Overview

Lý Bôn (李賁) was a local aristocrat whose distant ancestors were Chinese refugees who fled Wang Mang's seizure of power during the interregnum between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties five centuries earlier. He was a regional magistrate of Giao Châu (交州, Chinese: Jiaozhou), an area of northern Vietnam roughly corresponding to the area of modern Hanoi.

During this time China was experiencing constant civil war. Lý became increasingly frustrated with the corruption in the government and hostility toward the local population. His friend Pham Tu, an ethnic Jie, subsequently helped him train a small army with 300 cavalry archers. Subsequently, Lý resigned his post and revolted in 541 against the Liang who ruled Vietnam at the time. He gathered the local nobility and tribes within the Red River Valley, gathered together an army and navy, and won a decisive battle in Hofu in summer 543, expelling the Liang from Vietnam. The following year in February 544, Lý Bí was declared emperor by the people with the intention of demonstrating equality in status to China's own emperors. He named the new kingdom "Vạn Xuân" (萬春, literally "Eternal Spring"). His armies also repelled attacks from Champa in the south who had allied with the Liang at the time.

Further in his life

Lý Nam Đế established his capital at Long Biên (modern-day Hanoi), surrounded himself with effective leadership in military and administrative scholars. Lý Nam Đế was also strongly supported by famous military commanders such as Phạm Tu, Triệu Túc, Tinh Thiều, and Triệu Quang Phục, (son of Triệu Tuc, later known as Triệu Việt Vương). The latter emerged as a hero in Vietnamese history and eventually succeeded Lý Nam Đế as ruler in 548. Lý Nam Đế built many fortresses at strategic locations throughout Vạn Xuân to fend off potential threats from Han in the north and from the Champa Kingdom in the south. He also established the first national university for scholars, implemented land reforms, and promoted literacy amongst the population. He laid the foundation for many reforms modeled after the Chinese social structure.

However, the new state was not long at peace. In October of 544 the Liang Dynasty sent an army of 120,000 to reoccupy Vietnam, led by general Chen Baxian (Vietnamese: Trần Bá Tiên). By spring of 545, Chen had ravaged much of northern Vạn Xuân. His initial invasion was stalled by Lý imperial forces for months. However, in the winter of 545, Chen surprised the capital during the monsoon season. Lý Nam Đế's army were caught off guard and the imperial government was forced to abandon Long Biên and flee westward into the neighboring kingdom of Laos. The Lý army became exhausted and Lý himself grew increasingly ill due to months of being exposed in the wilderness. Lý Nam Đế realized that his illness would not enable him to rally the troops and accomplish a successful resistance against the imperial Chinese forces. In February 548, he relinquished imperial authority and transferred his power to his older brother Lý Thiên Bảo (co-ruler from 548 until his death in 555) and Triệu Quang Phục (r. 548–571), who was his best lieutenant and general.

By April 548, while suffering from serious disease for months, Lý Nam Đế died in Laos when local Laotian tribesmen assassinated him in hope of warding off the invading Liang army. His immediate successor was Triệu Quang Phục (thereafter known as Triệu Việt Vương which means Trieu Viet King). The new king continued the resistance and eventually drove the Chinese out from Vạn Xuân in 550. Although China had occupied and would continue to occupy Vietnam for approximately 1,000 years, Lý Nam Đế had successfully established a Vietnamese state that had given Northern Vietnam approximately 60 years of independence.

Anterior Lý Dynasty

• Lý Nam Đế I (r. 542–548)

• Lý Thiên Bảo (r. 548–555, co-reigned with Triệu Quang Phục)

• Triệu Việt Vương (r. 548–571, 555–571 as sole ruler)

• Lý Nam Đế II (r. 571–602)

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