Le Loi(1382-1433), emperor Le Thai To(1428-1433)

Background and aspiration

Lê Lợi came from a wealthy landowner family. Affable, compassionate, quite educated, he understands the plight of his people and yet can quite grasp a tough situation making quick decision being a soldier and strategist. He likes being surrounded himself by comrades, intellectual and discussing warfare, situation and politics with them. He likes helping out the poor as well as the less fortunate people. One of the people that will help him a lot is Nguyen Trai, a reknown scholar and also strategist, author of the "the Great Proclamation of Peace of the Ngo" or in vietnamese Binh Ngo Dai Cao. Together with Nguyen Trai, he created a formidable, fearsome war machine that will received the support of the whole nation and its people and thus achieve to the task of liberating the people.

The uprising and war against the Ming

After the defeat of Giang Dinh and Tran Quy Khoach,Lê Lợi finally decides to raise his banner and revolt against the Chinese Ming. He proclaimed himself Binh Dinh Vuong, which means the Pacifying King. For advisors, Lê Lợi has many people besides him such as Nguyen Trai, Le Sat who will later Regent for his young son, Tran Nguyen Han, Dinh Le etc…etc… Knowing the strength of the Ming military, Lê Lợi first waged a guerilla war against them for over about 6 years from 1418 till 1424. His base is the mountain & forest of Lam Sơn (Thanh Hóa province). After many defeats first, he finally gathered momentum and was able to launch a siege at Đông Quan (now Hanoi), the site of the Ming administration. After 1424, recognizing the importance and scale of this new revolt, and after losing many, many of his troops the Ming emperor sent reinforcement to the rescue, but Lê Lợi staged an ambush and killed Liu Shan, a Ming’s general. The Ming's troops at Đông Quan surrendered. Lê Lợi negotiated a peace with the Ming emperor and the Ming upon recognition of Lê Lợi as the new Dai Viet emperor, withdrew all his troops.

Lê Lợi’s ascension to the throne (1428)

Having spent a decade fighting against China to liberate Vietnam, in 1428, at the end Lê Lợi ascended to the throne. He took the title Le Thai To and ruled from 1428 to 1433. The Hậu Lê dynasty (Posterior Lê) began with him. // Events October 12 - English forces under Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury besiege Orléans. ...

Le Loi’s succession and road to apogee, from 1433 till 1497

Le Thai Ton (1433-1442)

Emperor Le Loi died leaving a heir of only 11 years old. At first due to the young age of the king, Le Sat assumed the regency of the kingdom until Le Thai Ton reach his majority. After taking back his power circa 1439-40, having no one besides him for guidance and fatherly figure, Le Thai Ton soon fell into the track of vices and sins. The reign of this short-lived emperor is marked by a scandal and affair, “Nguyen Trai and Thi Lo”. On a visit to the former mandarin Nguyen Trai who is though retired but venerated as a great politician under his father’s reign, king Thai Ton noticed the beautiful Nguyen Thi Lo, one of Nguyen Trai’s many servants. The emperor and Thi Lo flirted. After a stay at Nguyen Trai’s house for several months, one night Le Thai Ton caught cold, became seriously ill and suddenly passed away at the age of 21. Rumor has the king was poisoned. The Court blamed the king’s death to Nguyen Trai and imprisoned him. Though this matter is still a mystery and controversy; but History concedes faction at the Court by this time was jealous of Nguyen Trai and Nguyen thi Lo’s position as very, very close to the emperor. They, this faction or group, wants to eliminate Nguyen Trai who has helped Le Loi in his exploits previously. The crime and punishment will cover 3 generations.

Le Nhan Tong (1442-1459) and his succession

The Court then nominate prince Bang Co, 2nd child of Le Thai Ton who is not even 2 years old, bypassing the order of succession. All the powers was entrusted to the Queen Dowager Tuyen Tu, the king’s mother. She was just and has some new laws enacted under the young emperor’s name. The final days of emperor Le Nhan Tong were tragically marked. His older brother Nghi Dan, having been ignored or overlooked after his father the late Le Thai Ton passed away back to 1442, with revenge plotted with a group of officials and mandarins to kill the king. One night they sneaked into the palace where the king slept and stabbed Le Nhan Ton to death. This occurred in 1459. Prince Nghi Dan usurped the throne as emperor but not for long though. He ran into opposition and were also met by death. The Court then put the 4th son of Le Thai Ton, Tu Thanh, to the throne the next year.

Le Thanh Ton, emperor (1460-1497)

Without doubt, the most prominent emperor of all the Le emperor and probably a great figure in the Vietnamese history. Prince Tu Thanh was enthroned in 1460 at the age of 16, after his brother was deposed. His rule and reign will prove to be an apogee in the history of Vietnam. The era name he create is Hong Duc.

