Lê Lợi (Hán tự: 黎利; 1384 or 1385? – 1433), posthumously known with the temple name Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖), was Emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Lê Dynasty. Hán tự ( {{IPA|/han˦˥ tɯ˨/}}; 漢[[wikt 字|字]] meaning " Chinese character " or chữ Nho ( {{IPA|/tɕɯ˧˨˧ ɲɔ/}} Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean ( Goryeo and Joseon periods and Vietnamese (such dynasties as Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Later Lê Dynasty ( Vietnamese: Nhà Hậu Lê; Hán Việt: 後黎朝 sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty (the earlier Lê Dynasty Lê Lợi is among the most famous figures from the medieval period of Vietnamese history and one of its greatest heroes.
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Background, A Time of Trouble
Lê Lợi was the youngest of three sons. Thanh Hóa ( Hán tự: 清[[wikt 化|化]] is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam. His father was an aristocratic nobleman in Lam Son (northern-Vietnam). The town was in a newly colonized area of Vietnam it would eventually be called Thanh Hóa Province. Thanh Hóa ( Hán tự: 清[[wikt 化|化]] is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam. Lam Son had been established by Lê Lợi’s great-grandfather sometime in the 1330s. His exact date of birth is not certain, but 1384 is generally agreed on by historians. Lam Son was on the frontier of Vietnam, and as a result it was the farthest from government’s control and the most free.
This was a troubled time for Vietnam as the Hồ Dynasty in 1400, finally displaced the Trần Dynasty and set about reforming the Vietnamese government. The Hồ Dynasty ( Vietnamese: Nhà Hồ; Hán Việt: Hồ Triều) in Vietnam was a short-lived seven-year reign of two emperors The Trần Dynasty ( Vietnamese: Nhà Trần, Hán Việt: Trần Triều, 陳朝 was a Vietnamese dynasty that ruled Vietnam (at that The Hồ rule was short lived as members of the Trần appealed for help from the powerful Ming Emperor Yongle (永樂 Vĩnh Lạc). The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led The Yongle Emperor ( Wade-Giles: Yung-lo May 2, 1360 &ndash August 12, 1424) born Zhu Di ( Chu Ti He responded by sending a large army south into the country which defeated the Hồ. However, rather than restoring the Trần to power, the Ming choose to re-establish rule over Vietnam as they had in the days of the Tang empire, some 500 years previously. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by
The Ming had some support from the Vietnamese, at least in the capital of Hanoi but their efforts to assert control in the surrounding countryside was met with resistance. Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam The Vietnamese claim that the Ming stole many valuable treasures from Vietnam such as gems, jade, golden pieces of art as well as books. Lê Lợi himself said that he chose the path of revolt against the Chinese when he personally witnessed the destruction of a Vietnamese village by a Ming military force.
The Revolt (1418-1427)
Lê Lợi began his campaign against the Ming on the day after Tết (New Year) February 1418. This article is about the Vietnamese holiday For the 1968 military operation that began on that holiday see Tết Offensive. He was supported by several prominent families from his native Thanh Hóa province, most famously were the Trinh and the Nguyen families. The Trịnh Lords (Chúa Trịnh Chu nom: 主[[wikt 鄭|鄭]] 1545-1787 were a series of rulers of Vietnam who controlled the powers of government while leaving (ŋwjěʔn in Vietnamese approximated as /wɪn/ in English is the most common Vietnamese family name. Initially, Lê Lợi campaigned on the basis of restoration of the Trần to power. A relative of the Trần Dynasty emperor was the figurehead of the revolt but within a few years, the Trần pretender was removed and the unquestioned leader of the revolt was Lê Lợi himself, under the name "Pacifying King" (Binh Dinh Vuong).
