Lý Thái Tổ

Lý Thái Tổ ( chữ Hán: 李太祖, 8 March 974 – 31 March 1028), personal name Lý Công Uẩn (李公蘊), was the founding emperor of the Lý dynasty. He reigned the empire for 18 years, from 1009 until his death in 1028.

With the background as a military personnel under the Anterior Lê dynasty, Công Uẩn was quickly promoted to Palace Commander and held a strong position at the royal court. After the death of Emperor Lê Hoàn, the Lê dynasty immediately fell into crisis due to wars among the princes for the throne. The succession crisis officially ended when Lê Long Đĩnh ascended the throne. However, Lê Long Đĩnh died young and ruled the empire for only four years. With great prestige and widespread renown throughout the empire, Lý Công Uẩn was enthroned by the royal court, thereby establishing the Lý dynasty - the very first Vietnamese dynasty to endure for more than two centuries, ruling for a total of 216 years and experiencing periods of both prosperity and crisis.

The first achievement of his reign was the relocation of the capital from Hoa Lư to Đại La which was later renamed Thăng Long. This event marked the beginning of more than 1000 years of Hà Nội's history as the capital. During his reign, Đại Cồ Việt witnessed numerous achievements in economic and agricultural development, administrative and territorial reforms, tax reform, and the promotion of Buddhism. In addition, his reign successfully suppressed all domestic uprisings, achieved victories in wars against Champa and Dali, thereby secured widespread popular loyalty. Neighboring states such as Champa and Chenla paid tribute, while the Song Empire refrained from exerting pressure and instead maintained peaceful relations with Đại Cồ Việt. His 18-year rule built a strong foundation for the Lý dynasty. In recognition of his great contributions to history, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam officially designated him as one of the 14 Vietnamese national heroes.