Lê Văn Thịnh
Encyclopedia
Lê Văn Thịnh (died 1096) 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 due to his achievements, especially in the negotiation with the Song Dynasty
about the return of occupied land by the Song army to Đại Việt in 1086. At the pinnacle his career, Lê Văn Thịnh was charged with high treason
in 1096 and was banished to the mountainous area. Nevertheless, the court case of Lê Văn Thịnh was considered by many to be a mistrial; Lê Văn Thịnh is still worshipped by people in several villages of Vietnam
. Today the fact about the 1096 event is still a matter of debate but Lê Văn Thịnh's role in the History of Vietnam
is always appreciated.
, the birth year of Lê Văn Thịnh was unknown, he was born in the Đông Cứu village, Gia Định district (now Gia Bình
, Bắc Ninh
). In the second month of 1075, the emperor Lý Nhân Tông
ordered the organization of the first imperial examination
of the Lý Dynasty
, which was also the first contest based on Confucianist
education in History of Vietnam
. Lê Văn Thịnh who ranked first in the examination and thus became the first first-rank laureate in history of imperial examination in Vietnam; therefore, he was sometimes dubbed "Tiến sĩ khai khoa" (The first doctorate) or "Trạng nguyên đầu tiên" (The first exemplar of the state) of Vietnam. Lê Văn Thịnh's success came from his laboriousness in learning Confucian classics
while others often relied on Buddhist
knowledge. After the examination, Lê Văn Thịnh was appointed to the position of tutor for the young emperor.
In the sixth month of 1086, the deputy military minister (Thị lang bộ Binh) Lê Văn Thịnh took the important mission of negotiating with the Song Dynasty
about the return of a vast area of Đại Việt land which had been occupied by the Song Dynasty after the 1075 war between two countries. Because of Lê Văn Thịnh's diplomatic skill, the Song Dynasty finally agreed to give back six districts and three mountainous regions (động) which corresponded to the region of Quảng Nguyên. For this feat, Lê Văn Thịnh was promoted to the position of chancellor of the Lý Dynasty (Thái sư). This was the second-highest position in the royal court and was only behind the emperor. Lê Văn Thịnh was one of the finest examples for a scholar who gained his promotion solely through examination and talent.
recounted the treason case in the third month of 1096 that effectively ended the career of Lê Văn Thịnh:
The chancellor was immediately captured and charged with high treason
while Mục Thận was granted a position of mandarin and an area near Dâm Đàm Lake for fief. In explaining the strange context of the crime, Ngô Sĩ Liên revealed that Lê Văn Thịnh learned the sorcery from his Dali
servant with the purpose of overthrowing Lý Nhân Tông. Although the crime of killing the emperor and usurping the throne was considered the most serious crime in the system of rules of the Lý Dynasty, Lý Nhân Tông, holding a high regard for Lê Văn Thịnh's achievement in the royal court, only banished the former chancellor to the remote region of Thao Giang (now Cẩm Khê, Phú Thọ
) where he died in 1096. The decision of Lý Nhân Tông was criticized by Ngô Sĩ Liên who reasoned that the graciousness of the emperor might spring from his devotion to Buddhism. In Đại Việt sử lược
, an historical book which was compiled before Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and considered the earliest surviving historical source of Đại Việt, this event was recited almost identically as Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư except for the odd element of Lê Văn Thịnh transforming into a tiger. This element was also excluded from the Từ điển bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam, which noted that Lê Văn Thịnh was exiled to Thao Giang because the emperor suspected that his chancellor might have a conspiracy to overthrow him. According to folk legend, Lê Văn Thịnh spent his last days in Đình Tổ village (now Thuận Thành
, Bắc Ninh) where the likely site of his grave still remains.
