help of Chancellor LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng KiÃ¡Â»Ât.

In the 1050s, tensions between ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât and the Song dynasty became high. In 1075, Wang Anshi, the chancellor of the Song dynasty, told Emperor Shenzong that ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât 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 LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng to authorize a preemptive invasion into Song territory. LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng KiÃ¡Â»Ât 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 ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât but LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng KiÃ¡Â»Ât managed to stop them at the Battle of NhÃÂ° NguyÃ¡Â»Ât (1077). The Song and Dai Viet would then make a peace treaty. The Song returned its conquered lands to ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât and recognized LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng as King of Nam BÃÂ¬nh.

Succession crises and regencies

Emperor LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng was the longest reigned ruler in the history of Vietnam. As he was childless, his nephew LÃÂ½ DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng HoÃÂ¡n (Ã¦ÂÂÃ©ÂÂ½Ã§ÂÂ¥), who he adopted, was chosen to be the crown prince. LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng died in 1128. LÃÂ½ DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng HoÃÂ¡n was enthroned at age 11 and took temple name LÃÂ½ ThÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃÂ´ng. The death of LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng had marked the transition of succession from the main line to the cadet line. LÃÂ½ ThÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃÂ´ng would die young after ruling for 10 years. Crown prince LÃÂ½ ThiÃÂªn TÃ¡Â»Â then enthroned as Emperor LÃÂ½ Anh TÃÂ´ng at 3 year old.

ThÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃÂ´ng's Empress CÃ¡ÂºÂ£m ThÃÂ¡nh became regency. Her lover Commandant ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â Anh VÃÂ© (Ã¦ÂÂÃ¨ÂÂ±Ã¦ÂÂ¦) would rise into power in the court. This was met with opposition from other mandarins and imperial members, who staged to arrest ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â Anh VÃÂ©. 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 VÃÂ©, he was subsequently pardoned and took revenge on the people who tried to arrest him. The emperor unwillingly had to approve it and Anh VÃÂ©'s enemies were impeached then executed. ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â Anh VÃÂ© died in 1158. TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh (Ã¨ÂÂÃ¦ÂÂ²Ã¨ÂªÂ ), a relative of Anh VÃÂ©, later become the chancellor. Different from his brother in law, TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh was loyal to the LÃÂ½ court, his skills and talents were proven in organizing successful military campaigns against the ThÃÂ¢n LÃ¡Â»Â£i and NgÃÂ°u HÃ¡Â»Âng rebellions.

In 1174, LÃÂ½ Anh TÃÂ´ng's crown prince LÃÂ½ Long XÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng was involved in debauchery with a concubine of the emperor, he was made retired from the titled and replaced by LÃÂ½ Long CÃÂ¡n. In 1175, emperor Anh TÃÂ´ng died at aged 40, the young LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng was enthroned with TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh again holding the regency.

LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng became the emperor at three. His mother, Concubine ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â became ChiÃÂªu ThiÃÂªn ChÃÂ LÃÂ½ Empress dowager. Her younger brother ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â An Di became Consort kin and TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh was still a regent and teacher to teach the emperor. Empress ChiÃÂªu Linh, mother of the deposed Prince LÃÂ½ Long XÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng tried to take the throne back for his son but failed because of TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh's determination.

In 1179, Chancellor TÃÂ´ HiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿n ThÃÂ nh died when emperor Cao TÃÂ´ng was only six and ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â An Di replaced him as regent. In 1188, ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â An Di died and NgÃÂ´ LÃÂ½ TÃÂn replaced him until his death in 1190. Then, ÃÂÃÂ m DÃÂ© MÃÂ´ng (Ã¨ÂÂÃ¤Â»Â¥Ã¨ÂÂ), the younger brother of Empress An ToÃÂ n, became regent.

Emperor LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng 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 QuÃÂ¡ch BÃ¡Â»Âc rebellion was the main reason of weakening the dynasty. In 1207, the Governor ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng (Ã¦Â®ÂµÃ¥Â°Â) of HÃ¡Â»Âng ChÃÂ¢u (now HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng and HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i PhÃÂ²ng provinces) began the revolt against the court. The emperor ordered generals PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di (Ã¨ÂÂÃ§Â§ÂÃ§ÂÂ°), PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m Du (Ã¨ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂª), ÃÂÃÂ m DÃÂ© MÃÂ´ng and the others to lead army to suppress the revolt. Nevertheless, ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng corrupted PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m Du to retreat his infantry and persuade emperor to retreat all soldiers.

PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m Du was then sent to train the military in NghÃ¡Â»Â An but he started to recruit criminals for his own agenda. Emperor Cao TÃÂ´ng dispatched PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di to capture PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m Du, Du lost the battle and fled to HÃ¡Â»Âng province.In 1209, PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di had victory over the ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng rebels. The emperor then summoned Du back to ThÃÂng Long but Du slandered PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di to prove himself innocent. Cao TÃÂ´ng trusted Du's accusation and ordered to capture PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di and his son (PhÃ¡ÂºÂ¡m PhÃ¡Â»Â¥). Upon the capture of his lord, QuÃÂ¡ch BÃ¡Â»Âc (Ã©ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ), a general of BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di, decided to assault the imperial palace to rescue his master. Emperor Cao TÃÂ´ng had BÃ¡Â»Ânh Di and his son killed and they both fled to PhÃÂº ThÃ¡Â»Â. QuÃÂ¡ch BÃ¡Â»Âc captured the imperial palace and installed Prince LÃÂ½ ThÃ¡ÂºÂ§m to be the new emperor.

Prince LÃÂ½ HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m (Ã¦ÂÂÃ¦ÂÂ¥Ã¦ÂÂµ) fled to HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i Ã¡ÂºÂ¤p with his mother Empress An ToÃÂ n, where they met the leader of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½ (Ã©ÂÂ³Ã¦ÂÂ) and general TÃÂ´ Trung TÃ¡Â»Â«, both support LÃÂ½ HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m as the emperor. LÃÂ½ HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m was then married to the daughter of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â Dung (Ã©ÂÂ³Ã¦Â°ÂÃ¥ÂºÂ¸). Emperor LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng put a fight against SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m but failing to reclaim the throne. Finally, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LÃÂ½ led the army against QuÃÂ¡ch BÃ¡Â»Âc and ended the rebellion. However the ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât kingdom was already in partition by many warlords.

In 1210, LÃÂ½ Cao TÃÂ´ng died. LÃÂ½ HÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o SÃ¡ÂºÂ£m was enthroned as Emperor LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng. General TÃÂ´ Trung TÃ¡Â»Â« gained too much power that he was killed by other officials. His nephew TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh, amassed an army and threatened the capital. Emperor HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng then turned to warlord ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng who rebelled earlier for help, but they were defeated by TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh. The emperor had to escape to LÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ng SÃÂ¡n.

In 1214, TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh installed the Emperor LÃÂ½ NguyÃÂªn HoÃÂ ng as a puppet ruler. At the same time, NguyÃ¡Â»Ân NÃ¡Â»Ân, a warlord attacked the capital and burnt all the palaces, forcing TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh and Emperor NguyÃÂªn HoÃÂ ng to move to HÃÂ Nam. The country is again divided by multiple warlords, the major ones being NguyÃ¡Â»Ân NÃ¡Â»Ân, TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh and ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng.

In late 1214, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh forces retook the capital and gradually managed to conquered the warlords. In 1217, ÃÂoÃÂ n ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£ng surrendered to the court, he was pardoned and granted title of Prince of HÃ¡Â»Âng. By the end of 1220, all the minor warlords excepts NguyÃ¡Â»Ân NÃ¡Â»Ân, were subdued. NguyÃ¡Â»Ân NÃ¡Â»Ân himself later died of illness in 1229.

Rise of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan

In winter 1216, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â Dung was granted the title Empress. People of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan were then promoted to several important positions in the court: TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh became chancellor, his brother TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a was titled Marquis, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a's son TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n LiÃ¡Â»Âu was titled Prince of PhÃ¡Â»Â¥ng CÃ¡ÂºÂ§n.

In 1217, Emperor LÃÂ½ HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng 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 TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh and not by the emperor anymore, the court power base gradually switched to the TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n clan. In 1223, the chancellor TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n TÃ¡Â»Â± KhÃÂ¡nh died, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a replaced his position and was given even more privileges from the Emperor.

Abdication of LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng

Emperor HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng did not have a son as heir. Captain TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â (TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a's cousin) then decided the emperor's second daughter Princess ChiÃÂªu ThÃÂ¡nh will be crowned as Queen of ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât. In 1224, HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng abdicated and gave the throne to the crowned princess. LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng, at 6 years old, became the first reigning queen of Vietnam.

TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â took on his hand all the daily handling of the LÃÂ½ court. He brought his nephew TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh (the second son of TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a) to become the confidant of young Queen. Both of them then had blossom closed relationship. In aim to overthrow the rule of LÃÂ½ dynasty, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â arranged their marriage in the next year. TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh later became the Consort of LÃÂ½ dynasty. In 1226, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â forced LÃÂ½ ChiÃÂªu HoÃÂ ng to give the throne to TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n CÃ¡ÂºÂ£nh, TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n ThÃ¡Â»Â«a became the Regent Retired Emperor. The rule of LÃÂ½ was formally transferred to TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n. The former emperor HuÃ¡Â»Â TÃÂ´ng was forced to commit suicide at ChÃÂ¢n GiÃÂ¡o Temple. The LÃÂ½ aristocrats were then massacred in 1232 by ThÃ¡Â»Â§ ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â. The LÃÂ½ dynasty ceased to exist and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasty was officially established.

After the LÃÂ½ dynasty was toppled, some imperial members of the clan escaped to Korea and became generals of Goryeo dynasty.