Initially the revolt was not always successful. While Lê Lợi was able to operate in Thanh Hoa Province, he was, for 2-3 years, unable to muster the military forces required to defeat the Ming army in battle. As a result he waged a type of guerilla war against the large and well organized Chinese army. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc
In 1421, one famous story from this time is about the heroism of one of Lê Lợi’s commanders, Le Lai. One time during the early years of the revolt, the Chinese had Lê Lợi’s army surrounded on a mountaintop. In an effort to break the siege, Le Lai devised a plan that would allow Lê Lợi and the main bulk of the force to escape. He pretended to be Lê Lợi to divert the Ming army’s attention by dressing himself in Lê Lợi’s attire and lead a kamikaze-like cavalry charge down to attack the Ming. Le Lai fought bravely but was captured and executed. During the battle, Lê Lợi and the rest of the main contingency were able to escape. (Le Lai Story).
By 1425, the revolt had spread throughout Vietnam and the original Ming army of occupation had been ground down and destroyed. The new Ming Emperor, Xuande, wished to end the war with Vietnam, but his advisors urged one more effort to subdue the rebellious province. The Xuande Emperor ( February 25, 1398 – January 31, 1435) was Emperor of China ( Ming dynasty) between 1425–1435 The result was a very large army (some 100,000 strong) was sent into Vietnam. While the Chinese thought this should be enough, Lê Lợi’s army by this point was huge, about 350,000 men.
The final campaign did not start out well for the Chinese. Lê Lợi’s forces met the Ming army in battle but quickly staged a mock retreat. The Chinese general, Liu Shan, urging his troops on, was cut off from the main part of his army and he was captured and executed by the Vietnamese. Then, by sending false messages of dissention within the ranks of Lê Lợi’s own generals, the Chinese army was lured into Hanoi where it was surrounded and destroyed in a series of battles. All told the Chinese army lost over 70,000 men.
Emperor Lê Thái Tổ
In 1427, after 10 years of war, Vietnam regained its independence and China officially acknowledged Vietnam as an independent state. Lê Lợi took the throne and was declared Emperor of Dai Viet (大越) (though King is a more accurate term for the ruler of Vietnam). The history of Vietnam begins around 2700 years ago Successive dynasties based in China ruled Vietnam directly for most of the period from 111 BC until 938 He formally established the Lê Dynasty as the Ming Xuande Emperor officially recognized Lê Lợi as the new ruler of Vietnam. The Later Lê Dynasty ( Vietnamese: Nhà Hậu Lê; Hán Việt: 後黎朝 sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty (the earlier Lê Dynasty The Xuande Emperor ( February 25, 1398 – January 31, 1435) was Emperor of China ( Ming dynasty) between 1425–1435 In return, Lê Lợi sent diplomatic messages to the Ming Court, promising Vietnam’s loyalty as a vassal state of China and cooperation. The Ming accepted this arrangement, much as they accepted the vassal status of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The Chinese largely left Vietnam alone for the next 500 years, intervening only about once every hundred years.
Lê Lợi embarked on a significant reorganization of Vietnamese government, clearly based on the Confucian system of government which was developed by the Tang Dynasty and Sung Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms He also elevated his long time comrades and generals such as Nguyen Trai, Tran Nguyen Han, Le Sat, Pham Van Sao, and Trinh Kha to high official rank. Nguyễn Trãi ( Hán tự: 阮[[wikt 廌|廌]] also known under his Style name Ức Trai 抑[[wikt 齋|齋]] (1380–1442 was a Trịnh Khả (? - 1451 close advisor to Lê Lợi, chief ruler of Vietnam during the 1440s and founder of the powerful Trịnh family
The Le government rebuilt the infrastructure of Vietnam: roads, bridges, canals. Land distribution were rewarded to soldiers that contributed in the war against the Ming. New money currency was minted and new laws and reforms were passed. The system of selecting government administrators by examination was restored and exams were held at regular intervals throughout Lê Lợi’s reign.