A modern viewpoint is that the Chancellor morphs into a tiger (Thái sư hóa hổ) story in Ngô Sĩ Liên's work might be derived from the book Việt điện u linh (Compilation of the potent spirits in the Realm of Việt) of Lý Tế Xuyên; this hypothesis can explain the existence of such mythic elements in an official historical record for a dynasty like Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư. Moreover, the story in Việt điện u linh was gathered from the folk story with the main purpose of praising Mục Thận, who was the tutelary deity of Trích Sài village; therefore its accuracy needs to be placed in doubt. During the dynastic time in Vietnam, normally anyone who was tried for treason was killed or forced to commit suicide; therefore the light verdict of Lý Nhân Tông in the case of Lê Văn Thịnh rose a current of beliefs that the chancellor was unjustly judged or wrongly blamed with the crime of treason. The historian Phan Huy Lê, a renowned researcher of History of Vietnam
also expressed his doubt about the real motive of the Lê Văn Thịnh's trial, reckoning that the traditional idea of accusing Lê Văn Thịnh was not really appropriate since the story that Lê Văn Thịnh changed into a tiger to kill the emperor could not happen. A more striking hypothesis proposed that the case of Lê Văn Thịnh was the result of the struggle between supporters of Buddhism led by the Imperial Consort Ỷ Lan
and supporters of Confucianism represented by Lê Văn Thịnh. To repress the influence of Confucianism in the royal court, Ỷ Lan made a plot of slandering the chancellor with the crime of treason. This hypothesis was based on the fact that the Imperial Consort Ỷ Lan was a devotee of Buddhism and had used ruthless methods to eliminate her rival in the royal family, the Empress Consort Thượng Dương. On the other hand, Lê Văn Thịnh was proved to be a loyal official with many achievements and did not have any sign of forming party or hatred towards the emperor before the 1096 event. Also asserting that Lê Văn Thịnh was the victim of a struggle in the royal court, another hypothesis speculated that he was harmed because of his ideas about reforming the royal court and the country. According to this hypothesis, Lê Văn Thịnh's innovative thought made him an obstacle for the conservative side in the royal court and thus he was unjustly treated like the chancellor Wang Anshi
of the Song Dynasty who lived at the same time as Lê Văn Thịnh and also wanted to reform his country.
is also named in honour of Lê Văn Thịnh.
There are two shrines in Thuận Thành and Gia Bình dedicated to Lê Văn Thịnh. In the latter is preserved a strange statue in stone which can be understood as a symbol of Lê Văn Thịnh–the victim of an injustice. The statue describes an animal that is half-snake
, half-dragon
eating its own tail with an utmost painful expression. It was discovered in the early 1990s buried under the soil of Bảo Tháp, a hamlet in Lê Văn Thịnh's native village Đông Cứu. The statue was carved with sophisticated patterns which are unseen-of in the history of Vietnamese art
. With its mystic form and the symbol of Lê Văn Thịnh's fate, the statue was brought into the shrine of Lê Văn Thịnh to co-worship with the former chancellor with the respectful name "Ông Rồng" (His Dragon).
Inspired from the early period of the Lý Dynasy, the writer Tào Mạt created his most famous chèo
play Bài ca giữ nước (The Song of Defending the Country) in which Lê Văn Thịnh became the main villain of the third part with many crimes. The play was highly appreciated for its artistic value but the negative characterization of Lê Văn Thịnh was sometimes challenged for its preciseness.
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...
, the fourth emperor 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...
. Ranking first in the first imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
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 due to his achievements, especially in the negotiation with the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
about the return of occupied land by the Song army to Đại Việt in 1086. At the pinnacle his career, Lê Văn Thịnh was charged with high treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
in 1096 and was banished to the mountainous area. Nevertheless, the court case of Lê Văn Thịnh was considered by many to be a mistrial; Lê Văn Thịnh is still worshipped by people in several villages of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Today the fact about the 1096 event is still a matter of debate but Lê Văn Thịnh's role 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...
is always appreciated.
History
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 birth year of Lê Văn Thịnh was unknown, he was born in the Đông Cứu village, Gia Định district (now Gia Bình
Gia Binh
Gia Bình is a rural district of Bac Ninh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 102,753. The district covers an area of 108 km². The district capital lies at Gia Binh. Gia Binh is well-known for some products with the famous Dai Bai Bronze...
, Bắc Ninh
Bac Ninh
Bắc Ninh is a city in Vietnam and capital of the Bac Ninh province. The city is the cultural, administrative, and commercial center of the province. The city area is 80.82 square km, with a population of 150,331 . In January, 2006, the town of Bac Ninh was upgraded to city...