Civil service system

At the central level, under the king were the ThÃÂ¡i positions: Tam thÃÂ¡i for the three literary mandarins (ThÃÂ¡i sÃÂ°, ThÃÂ¡i bÃ¡ÂºÂ£o and ThÃÂ¡i phÃÂ³), and ThÃÂ¡i ÃÂºy for the martial mandarin. Under the ThÃÂ¡is were the ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u positions like ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u sÃÂ°, ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u bÃ¡ÂºÂ£o, ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u phÃÂ³, and ThiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿u ÃÂºy.

Administration division

In 1010, LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃ¡Â»Â changed the 10 ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡o subdivisions into 24 lÃ¡Â»Â. The lÃ¡Â»Â was possibly subdivided into chÃÂ¢u (in mountainous areas) or phÃ¡Â»Â§ (in the lowlands). The chÃÂ¢u and phÃ¡Â»Â§ were further subdivided into huyÃ¡Â»Ân and giÃÂ¡p, and under them hÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng and Ã¡ÂºÂ¥p. He imposed on these divisions taxes on land, salt, ivory and mountain specialties.

Law

During the LÃÂ½ dynasty, laws in ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i ViÃ¡Â»Ât were primarily based on imperial proclamations, although a body of law composing of civil laws, criminal laws, litigation laws, and laws dealing with marriage existed. However, because the LÃÂ½ rulers were devout Buddhists, the punishments during this era were not very severe.

Foreign relations

The LÃÂ½ dynasty has maintained trade relationships with China, the Dali Kingdom, and other Southeast Asian kingdoms.

Song dynasty

In foreign relations with the Song dynasty, Vietnam acted as a vassal state, although at its zenith it had sent troops into Chinese territory to fight the Song during the LÃÂ½Ã¢ÂÂSong War.

In 1016, LÃÂ½ CÃÂ´ng UÃ¡ÂºÂ©n was appointed as Jinghai Junjie Dushi (Military Commissioner of Jinghai) and was crowned Giao Chi Quan Vuong (King of Giao Chi) by the Song emperor. For the first time in the Song dynasty's relations with Vietnam, the Song dynasty reciprocated LÃÂ½ tributes in 1028 as recognition of the political power of the LÃÂ½. The Song dynasty also deployed officers to attend the funeral of a deceased Vietnamese king for the first time during the LÃÂ½ dynasty.

Tensions between the LÃÂ½ and Song increased during the reign of LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng (1072Ã¢ÂÂ1128), whose military seized Qinzhou, Lianzhou, and Yongzhou along the LÃÂ½-Song border after his attack on Champa. In 1075, Song prime minister Wang Anshi informed the Song emperor of the decline in the LÃÂ½'s power following its defeat by the Champa, prompting the LÃÂ½-Song War during which the Song launched a failed invasion. The conflict ended after LÃÂ½ NhÃÂ¢n TÃÂ´ng sought reconciliation following LÃÂ½ military successes.

During the era of LÃÂ½ Anh TÃÂ´ng (1138Ã¢ÂÂ1175), 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 ThÃÂng Long to establish relationship. Both Jin and Song ambassadors visited LÃÂ½ court in the same time, but emperpor LÃÂ½ Anh TÃÂ´ng ordered do not let them face together to avoid tension.

Dali kingdom

In 1013, administration in mountain prefecture VÃ¡Â»Â Long (now in southeast Yunnan) was HÃÂ TrÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n allied with Dali kingdom started rebelling against the LÃÂ½ government. Dali forces and TuÃ¡ÂºÂ¥n with tribal supports invaded ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i CÃ¡Â»Â ViÃ¡Â»Ât in spring 1014. According to An Nam chÃÂ lÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£c by 14th-century historian LÃÂª TÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c, Dali and rebel forces numbered about 30,000 troops. They occupied BÃÂ¬nh NguyÃÂªn province (southeast Yunnan and HÃÂ Giang province), stationed there and waited for the LÃÂ½ reinforcement were coming. LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡i TÃ¡Â»Â sent an army and crushed the rebels. Dali general Yang Zhanghe was captured. Peace was restore in mountainous border next few years.

Champa

The LÃÂ½ 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 LÃÂ½ 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 imperial 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 commemorate military victories, such as when LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Âng KiÃ¡Â»Ât had defeated the Song, 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. Shrines were built dedicating to the Trung sisters and the king-of-king Phung Hung. Monastic members 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.

Emperor LÃÂ½ ThÃÂ¡nh TÃÂ´ng ordered the Temple of Literature to be built, and commissioned the statues of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius.

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 Ã¢ÂÂdau mauÃ¢ÂÂ 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 Ã¢ÂÂskywardÃ¢ÂÂ 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 vÃÂ¢n kiÃÂªn 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 LÃÂª Dynasty, they would brand the three words ThiÃÂªn tÃ¡Â»Â quÃÂ¢n 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 PhÃ¡ÂºÂt TÃÂch 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

References

Bibliography

CÃÂdÃÂ¨s, George. (1966). The Making of South East Asia (illustrated, reprint ed.). University of California Press. . Retrieved 7 August 2013.