Tô Hiến Thành
Encyclopedia
Tô Hiến Thành (died 1179) was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông
and Lý Cao Tông
, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý Dynasty
. Being a capable official of Lý Anh Tông who helped the emperor in both civil and military matters, Tô Hiến Thành was chosen by Lý Anh Tông for the regentship of his son Lý Long Trát, he was also granted the title Prince and thus became the only possessor of the title who did not come from the Lý royal family. The achievements and loyalty of Tô Hiến Thành to the infant emperor Lý Cao Tông
made him a highly praised figure in the history of Vietnam
. Today, Tô Hiến Thành is always considered one of the most prominent mandarins in the dynastic time of Vietnam.
, the birthyear of Tô Hiến Thành was unknown, he was born in the Hạ Mỗ village (now Đan Phượng, Hanoi
). Since the family name
of Tô Hiến Thành was Tô, there was a hypothesis that he might have a kinship with Tô thị, the wife of Đỗ Anh Vũ
who was the most powerful figure in the royal court during the early reign of Lý Anh Tông
.
Tô Hiến Thành was mentioned for the first time in historical account for his role in pacifying the rebellion of Thân Lợi. In 1140, Thân Lợi called himself the son of Lý Nhân Tông
and raised a revolt against Lý Anh Tông
in the northern region (now Thái Nguyên
). Thân Lợi's army was finally suppressed by Lý troops led by Đỗ Anh Vũ while Thân Lợi himself was captured by Tô Hiến Thành and beheaded by the order of Lý Anh Tông in the tenth month of 1141. It was Tô Hiến Thành who advised the emperor granting an amnesty for members of the rebellion in order to demonstrate the kindness of the dynasty to its people.
During the early ruling of Lý Anh Tông, the most powerful official was Đỗ Anh Vũ who decided both military and civil matters of Đại Việt, but Tô Hiến Thành, as a court minister (thái phó), still began to prove his ability in the royal court, the historian Trần Trọng Kim
remarked that Đỗ Anh Vũ did not take any further step in taking power only because of the appearance of such skilled officials like Tô Hiến Thành, Hoàng Nghĩa Hiền or Lý Công Tín. After the death of Đỗ Anh Vũ In 1158, Tô Hiến Thành became the most prominent figure in the royal court who helped the emperor successfully rule the country. In the fifth month of 1159, Tô Hiến Thành accomplished the mission of putting down the revolt of Ngưu Hống and Ai Lao in the western border and was promoted to the position of commander-in-chief (Thái úy) of Đại Việt army. In this position, Tô Hiến Thành conducted several measures to improve the efficiency of the army such as reorganizing, recruiting strong and young people, choosing capable commanders and stepping up the exercise in army. In the seventh month of 1167, Lý Anh Tông appointed Tô Hiến Thành commander of the military campaign against the kingdom of Champa
, a campaign which was ordered to abandon after the king of Champa proposed a withdrawal of the Lý Dynasty by offering Lý Anh Tông tribute. Originally holding a military position in the royal court, Tô Hiến Thành not only helped the Emperor to improve the efficiency of the Lý army but he also paid attention to the development of Confucian learning in the country. After the advice of Tô Hiến Thành, Lý Anh Tông issued the establishment the first temple of Confucius
in Thăng Long in 1156, formerly Confucius
was jointly worshipped in the Temple of Literature.
was only two year old. The Emperor deceased in the seventh month in 1175 and hence began the campaign of the Empress Mother in supporting another prince, Lý Long Xưởng, to replace the infant emperor Lý Long Trát, now Lý Cao Tông
. The Empress Mother tried to bribe Tô Hiến Thành's wife and persuaded the regent many times but Tô Hiến Thành refused by a simple answer that he had to follow the order of the late emperor and preferred being honest to being rich but disloyal. His firmness in refusing the proposal of the Empress Mother and controlling the army and order during the funeral time made other officials in their turn believe in Lý Cao Tông and therefore declined the campaign of replacing him by the prince Lý Long Xưởng.
During his regentship, Tô Hiến Thành proved to be a skilled official with deep knowledge in both military and civil matters. The regent deceased in 1179, to mourn the death of Tô Hiến Thành, the emperor stopped attending the royal court for six days and cut down his meal for three days. According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, during the period he was ill, Tô Hiến Thành was thoughtfully cared by the official Vũ Tán Đường while the mandarin Trần Trung Tá did not visit the regent due to busy works. Nevertheless, when the Empress Mother personally visited and asked Tô Hiến Thành in his dying moments about a successor for his position, the regent at once recommended Trần Trung Tá. Being asked by the Empress Mother why he did not mention the devoted Vũ Tán Đường, Tô Hiến Thành responded: "Because Your Highness asked for a successor of my position, I choose Trần Trung Tá, in case Your Highness need a servant, I will recommend Vũ Tán Đường". However, after Tô Hiến Thành's death, the Empress Mother did not follow his advice and the Lý Dynasty began to fall into the turbulent time and finally collapsed in 1225.