). In the second month of 1075, the emperor 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...
ordered the organization of the first imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
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...
, which was also the first contest based on Confucianist
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
education 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...
. Lê Văn Thịnh who ranked first in the examination and thus became the first first-rank laureate in history of imperial examination in Vietnam; therefore, he was sometimes dubbed "Tiến sĩ khai khoa" (The first doctorate) or "Trạng nguyên đầu tiên" (The first exemplar of the state) of Vietnam. Lê Văn Thịnh's success came from his laboriousness in learning Confucian classics
Thirteen Classics
The Thirteen Classics is a term for the group of thirteen classics of Confucian tradition that became the basis for the Imperial Examinations during the Song Dynasty and have shaped much of East Asian culture and thought....
while others often relied on Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
knowledge. After the examination, Lê Văn Thịnh was appointed to the position of tutor for the young emperor.
In the sixth month of 1086, the deputy military minister (Thị lang bộ Binh) Lê Văn Thịnh took the important mission of negotiating with the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
about the return of a vast area of Đại Việt land which had been occupied by the Song Dynasty after the 1075 war between two countries. Because of Lê Văn Thịnh's diplomatic skill, the Song Dynasty finally agreed to give back six districts and three mountainous regions (động) which corresponded to the region of Quảng Nguyên. For this feat, Lê Văn Thịnh was promoted to the position of chancellor of the Lý Dynasty (Thái sư). This was the second-highest position in the royal court and was only behind the emperor. Lê Văn Thịnh was one of the finest examples for a scholar who gained his promotion solely through examination and talent.
Treason case
In Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, the historian Ngô Sĩ LiênNgô 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...
recounted the treason case in the third month of 1096 that effectively ended the career of Lê Văn Thịnh:
The chancellor was immediately captured and charged with high treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
while Mục Thận was granted a position of mandarin and an area near Dâm Đàm Lake for fief. In explaining the strange context of the crime, Ngô Sĩ Liên revealed that Lê Văn Thịnh learned the sorcery from his Dali
Kingdom of Dali
Dali or Great Li was a Bai kingdom centred in what is now Yunnan Province of China. Established by Duan Siping in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire. The capital city was at Dali.- History :The Kingdom of...
servant with the purpose of overthrowing Lý Nhân Tông. Although the crime of killing the emperor and usurping the throne was considered the most serious crime in the system of rules of the Lý Dynasty, Lý Nhân Tông, holding a high regard for Lê Văn Thịnh's achievement in the royal court, only banished the former chancellor to the remote region of Thao Giang (now Cẩm Khê, Phú Thọ
Phú Thọ
Phú Thọ is an urban district and town in Phu Tho province, Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 63,333. The district covers an area of 64 km²....
) where he died in 1096. The decision of Lý Nhân Tông was criticized by Ngô Sĩ Liên who reasoned that the graciousness of the emperor might spring from his devotion to Buddhism. In Đại Việt sử lược
Đại Việt sử lược
The Đại Việt sử lược or Việt sử lược is an historical text that was compiled during the Trần Dynasty. The 3-volume book was finished around 1377 and covered the history of Vietnam from the reign of Triệu Đà to the collapse of the Lý Dynasty...
, an historical book which was compiled before Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and considered the earliest surviving historical source of Đại Việt, this event was recited almost identically as Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư except for the odd element of Lê Văn Thịnh transforming into a tiger. This element was also excluded from the Từ điển bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam, which noted that Lê Văn Thịnh was exiled to Thao Giang because the emperor suspected that his chancellor might have a conspiracy to overthrow him. According to folk legend, Lê Văn Thịnh spent his last days in Đình Tổ village (now Thuận Thành
Thuan Thanh
Thuận Thành is a rural district of Bac Ninh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 143,688. The district covers an area of 116 km². The district capital lies at Ho.-References:...
, Bắc Ninh) where the likely site of his grave still remains.
