Ly Dynasty, Early (Van Xuan)

The sixth century is an important stage in the Vietnamese political evolution toward independence.

During this period, the Vietnamese aristocracy becomes increasingly independent of Chinese authority, while retaining Chinese political and cultural forms.

At the same time, indigenous leaders arise who claim power based on Vietnamese traditions of kingship.

A series of failed revolts in the late sixth and early seventh centuries increases the Vietnamese national consciousness.

Ly Bi, the leader of a successful revolt in 543 against the Liang dynasty (502-556), is himself descended from a Chinese family that had fled to the Red River Delta during a period of dynastic turbulence in the first century CE.

Ly Bi declares himself emperor of Nam Viet in the tradition of Trieu Da and organizes an imperial court at Long Bien (vicinity of Hanoi).

Ly Bi is killed in 547, but his followers keep the revolt alive for another fifty years, establishing what is sometimes referred to in Vietnamese history as the Earlier Ly dynasty.

While the Ly family retreats to the mountains and attempts to rule in the style of their Chinese overlords, a rebel leader who bases his rule on an indigenous form of kingship arises in the Red River Delta.

Trieu Quang Phuc makes his headquarters on an island in a vast swamp.

From this refuge, he can strike without warning, seizing supplies from the Liang army and then slipping back into the labyrinthine channels of the swamp.

Despite the initial success of such guerrilla tactics, by which he gains control over the Red River Delta, Trieu Quang Phuc is defeated by 570.

According to a much later Vietnamese revolutionary, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnamese concepts of protracted warfare were born in the surprise offensives, night attacks, and hit-and-run tactics employed by Trieu Quang Phuc.

Several revolts against Chinese rule in the period between the beginning of the Six Dynasties to the end of the Tang Dynasty take place in the region of present Vietnam, such as those of Ly Bon and his general and heir Trieu Quang Phuc; and those of Mai Thúc Loan and Phùng Hung.

All of them ultimately fail, yet most notable are Ly Bon and Trieu Quang Phuc, whose Anterior Ly Dynasty will rule for almost half a century, from 544 to 602, before the Chinese Sui Dynasty reconquers their kingdom, Van Xuan.

The Six Dynasties is a collective term for six Chinese dynasties in China during the periods of the Three Kingdoms, Jin dynasty, and Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Ly Bi, declared emperor in February 544, establishes the empire Van Xuân ("10,000 Springtimes") in Long Bien (modern-day Hanoi), surrounding himself with effective leadership in military and administrative scholars.

His armies repel attacks from the kingdom of Champa.

In October, the Liang Dynasty retaliates against Van Xuân and sends an imperial army (one hundred and twenty thousand men) under Chen Baxian to reoccupy the region.

Chen has marched his army into Vạn Xuân territory by spring of 545 and laid siege and devastation to many cities.

His initial invasion had been stalled by Ly imperial forces for months.

However, in the winter of 545, Chen lays a surprise attack on the capital during the monsoon season.

Ly Nam De's forces are caught off guard and the imperial administration is forced to abandon Long Biên and flee westward into the region of present-day Laos, where communities along the Mekong River have begun to form into townships called muang.

Ly Nam De, killed by Laotian tribesmen while on retreat from the Hong River Plain in 548, is succeeded by his elder brother Ly Thien Bao.

A military conflict in 602 between the Chinese Sui dynasty and Vietnamese Ly dynasty ends in a decisive Sui victory, the surrender of the Ly to the Sui, and the annexation of Van Xuan by the Sui.

Emperor Wen reduces taxes due to an overflowing abundance of food and silk in the governmental stores.

He sends messengers around central China, redistributing land to give the poor farming land.

He also sends expeditions against the expanding Turks on the Central Asian steppe and exacts tribute from states as far east as Korea and as far south as Annam.

From 594, Emperor Wen repairs and expands sections of the Great Wall in the northwest, which is undertaken by using forced labor.

During the years of construction and reconstruction, thousands of civilians will die in the effort.

The Chinese court had been summoned Ly Phat Tu in 601.

Having delayed his attendance.

he eventually rebels in 602, even though he had recognized Sui authority in 595.

He concentrates his military forces at the Ly capital Co Loa and at Long Bien.

General Liu Fang leads his Sui army in the invasion of Ly, departing via Yunnan to the Ly territory.

However, the Ly armies are unprepared to fend them off, because they had not expected that the Sui army would take this invasion route.

In the end, Ly Phat Tu surrenders to the Sui forces.

Consequently, the Chinese take him captive and transfer him to the Sui capital, Chang'an.

Liu Fang's army also forces the submission of or defeats the remaining local clans.

The conquered territory is incorporated under Chinese rule.