Trần Thừa
Encyclopedia
Trần Thừa was the head of the Trần clan and a high-ranking mandarin during the reign of Lý Huệ Tông and Lý Chiêu Hoàng
. After the overthrow of the Lý Dynasty
by Trần Thủ Độ, Trần Thừa's second son Trần Cảnh was enthroned as Trần Thái Tông
, the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty. Being the Emperor's father, Trần Thừa was honoured by the title Retired Emperor as Trần Thái Tổ (陳太祖) and thus he became the first retired emperor of the Trần Dynasty and the only one who had not held the throne.
). During the troubled time under the reign of Lý Cao Tông
, the Crown Prince Lý Sảm sought refuge in Trần Lý's family and decided to marry his beautiful daughter Trần Thị Dung
, younger sister of Trần Thừa, in 1209. Afterward, it was the Trần clan who helped Lý Cao Tông and Lý Sảm restored the throne in Thăng Long
; therefore, the Emperor appointed several members of the Trần clan for high positions in the royal court such as Tô Trung Từ, who was the uncle of Trần Thị Dung, or Trần Tự Khánh
, who was Trần Thừa's younger brother. In 1211 the Crown Prince Lý Sảm was enthroned as Lý Huệ Tông after the death of Lý Cao Tông
, and by then Trần clan's position began to rise in the royal court. Trần Tự Khánh was renowned as a skilled general in battle, and he had a significant part in pacifying many revolts in the country, so the Emperor since entrusted him with the role of Regent and his brother Trần Thừa was also nominated for the position of court servant in December 1216. As a result, power in royal court gradually fell into the hands of the Trần clan. After the death of Trần Tự Khánh in 1223, Trần Thừa was appointed for the highest military position in the royal court while his cousin Trần Thủ Độ took charge of the royal guard.
In October 1224, Lý Huệ Tông decided to cede the throne to his daughter, the Princess Chiêu Thánh, now the Empress Regnant Lý Chiêu Hoàng
. Chiêu Hoàng was only six at that time so every important decision in the royal court was made by the Trần clan. Profiting from this circumstance, Trần Thủ Độ arranged a marriage between Chiêu Hoàng and Trần Cảnh, the eight-year-old son of Trần Thừa. With Trần Cảnh being the Empress Regnant's husband, Trần Thủ Độ was finally able to overthrow the Lý Dynasty by making Lý Chiêu Hoàng pass the throne to Trần Cảnh, now Trần Thái Tông
, in 1225. After the coronation of his son, Trần Thừa acted as Regent of the Emperor but it was Trần Thủ Độ who decided both military and civil activities in royal court. In October 1226, Trần Thừa was honoured by the title Retired Emperor as Trần Thái Tổ, the first retired emperor of the Trần Dynasty.
Different than other retired emperors of the Trần Dynasty who usually co-ruled with the reigning emperor, Trần Thái Tổ only held the honorary title of Retired Emperor while grand chancellor Trần Thủ Độ took charge of restoring order in the royal court and put down the tough revolt of Nguyễn Nộn and Đoàn Thượng. Thái Tổ died on January 18 of the Lunar calendar
, 1234 at the age of 51, and was buried in Thọ Lăng with the posthumous name
Khai Vận Lập Cực Hoằng Nhân Ứng Đạo Thuần Chân Chí Đức Thần Vũ Thánh Văn Thùy Dụ Chí Hiếu Hoàng Đế.
Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Lý Chiêu Hoàng was the eighth and last sovereign of the Lý Dynasty from 1224 to 1225 and the only empress regnant in the history of Vietnam. Chosen by the Emperor Lý Huệ Tông as his successor at the age of only six, Lý Chiêu Hoàng ruled the country under the total influence of Trần Thủ Độ and the...
. After the overthrow 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...
by Trần Thủ Độ, Trần Thừa's second son Trần Cảnh was enthroned as Trần Thái Tông
Trần Thái Tông
Trần Thái Tông, born name: Trần Cảnh , July 17, 1218-May 4, 1277) was the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty, seated on the throne for 33 years , being Grand Emperor for 19 years.-Biography:...
, the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty. Being the Emperor's father, Trần Thừa was honoured by the title Retired Emperor as Trần Thái Tổ (陳太祖) and thus he became the first retired emperor of the Trần Dynasty and the only one who had not held the throne.
History
Trần Thừa was born in 1184 as the first son of Trần Lý who made his great fortune by fishing in Lưu Gia village (now Hưng Hà, Thái BìnhThai Binh
Thái Bình is a city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Thai Binh province. It is located 110 km from Hanoi. The city area is 67.7 square km, with a population of 210,000 people . Before the prime minister declared it a city in June of 2004, it was officially a town....