From 1430 to 1432, Lê Lợi and his army fought a set of campaigns in the hills to the west of the coastal area. Then, in 1433, he became sick and his health declined. On his death bed he appointed Le Sat as the regent for his second son, who would rule after him as Le Thai Tong. Lê Thái Tông ( Hán tự: 黎[[wikt 太|太]] 宗; 1423 &ndash 1442 son of the hero-king Lê Lợi, and emperor of Vietnam from 1438 till
Internal palace politics quickly decimated the ranks of Lê Lợi’s trusted councilors, Tran Nguyen Han and Pham Van Sao were executed in 1432 and Le Sat, who ruled as regent for five years, was executed in 1438. Nguyen Trai was killed in 1442 (it was claimed he was linked to the death of Le Thai Tong). Lê Thái Tông ( Hán tự: 黎[[wikt 太|太]] 宗; 1423 &ndash 1442 son of the hero-king Lê Lợi, and emperor of Vietnam from 1438 till Only Trinh Kha survived to an old age and even he was executed in 1451.
Lê Lợi - Myth and Legend
- Main article:Heaven's Will
Many legends and stories were told about Lê Lợi. The most famous story concerns his magical sword. Much like King Arthur and his sword Excalibur, Lê Lợi was said to have a magic sword of wonderous power. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders Excalibur is the legendary Sword of King Arthur sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful Sovereignty of Great One story tells that he obtained the sword, inscribed with the words 'The Will of Heaven' (Thuan Thien) from a Golden Turtle (Kim Qui 金龜) a demi-god to the local people. The Will of Heaven or Heaven's Will ( Thuận Thiên) was the mythical Sword of the Vietnamese King Lê Lợi, who liberated Vietnam The Will of Heaven or Heaven's Will ( Thuận Thiên) was the mythical Sword of the Vietnamese King Lê Lợi, who liberated Vietnam Rafetus swinhoei, commonly known as the Shanghai soft-shell turtle, Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle ( Chinese: 斑鱉 Pinyin:Bān The stories claim Lê Lợi grew very tall when he used the sword and it gave him the strength of many men. Other stories say that the sword blade and the sword hilt came together from different places, the blade fished out of a lake, the hilt found by Lê Lợi himself.
The stories largely agree on what happened to the sword: One day, not long after the Chinese had accepted Vietnam as independent, Lê Lợi was out boating on a lake in Hanoi. Suddenly a large turtle surfaced, took the sword from Lê Lợi’s belt, and dived back into the depths. Efforts were made to find both the sword and the turtle but without success. Lê Lợi then acknowledged the sword had gone back to the Golden Turtle and caused the lake to be renamed 'The Lake of the Returned Sword' (Hoan Kiem Lake) located in present-day Hanoi. Hoan Kiem Lake ( Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword", also
Countless poems and songs were written about Lê Lợi, both during his life time and in later years. Lê Lợi is looked upon as the perfect embodiment of the just, wise, and capable leader. All future Vietnamese kings were measured against the standard of Lê Lợi and most were found wanting.
Every town in Vietnam has one of the major streets named after Lê Lợi, but in Hanoi the name is Le Thai To Street.
Sources
Very little in English has been written about Lê Lợi. The most detailed source is the doctoral thesis of John K. Whitmore, "The Development of the Le Government in Fifteenth Century Vietnam" (Cornell University, 1968). The thesis is mostly concerned with the structure and make-up of the Le government from 1427 to 1471.
See also
External links
| Preceded by Ho Dynasty |
King of Vietnam 1428-1433 |
Succeeded by Le Thai Tong |
Below is a list of Vietnamese monarchs. Some declared themselves kings ( vua / vương) or emperors ( hoàng đế) The Hồ Dynasty ( Vietnamese: Nhà Hồ; Hán Việt: Hồ Triều) in Vietnam was a short-lived seven-year reign of two emperors Lê Thái Tông ( Hán tự: 黎[[wikt 太|太]] 宗; 1423 &ndash 1442 son of the hero-king Lê Lợi, and emperor of Vietnam from 1438 till
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