Administration, Law system

Economy & Finances

Culture and Education

War with Champa in 1471-72

The decline of the Hau Le Dynasty, from 1497 to 1527

Right after the death of Le Thanh Tong, and in particular after his son’s Le Hien Ton, the Le dynasty and with it, the country itself virtually plunge into a crisis.

Le Hien Tong (1497-1504)

Prince Tang, one of 14 Le Thanh Ton’s sons, succeeded his father as Le Hien Ton at an age of 38 already. He is an affable, meek and of mild character person. Asides from a short rule and there is not much significant change/reform under his reign, his is considered more of an extension of Le Thanh Ton’s legacy.

Le Tuc Tong 1504-05, Le Uy Muc 1505-09 and Le Tuong Duc 1510-16

Succeeding to Le Hien Tong was his 3rd son who took the reign name as Le Tuc Tong. Six months barely passed when this king Le Tuc Tong developed measles, got gravely ill and passed away. His older brother succeeded him as Le Uy Muc. The first thing Le Uy Muc did is to take revenge to all who had barred him from the throne by slaughtering them all, including the former emperor’s queen mother. Le Uy Muc was described as a mean, careless, cruel, sadistic, depraving person, who will not only waste the court’s money and finances to indulge himself in fun, amusement, orgies etc…but watching prisoners, thieves, guards butchering, killing each other like Nero of the Roman Empire. Being aware of the fact he is detested, hated and vilified by others Le Uy Muc protected himself by allowing only a group of strong, sturdy bodyguards to surround him. Among them is Mac Dang Dung who soon will abuse the power. Nonetheless, a half brother who was jailed, one night escaped and conniving with insiders sneaked into the king’s bedroom and killed Le Uy Muc in 1509. Le Tuong Duc, the reigning name this new emperor has, was no better than his predecessor Le Uy Muc. Pilfering the royal treasury, and hedonistic, Le Tuong Duc continued to sap the country’s assets, heedless of a multitude of revolts springing everywhere because of taxes levied to satisfy his needs. In the end, having had enough with Le Tuong Duc, a group of official mandarins and generals stormed the palace where he lives and killed the king who was just 28 years old. This happened in 1516.

Rise of Mac Dang Dung

After Le Tuong Duc was deposed, groups and factions grow like mushrooms in the imperial Court. They vie each other for control of the country, and influence.

Le Chieu Tong (1516-1524)

An infant child of only 14 years old, prince Le Y, Le Tuong Duc grand child was enthroned as the new emperor Le Chieu Tong by one group still loyal to the posterior Le. Schemes, plots, betrayals, and assassinations are the daily events. So much to the point the Le emperor, fearing for his life and close family, did not know whom to rely on and puts more and more trusts to Mac Dang Dung. Jealous by Mac Dang Dung’s rapid rise, courtesans and a faction in the Court conspired and win over Le Chieu Tong. They succeeded to convince Le Chieu Tong to leave the capital and raise an army to try to defeat Mac Dang Dung who is too strong, powerful. Among them is Nguyen Hoang Du, Nguyen Kim's father, who later on will be forefather of the Nguyen's Lords and a Trinh member who later will play a big role in the rift, division of North and South Vietnam, leading to a wider Trinh-Nguyen rivalry during the whole of 17th century. Nguyen (Vietnamese: quoc ngu ; chu nom 阮) (pronounced /win/, see below for a full explanation) is the most common Vietnamese family name. ...

Le Cung Hoang (1524-1527)

Soon after Le Chieu Ton’s flee, Mac Dang Dung proclaimed Le Chieu Ton’s younger brother, Le Xuan, as emperor. At the same time, Mac Dang Dung waged a war with the fleeing king Le Chieu Ton, finally caught him and killed the former king. Unopposed now, and master of all northern Vietnam, militarily and politically from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An Dang Dung depose Le Cung Hoang and assume himself as new emperor in 1527. A hundred years have passed since Vietnam reclaimed independence from the Chinese Ming, and enjoyed a rather peaceful era. Vietnam now turned to another point of its history: feudal lords and division within itself since he was challenged by factions in the court who said Mac Dang Dung have stolen, usurped the throne from the Le. Thanh Hoa is a city in Vietnam. ... Nghe An Province is a province in Vietnam. ...

Causes & Analysis of the Hau Le’s rapid decline

 --------------------------------------------- from Viet Nam Su Luoc by Tran Trong Kim from Viet Su Toan Thu by Pham Van Son