A modern viewpoint is that the Chancellor morphs into a tiger (Thái sư hóa hổ) story in Ngô Sĩ Liên's work might be derived from the book Việt điện u linh (Compilation of the potent spirits in the Realm of Việt) of Lý Tế Xuyên; this hypothesis can explain the existence of such mythic elements in an official historical record for a dynasty like Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư. Moreover, the story in Việt điện u linh was gathered from the folk story with the main purpose of praising Mục Thận, who was the tutelary deity of Trích Sài village; therefore its accuracy needs to be placed in doubt. During the dynastic time in Vietnam, normally anyone who was tried for treason was killed or forced to commit suicide; therefore the light verdict of Lý Nhân Tông in the case of Lê Văn Thịnh rose a current of beliefs that the chancellor was unjustly judged or wrongly blamed with the crime of treason. The historian Phan Huy Lê, a renowned researcher of 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...
also expressed his doubt about the real motive of the Lê Văn Thịnh's trial, reckoning that the traditional idea of accusing Lê Văn Thịnh was not really appropriate since the story that Lê Văn Thịnh changed into a tiger to kill the emperor could not happen. A more striking hypothesis proposed that the case of Lê Văn Thịnh was the result of the struggle between supporters of Buddhism led by the Imperial Consort 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...
and supporters of Confucianism represented by Lê Văn Thịnh. To repress the influence of Confucianism in the royal court, Ỷ Lan made a plot of slandering the chancellor with the crime of treason. This hypothesis was based on the fact that the Imperial Consort Ỷ Lan was a devotee of Buddhism and had used ruthless methods to eliminate her rival in the royal family, the Empress Consort Thượng Dương. On the other hand, Lê Văn Thịnh was proved to be a loyal official with many achievements and did not have any sign of forming party or hatred towards the emperor before the 1096 event. Also asserting that Lê Văn Thịnh was the victim of a struggle in the royal court, another hypothesis speculated that he was harmed because of his ideas about reforming the royal court and the country. According to this hypothesis, Lê Văn Thịnh's innovative thought made him an obstacle for the conservative side in the royal court and thus he was unjustly treated like the chancellor Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi was a Chinese economist, statesman, chancellor and poet of the Song Dynasty who attempted controversial, major socioeconomic reforms...
of the Song Dynasty who lived at the same time as Lê Văn Thịnh and also wanted to reform his country.
Legacy
Because of his clear contributions to the Lý Dynasty and the confusing situation of the treason case, Lê Văn Thịnh is still considered today to be a prominent figure in history of the Lý Dynasty in particular, and of Vietnam in general. He was often cited as the pioneer of the Confucian education and study in Vietnam. Although he was judged as a criminal of the dynasty, Lê Văn Thịnh is always worshipped by the people in his homeland Bắc Ninh where the former chancellor is the tutelary deity of fourteen villages, there he is considered the symbol of knowledge and the fondness for learning. Each year, the people in each of the fourteen villages always hold a traditional festival to commemorate the feats of Lê Văn Thịnh. A street in Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
is also named in honour of Lê Văn Thịnh.
There are two shrines in Thuận Thành and Gia Bình dedicated to Lê Văn Thịnh. In the latter is preserved a strange statue in stone which can be understood as a symbol of Lê Văn Thịnh–the victim of an injustice. The statue describes an animal that is half-snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, half-dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
eating its own tail with an utmost painful expression. It was discovered in the early 1990s buried under the soil of Bảo Tháp, a hamlet in Lê Văn Thịnh's native village Đông Cứu. The statue was carved with sophisticated patterns which are unseen-of in the history of Vietnamese art
Vietnamese art
Vietnamese art is art created in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists, from ancient times to the present.-Introduction:Vietnamese art has a long and rich history, the earliest examples of which date back as far as the Stone Age around 8,000 BCE....
. With its mystic form and the symbol of Lê Văn Thịnh's fate, the statue was brought into the shrine of Lê Văn Thịnh to co-worship with the former chancellor with the respectful name "Ông Rồng" (His Dragon).
Inspired from the early period of the Lý Dynasy, the writer Tào Mạt created his most famous chèo
Chèo
Chèo is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam...
play Bài ca giữ nước (The Song of Defending the Country) in which Lê Văn Thịnh became the main villain of the third part with many crimes. The play was highly appreciated for its artistic value but the negative characterization of Lê Văn Thịnh was sometimes challenged for its preciseness.