Đinh Dynasty
Đinh Bo Linh's childhood
Đinh Bộ Lĩnh's father was Đinh Công Trứ, a mandarin under the reigns of Ngô Quyền (939-944) and Ngô Xương Văn (950-954). Đinh Công Trứ died while Bộ Lĩnh was still very young. His mother then took him back to her village to live with her family. There Đinh Bộ Lĩnh attended the village school and in his free time rode atop water buffaloes and played games with other kids. When he reached adulthood he joined Trần Minh Công (Tran Lam), one of the Thập Nhị Sứ Quân or 12 Sứ Quân (12 lords fighting each other) who made him a general due to his skills and talents.
Rise to Emperor (965-980)
One by one, Đinh Bo Linh (926-979) defeated or subdued the other 11 lords. His multitude victories over other lords earned him the Van Thăng Vương which means "King of Ten Thousand Victories". After unifying the country in 968 and bringing peace back to the land, he proclaimed himself Đinh Tien Hoàng Đế. He renamed the country "Dai Co Việt." Worried that his country was still weak (where outside influences can be easily made) he sought to strengthen the government with by appointing military men to important positions. Among his top generals were Nguyễn Bạc, his oldest son Đinh Lien, Lê Hoan etc... This latter was be a major figure for the Đinh Dynasty succession and the rise of the Anterior Lê Dynasty.
Đinh Tien Hoàng's succession (980)
The end of Đinh Tien Hoàng's reign was marked by the following successive events.
- He removed his oldest son Đinh Lien from the throne as he had decided to have his second son, Đinh Hang Lăng, succeed him. His infant son, Đinh Tue, would be next in line.
- One night in 980, as Đinh Tien Hoàng and his son Đinh Lien were having a party, a mandarin official sneaked into the palace and killed both father and son. Thus fate decreed that the infant son Đinh Tue would inherit the kingdom.
Đinh Phe Đế (980) and the threat from the North
When Đinh Tue became emperor, because of his age, his mother the Dowager Empress Duong Thai Hau assumed the role of regent. While all of these events were taking place, to the north, China was enduring some dynastic changes. The Song Dynasty had reunified the country for the first time since the fall of the Tang. The Song Dynasty would last until the end of the 13th century; when they in turn were overrun by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty under Genghis Khan. The turmoil of succession of Đinh Tien Hoàng in their southern border gave the Chinese Song a pretext to meddle and interfere into the matters of the Vietnamese, to invade the country and subjugate it again to their rule.
Lê Hoan's ascension to the throne (980)
Appalled by this new threat, the Dowager Empress Duong Thai Hau threw her support to Lê Hoan who was now commander-in-chief of the army. To confront the Song army who had already arrived at the border, the Empress Dowager agreed to recognize Lê Hoan and let him step up to the throne as a new king. With the crowning of Lê Hoan, the Anterior Lê Dynasty was founded. As Lê Hoan was being crowned Emperor, the Song army approached the boundary of the 2 countries.
| Preceded by Ngô Dynasty |
Ruler of Vietnam 968-980 |
Succeeded by Anterior Lê Dynasty |
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