Lý Nam Đế II | |||||
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King of Vạn Xuân | |||||
Reign | 571 - 602 | ||||
Predecessor | Triệu Việt Vương | ||||
Successor | Dynasty collapsed | ||||
Born | ? | ||||
Died | 602 | ||||
Burial | Vinh Tomb, Lam Sơn | ||||
Issue | Lý Nhã Lang | ||||
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House | Early Lý Dynasty | ||||
Father | Lý Nam Đế(Uncle) |
Full name | |
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Lý Phật Tử (李佛子) |
Hậu Lý Nam Đế (, born Lý Phật Tử (), c. 518 – 606) was the last king of the Early Lý dynasty, founded by his cousin Lý Nam Đế. He reigned in Vạn Xuân (present-day north Vietnam) from 571 to 602.
Lý was of Baiyue descent. Lý Phật Tử and Triệu Việt Vương had a peace agreement in place; however, Lý Phật Tử had ambitions to claim to the entire territory of Việt people. Around 570 AD, Lý Phật Tử's army overran Long Biên, a region that belonged to Triệu Việt Vương, and seized it. Triệu Việt Vương was caught by surprise and defeated, he retreated to the river Đại Nha (now in Nam Định Province, northern Vietnam) where he killed himself. Lý Phật Tử then proclaimed himself Lý Nam Đế II and went on to rule Vạn Xuân (Vietnam) as an independent state for the next 32 years.
In 602 AD, the new Sui dynasty emerged as the sole power in a unified China after having defeated the Liang dynasty. The new Sui Emperor Sui Wendi sent a 120,000-man army to invade Vạn Xuân and re-claim dominion over the Viet people. Lý Nam Đế II realized his army would not be strong enough to engage in a major conflict with the Sui invading force. At the same time, Lý Nam Đế II also received enormous pressure from his ruling administration to avoid any confrontation with the emerging Sui Dynasty. In the winter of 602, when the Sui force marched on Vạn Xuân, Lý Nam Đế II controversially decided to abdicate in exchange for peace and political stability in the region.
The Sui dynasty lasted only until 618 AD. It was replaced by the more powerful Tang dynasty. For the next 300 years, China continued to dominate Việt Nam until Ngô Quyền drove out a Southern Han army in 939 AD, and ushered in a long period of independence in Việt Nam history.