Lý Đạo Thành
Encyclopedia
Lý Đạo Thành (died 1081) was a member of the Lý
royal family and the chancellor in the royal court of Lý Thánh Tông
and Lý Nhân Tông
. Highly appreciated for his ability and righteousness, Lý Đạo Thành had a major role in the stability and prosperity of Đại Việt during the early years of Lý Nhân Tông's reign when Lý Đạo Thành also acted as a regent for the young emperor. Today Lý Đạo Thành is still considered one of the great officials of the Lý Dynasty and in history of Vietnam
.
. It was said that Lý Đạo Thành was a member of the Lý royal family
and already held the position of chancellor (Vietnamese
: thái sư) when the emperor Lý Thánh Tông died in 1072. Together with the Empress Mother Thượng Dương, the chancellor was appointed by Lý Thánh Tông to act the regency for his successor Lý Nhân Tông
who was only 7 at that time. According to the historian Ngô Sĩ Liên
, during the purge of Empress Mother Thượng Dương by the emperor and his natural mother Ỷ Lan
in 1073, Lý Đạo Thành was transferred to the position of governor in the southern province Nghệ An likely because he advised against the act of Ỷ Lan and the emperor. One year later, the emperor decided to restore Lý Đạo Thành to his former post. In his Việt Nam sử lược
, Trần Trọng Kim
remarked that Lý Đạo Thành was not only a competent official but also possessed a strong and righteous character, therefore he had an important contribution in the stability and prosperity of Đại Việt during the early years of Lý Nhân Tông's reign.
According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Lý Đạo Thành deceased in the tenth month in 1081, his position of chancellor was succeeded by Lê Văn Thịnh
who was afterwards deprived of all titles and banished to a remote region after a controversial treason case in 1096.
. Today his contribution is still highly appreciated, Lý Đạo Thành is worshipped as a tutelary deity in several villages in Northern Vietnam, a street in Hanoi
is also named in honour of Lý Đạo Thành.
Lý Dynasty
The Lý Dynasty , sometimes known as the Later Lý Dynasty , was a Vietnamese dynasty that began in 1009 when Lý Thái Tổ overthrew the Prior Lê Dynasty and ended in 1225 when the queen Lý Chiêu Hoàng was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh. They ruled Vietnam for a...
royal family and the chancellor in the royal court of Lý Thánh Tông
Lý Thánh Tông
Lý Thánh Tông was the posthumous title of the third emperor of the Lý dynasty of Vietnam. Like his father, he was considered as one of the most talented and benevolent kings in Vietnamese history.-Genius Crown Prince:...
and Lý Nhân Tông
Ly Nhan Tong
Lý Nhân Tông , given name Lý Càn Đức , was the fourth emperor of the Lý Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1072 to his death in 1127...
. Highly appreciated for his ability and righteousness, Lý Đạo Thành had a major role in the stability and prosperity of Đại Việt during the early years of Lý Nhân Tông's reign when Lý Đạo Thành also acted as a regent for the young emperor. Today Lý Đạo Thành is still considered one of the great officials of the Lý Dynasty and in history of Vietnam
History of Vietnam
The history of Vietnam covers a period of more than 2,700 years. By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. Vietnam's prehistory includes a legend about a kingdom known as Van Lang that included what is now China's Guangxi Autonomous Region and...
.
History
There was only a brief account about Lý Đạo Thành in the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư but according to some folk stories, Lý Đạo Thành was born in 1053 to a noble family in Thái Cực, Thọ XươngTay Ho
Tây Hồ is an urban district of Hanoi the capital city of Vietnam, named after the West Lake nearby. VietJet AirAsia, a planned airline, has its headquarters on the fourth floor of the Flower Mansion in Tay Ho. Air Mekong maintains its Hanoi branch on the third floor of the Syrena Tower in Tay...
. It was said that Lý Đạo Thành was a member of the Lý royal family
Lý Dynasty
The Lý Dynasty , sometimes known as the Later Lý Dynasty , was a Vietnamese dynasty that began in 1009 when Lý Thái Tổ overthrew the Prior Lê Dynasty and ended in 1225 when the queen Lý Chiêu Hoàng was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh. They ruled Vietnam for a...
and already held the position of chancellor (Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
: thái sư) when the emperor Lý Thánh Tông died in 1072. Together with the Empress Mother Thượng Dương, the chancellor was appointed by Lý Thánh Tông to act the regency for his successor Lý Nhân Tông
Ly Nhan Tong
Lý Nhân Tông , given name Lý Càn Đức , was the fourth emperor of the Lý Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1072 to his death in 1127...
who was only 7 at that time. According to the historian Ngô Sĩ Liên
Ngô Sĩ Liên
Ngô Sĩ Liên was an historian of the Lê Dynasty. He is best known for being the principal compiler of the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, a comprehensive chronicle of the history of Vietnam and the oldest official historical record of a Vietnamese dynasty that remains today...
, during the purge of Empress Mother Thượng Dương by the emperor and his natural mother Ỷ Lan
Ỷ Lan
Ỷ Lan or Empress Mother Linh Nhân was the imperial concubine of Lý Thánh Tông, the third emperor and the natural mother of Lý Nhân Tông, the fourth emperor of the Lý Dynasty...
in 1073, Lý Đạo Thành was transferred to the position of governor in the southern province Nghệ An likely because he advised against the act of Ỷ Lan and the emperor. One year later, the emperor decided to restore Lý Đạo Thành to his former post. In his Việt Nam sử lược
Việt Nam sử lược
Việt Nam sử lược was the first Quoc Ngu history text compiled by Vietnamese historian Trần Trọng Kim. It covered the period from Hồng Bàng Dynasty to the time of French Indochina. The book was first published in 1921 and reprinted many times to this day...
, Trần Trọng Kim
Tran Trong Kim
Trần Trọng Kim was a Vietnamese scholar and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the short-lived Empire of Vietnam, a puppet state created by Imperial Japan in 1945...
remarked that Lý Đạo Thành was not only a competent official but also possessed a strong and righteous character, therefore he had an important contribution in the stability and prosperity of Đại Việt during the early years of Lý Nhân Tông's reign.
According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Lý Đạo Thành deceased in the tenth month in 1081, his position of chancellor was succeeded by Lê Văn Thịnh
Lê Văn Thịnh
Lê Văn Thịnh was an official in the royal court of Lý Nhân Tông, the fourth emperor of the Lý Dynasty. Ranking first in the first imperial examination of the Lý Dynasty, Lê Văn Thịnh was appointed tutor for Lý Nhân Tông and was gradually promoted to the position of chancellor of the Lý Dynasty...
who was afterwards deprived of all titles and banished to a remote region after a controversial treason case in 1096.
Legacy
Lý Đạo Thành is considered one of the most famous chancellors of the Lý Dynasty, in the book Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí, the historian Lê Tung praised Lý Đạo Thành as one of the two greatest regents of the Lý Dynasty, together with Tô Hiến ThànhTô Hiến Thành
Tô Hiến Thành was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông and Lý Cao Tông, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý Dynasty...
. Today his contribution is still highly appreciated, Lý Đạo Thành is worshipped as a tutelary deity in several villages in Northern Vietnam, a street in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
is also named in honour of Lý Đạo Thành.