Lý Nam Đế

Lý Nam Đế (chữ Hán:李南帝; October 17, 503 – April 13, 548) is considered by many to be the first emperor of Vietnam (if not counting Triệu Vũ Đế) and the founder of the Early Lý Dynasty (544–602). His personal name was Lý Bí or Lý Bôn (李賁), and "Nam Đế" was a title meaning "Southern Emperor". He ruled between Feb. 544 – Feb. 548.

Overview

Lý was of Chinese descent, the ancestors of his family were Chinese who fled Wang Mang's seizure of power during the interregnum between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties. 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. In 541, during this time China was under constant civil warfare following the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period, he became increasingly frustrated with the corruption in the government and hostility toward the local population. Upon resignation of his post he gathered the local nobility and tribes within the Red River Valley (North Vietnam) mobilized the imperial troops and naval fleet of Jiaozhou and successfully expelled the Liang administration and led the insurrection that ended in 543. The following year in February 544, Lý Bí was declared "Emperor" by the people with the intention of demonstrating equal in power to China imperial rulers. He renamed the new empire "Vạn Xuân" (萬春, literally "Eternal Spring"). His imperial armies also repelled attacks from Champa in the south who had allied with Han's court at the time.