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Lý Thường Kiệt

1019–1105 · Famed general of the Lý dynasty · Thăng Long

Famed general of the Lý dynasty who invaded Song China's Yong Prefecture and resisted the Song army at the Nhu Nguyet River.

Life

Granted the surname Ly

Lý Thường Kiệt was originally surnamed Ngô; for his merits he was granted the royal surname Lý. He served three generations of Lý dynasty monarchs and held the post of grand commandant. In 1069 he joined Lý Thánh Tông's southern campaign against Champa and captured the king of Champa.

Song–Viet War of the Xining era

In 1075, while Wang Anshi was carrying out his New Policies in the Song dynasty, the Song army was preparing for war on the border. Lý Thường Kiệt struck first, leading troops into the Song prefectures of Qin and Lian, and after besieging Yong Prefecture for more than 40 days took the city, inflicting heavy casualties on its soldiers and civilians. In 1076 the Song sent Guo Kui and Zhao Xie to lead a counterattack; the two sides reached a stalemate around the Nhu Nguyet River, the Song army withdrew because of an epidemic, and peace was made the following year.

Nhu Nguyet River

Vietnamese tradition holds that the poem "Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country" was written by him; it proclaims that "the mountains and rivers of the Southern Country are where the Southern Emperor dwells." In his later years he campaigned south again, and he died in 1105.

Legacy

In Vietnam, Lý Thường Kiệt is regarded as a national hero, while Chinese historical records note the heavy losses caused by his capture of Yongzhou; the two countries' accounts of this history differ greatly.

Major works & achievements

Did you know? "Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country" is often called Vietnam's "first declaration of independence," but its authorship and date are still debated by scholars.

Key dates

See the world in 1076 on the map →

Contemporaries

Battles during their lifetime