. In 1394, the emperor Trần Thuận Tông
of the Trần Dynasty ordered his painter to draw the illustration about four exemplary regents, in which only Tô Hiến Thành was from Đại Việt, the other three were the Duke of Zhou
, Huo Guang
and Zhuge Liang
all came from History of China
. Because of his achievements and loyalty for the infant emperor, Tô Hiến Thành was often compared with Zhuge Liang who was the dedicated regent for Liu Shan
. Today a main street in Hanoi and many places in Vietnam are named in honour of Tô Hiến Thành. Each year a traditional festival is held in Phú Xuyên
in the first lunar month to commemorate the feats of Tô Hiến Thành. In the Lý Bát Đế Shrine, the traditional temple for worshipping the emperors of the Lý Dynasty, Tô Hiến Thành is one of only two civil mandarins who are jointly worshipped, along with Lý Đạo Thành
.
Lý Anh Tông
Lý Anh Tông , given name Lý Thiên Tộ , was the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1138 to his death in 1175...
and Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông , born Lý Long Trát or Lý Long Cán, was the seventh king of the Lý dynasty, ruling for 35 years. Some consider his reign being the beginning of the falling into decay of the Lý Dynasty because of erroneous determinations made by him...
, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý Dynasty
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...
. Being a capable official of Lý Anh Tông who helped the emperor in both civil and military matters, Tô Hiến Thành was chosen by Lý Anh Tông for the regentship of his son Lý Long Trát, he was also granted the title Prince and thus became the only possessor of the title who did not come from the Lý royal family. The achievements and loyalty of Tô Hiến Thành to the infant emperor Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông , born Lý Long Trát or Lý Long Cán, was the seventh king of the Lý dynasty, ruling for 35 years. Some consider his reign being the beginning of the falling into decay of the Lý Dynasty because of erroneous determinations made by him...
made him a highly praised figure in the 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...
. Today, Tô Hiến Thành is always considered one of the most prominent mandarins in the dynastic time of Vietnam.
During Lý Anh Tông's reign
According to Từ điển bách khoa toàn thư Việt NamTừ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam
Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam is a state-sponsored encyclopedia that was published in 2005. It also is the first state encyclopedia of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
, the birthyear of Tô Hiến Thành was unknown, he was born in the Hạ Mỗ village (now Đan Phượng, 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...
). Since the family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
of Tô Hiến Thành was Tô, there was a hypothesis that he might have a kinship with Tô thị, the wife of Đỗ Anh Vũ
Đỗ Anh Vũ
Đỗ Anh Vũ was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông, the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty. Considered the most prominent figure of the consort clan during the Early Lý period, Đỗ Anh Vũ held the most powerful position in the royal court from 1140 to his death in 1158 except a short period...
who was the most powerful figure in the royal court during the early reign of Lý Anh Tông
Lý Anh Tông
Lý Anh Tông , given name Lý Thiên Tộ , was the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1138 to his death in 1175...
.
Tô Hiến Thành was mentioned for the first time in historical account for his role in pacifying the rebellion of Thân Lợi. In 1140, Thân Lợi called himself the son of 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...
and raised a revolt against Lý Anh Tông
Lý Anh Tông
Lý Anh Tông , given name Lý Thiên Tộ , was the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty, reigning over Đại Việt from 1138 to his death in 1175...
in the northern region (now Thái Nguyên
Thai Nguyen
Thái Nguyên is a city and municipality in Vietnam. It is the capital and located in center of Thai Nguyen province, in northeastern Vietnam. This is the largest city and often considered as center of Northern midlands and mountain areas...
). Thân Lợi's army was finally suppressed by Lý troops led by Đỗ Anh Vũ while Thân Lợi himself was captured by Tô Hiến Thành and beheaded by the order of Lý Anh Tông in the tenth month of 1141. It was Tô Hiến Thành who advised the emperor granting an amnesty for members of the rebellion in order to demonstrate the kindness of the dynasty to its people.
During the early ruling of Lý Anh Tông, the most powerful official was Đỗ Anh Vũ who decided both military and civil matters of Đại Việt, but Tô Hiến Thành, as a court minister (thái phó), still began to prove his ability in the royal court, the historian 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 Đỗ Anh Vũ did not take any further step in taking power only because of the appearance of such skilled officials like Tô Hiến Thành, Hoàng Nghĩa Hiền or Lý Công Tín. After the death of Đỗ Anh Vũ In 1158, Tô Hiến Thành became the most prominent figure in the royal court who helped the emperor successfully rule the country. In the fifth month of 1159, Tô Hiến Thành accomplished the mission of putting down the revolt of Ngưu Hống and Ai Lao in the western border and was promoted to the position of commander-in-chief (Thái úy) of Đại Việt army. In this position, Tô Hiến Thành conducted several measures to improve the efficiency of the army such as reorganizing, recruiting strong and young people, choosing capable commanders and stepping up the exercise in army. In the seventh month of 1167, Lý Anh Tông appointed Tô Hiến Thành commander of the military campaign against the kingdom of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
, a campaign which was ordered to abandon after the king of Champa proposed a withdrawal of the Lý Dynasty by offering Lý Anh Tông tribute. Originally holding a military position in the royal court, Tô Hiến Thành not only helped the Emperor to improve the efficiency of the Lý army but he also paid attention to the development of Confucian learning in the country. After the advice of Tô Hiến Thành, Lý Anh Tông issued the establishment the first temple of Confucius
Temple of Confucius
A Temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism.- History :...
in Thăng Long in 1156, formerly Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
was jointly worshipped in the Temple of Literature.
