Lý Nhân Tông (1066 – 1127), whose real name is Lý Càn Đức, was the only son of King Lý Thánh Tông and Lady Ỷ Lan. After his father’s death, Lý Nhân Tông ascended the throne at the age of 6, becoming the 4th king of the Lý dynasty.
In addition, King Lý Nhân Tông also emphasized agricultural production and administrative reforms. Not only that, he strictly prohibited the killing of cattle and actively built dykes to prevent floods, most notably the Cơ Xá dyke, which marked the beginning of dyke construction in Vietnam.
In 1086, he decided to divide the administrative system into 9 levels. After his 55-year reign (1072 – 1127), Lý Nhân Tông was considered one of the most successful rulers in the history of Vietnam, turning Đại Việt into a powerful nation in the region.
Earliest coronation of a queen
Conventionally, whether it is a king or commoner, the matter of establishing a royal family is usually considered at the age of 16. However, for emperors, this is a very important matter. The women chosen for the court must meet many conditions, and the one chosen to be the queen or noble consort must surpass others in virtue and talent.
Little-known fact, Lý Nhân Tông was the earliest emperor to establish a queen in history. In the lunar month of Nhâm Tý (1072), after the death of his father, King Lý Thánh Tông, he was acclaimed emperor at the age of 6. Interestingly, one of the first things Lý Nhân Tông did after ascending the throne was to get married.
The official historical records do not mention the recruitment of beauties into the palace in the year of Nhâm Tý (1072), only the abbreviated Dai Viet Chronicles states that at the end of that year, Lý Nhân Tông “established two queens”.
It’s unclear whether these two girls came from the common folk or were the descendants of the great dignitaries at court. However, in terms of history, Lý Nhân Tông was the emperor who married the earliest and established two queens at once, making him the earliest emperor to establish queens.
11 years on the throne and still no male heir
After 11 years on the throne, Lý Thần Tông passed away, leaving behind only one biological daughter named Diên Bình công chúa. The comprehensive Dai Viet Chronicles recorded that: “In the year 1117, the king issued a decree within the royal family, stating: ‘I have ruled over the people for a long time, but I do not have a male heir. Who will the precious throne of the world be passed on to? Therefore, I will adopt the sons of the Sùng Hiền, Thành Khánh, Thành Quảng, Thành Chiêu, and Thành Hưng families. I will choose the most talented one to be the crown prince.’ At that time, the son of Sùng Hiền, Lý Dương Hoán, was only 2 years old but already showed great intelligence. Nhân Tông loved him very much and appointed him as the Crown Prince.”
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