). During the troubled time under the reign of 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 Crown Prince Lý Sảm sought refuge in Trần Lý's family and decided to marry his beautiful daughter Trần Thị Dung
Trần Thị Dung
Mother of the Nation Lady Linh Từ Trần Thị Dung was the last empress and the last empress mother of the Lý Dynasty...
, younger sister of Trần Thừa, in 1209. Afterward, it was the Trần clan who helped Lý Cao Tông and Lý Sảm restored the throne in Thăng Long
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...
; therefore, the Emperor appointed several members of the Trần clan for high positions in the royal court such as Tô Trung Từ, who was the uncle of Trần Thị Dung, or Trần Tự Khánh
Trần Tự Khánh
Marquis Chương Thành Trần Tự Khánh was a general of the Lý Dynasty during the reigns of Lý Cao Tông and Lý Huệ Tông. He was son of Trần Lý, head of the Trần clan, and brother of Trần Thừa and Trần Thị Dung who married to Lý Huệ Tông...
, who was Trần Thừa's younger brother. In 1211 the Crown Prince Lý Sảm was enthroned as Lý Huệ Tông after the death of 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...
, and by then Trần clan's position began to rise in the royal court. Trần Tự Khánh was renowned as a skilled general in battle, and he had a significant part in pacifying many revolts in the country, so the Emperor since entrusted him with the role of Regent and his brother Trần Thừa was also nominated for the position of court servant in December 1216. As a result, power in royal court gradually fell into the hands of the Trần clan. After the death of Trần Tự Khánh in 1223, Trần Thừa was appointed for the highest military position in the royal court while his cousin Trần Thủ Độ took charge of the royal guard.
In October 1224, Lý Huệ Tông decided to cede the throne to his daughter, the Princess Chiêu Thánh, now the Empress Regnant Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Lý Chiêu Hoàng was the eighth and last sovereign of the Lý Dynasty from 1224 to 1225 and the only empress regnant in the history of Vietnam. Chosen by the Emperor Lý Huệ Tông as his successor at the age of only six, Lý Chiêu Hoàng ruled the country under the total influence of Trần Thủ Độ and the...
. Chiêu Hoàng was only six at that time so every important decision in the royal court was made by the Trần clan. Profiting from this circumstance, Trần Thủ Độ arranged a marriage between Chiêu Hoàng and Trần Cảnh, the eight-year-old son of Trần Thừa. With Trần Cảnh being the Empress Regnant's husband, Trần Thủ Độ was finally able to overthrow the Lý Dynasty by making Lý Chiêu Hoàng pass the throne to Trần Cảnh, now Trần Thái Tông
Trần Thái Tông
Trần Thái Tông, born name: Trần Cảnh , July 17, 1218-May 4, 1277) was the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty, seated on the throne for 33 years , being Grand Emperor for 19 years.-Biography:...
, in 1225. After the coronation of his son, Trần Thừa acted as Regent of the Emperor but it was Trần Thủ Độ who decided both military and civil activities in royal court. In October 1226, Trần Thừa was honoured by the title Retired Emperor as Trần Thái Tổ, the first retired emperor of the Trần Dynasty.
Different than other retired emperors of the Trần Dynasty who usually co-ruled with the reigning emperor, Trần Thái Tổ only held the honorary title of Retired Emperor while grand chancellor Trần Thủ Độ took charge of restoring order in the royal court and put down the tough revolt of Nguyễn Nộn and Đoàn Thượng. Thái Tổ died on January 18 of the Lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
, 1234 at the age of 51, and was buried in Thọ Lăng with the posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
Khai Vận Lập Cực Hoằng Nhân Ứng Đạo Thuần Chân Chí Đức Thần Vũ Thánh Văn Thùy Dụ Chí Hiếu Hoàng Đế.
Family
Trần Thái Tổ had one wife whose family name was Lê but given name was unknown. He had four sons and two daughters:- Prince An Sinh Trần LiễuTrần LiễuPrince Yên Sinh Trần Liễu was the elder brother of the Trần Thái Tông, the first emperor of Trần Dynasty. Initially, Trần Liễu was honoured by his younger brother with the title King Hiển but he was downgraded to Prince Yên Sinh after the short-lived revolt in fury of losing his pregnant wife,...
who was father of Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn - Trần Cảnh who became Trần Thái TôngTrần Thái TôngTrần Thái Tông, born name: Trần Cảnh , July 17, 1218-May 4, 1277) was the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty, seated on the throne for 33 years , being Grand Emperor for 19 years.-Biography:...
, the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty - Prince Khâm Thiên Trần Nhật Hiệu
- Prince Hoài Đức Trần Bà Liệt who was son of another wife of Trần Thái Tổ. Bà Liệt was initially forsaken by Thái Tổ and only received the title Prince Hoài Đức in 1232 by an order of Trần Thái Tông.
- Princess Thụy Bà
- Princess Thiên Thành