During Lý Cao Tông's reign
In 1175, the emperor was seriously ill and thus decided to entrust the regentship of his son Lý Long Trát to Tô Hiến Thành, the regent was appointed to the position of chancellor of the Lý Dynasty (Thái phó bình chương quân quốc trọng sự) and also granted the title Prince (Vương), an unprecedented act of a Lý emperor for a title which was reserved exclusively for members of the royal family, during the Lý Dynasty, Tô Hiến Thành was the only possessor of the title Prince who did not come from the Lý royal family. From the fourth month of 1175, Tô Hiến Thành began his regency because the emperor was not able to rule the country any more while the crown princeCrown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
was only two year old. The Emperor deceased in the seventh month in 1175 and hence began the campaign of the Empress Mother in supporting another prince, Lý Long Xưởng, to replace the infant emperor Lý Long Trát, now Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông
Lý Cao Tông , born Lý Long Trát or Lý Long Cán, was the seventh king of the Lý dynasty, ruling for 35 years. Some consider his reign being the beginning of the falling into decay of the Lý Dynasty because of erroneous determinations made by him...
. The Empress Mother tried to bribe Tô Hiến Thành's wife and persuaded the regent many times but Tô Hiến Thành refused by a simple answer that he had to follow the order of the late emperor and preferred being honest to being rich but disloyal. His firmness in refusing the proposal of the Empress Mother and controlling the army and order during the funeral time made other officials in their turn believe in Lý Cao Tông and therefore declined the campaign of replacing him by the prince Lý Long Xưởng.
During his regentship, Tô Hiến Thành proved to be a skilled official with deep knowledge in both military and civil matters. The regent deceased in 1179, to mourn the death of Tô Hiến Thành, the emperor stopped attending the royal court for six days and cut down his meal for three days. According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, during the period he was ill, Tô Hiến Thành was thoughtfully cared by the official Vũ Tán Đường while the mandarin Trần Trung Tá did not visit the regent due to busy works. Nevertheless, when the Empress Mother personally visited and asked Tô Hiến Thành in his dying moments about a successor for his position, the regent at once recommended Trần Trung Tá. Being asked by the Empress Mother why he did not mention the devoted Vũ Tán Đường, Tô Hiến Thành responded: "Because Your Highness asked for a successor of my position, I choose Trần Trung Tá, in case Your Highness need a servant, I will recommend Vũ Tán Đường". However, after Tô Hiến Thành's death, the Empress Mother did not follow his advice and the Lý Dynasty began to fall into the turbulent time and finally collapsed in 1225.
Legacy
The talent and faithful character of Tô Hiến Thành was highly appreciated in the History of VietnamHistory 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...
. In 1394, the emperor Trần Thuận Tông
Trần Thuận Tông
Trần Thuận Tông , given name Trần Ngung , was the eleventh emperor of the Trần Dynasty who reigned Đại Việt from 1378 to 1398. He was chosen to succeed to this position by his father, the Retired Emperor Trần Nghệ Tông, after Nghệ Tông decided to dethrone and force Trần Phế Đế to commit suicide...
of the Trần Dynasty ordered his painter to draw the illustration about four exemplary regents, in which only Tô Hiến Thành was from Đại Việt, the other three were the Duke of Zhou
Duke of Zhou
The Duke of Zhou played a major role in consolidating the newly-founded Zhou Dynasty . He was the brother of King Wu of Zhou, the first king of the ancient Chinese Zhou Dynasty...
, Huo Guang
Huo Guang
Huo Guang , courtesy name Zimeng was a Western Han statesman who was a rare example in Chinese history of a powerful official who deposed an emperor for the good of the state rather than to usurp the throne...
and Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
all came from History of China
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Because of his achievements and loyalty for the infant emperor, Tô Hiến Thành was often compared with Zhuge Liang who was the dedicated regent for Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
. Today a main street in Hanoi and many places in Vietnam are named in honour of Tô Hiến Thành. Each year a traditional festival is held in Phú Xuyên
Phu Xuyen
Phú Xuyên is a district of Ha Tay province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam....
in the first lunar month to commemorate the feats of Tô Hiến Thành. In the Lý Bát Đế Shrine, the traditional temple for worshipping the emperors of the Lý Dynasty, Tô Hiến Thành is one of only two civil mandarins who are jointly worshipped, along with Lý Đạo Thành
Lý Đạo Thành
Lý Đạo Thành 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...
.