Dương Vân Nga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dương Thị Ngọc Vân楊氏玉雲 |
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| Empress Đại Thắng Minh | |||||
Statue of Dương Vân Nga in the Temple of Lê Đại Hành
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| Empress Dowager of Đinh Dynasty | |||||
| Reign | 979–980 | ||||
| Predecessor | none | ||||
| Successor | none | ||||
| Empress of Early Lê Dynasty | |||||
| Reign | 981–1000 | ||||
| Predecessor | none | ||||
| Born | ? Annam |
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| Died | 1000 Hoa Lư, Annam |
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| Spouse | Đinh Tiên Hoàng (?–979) Lê Đại Hành (980–1000) |
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| Issue | Đinh Phế Đế (with Đinh Tiên Hoàng) Lê Thị Phất Ngân (with Lê Đại Hành) |
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| House | Đinh Dynasty Early Lê Dynasty |
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| Father | Dương Thế Hiển or Dương Tam Kha | ||||
Dương Thị Ngọc Vân (楊氏玉雲, ?–1000), also known as Vân Nga, was a very important woman in the early history of Vietnam. She was the only empress dowager of the Đinh Dynasty. Later, she became the empress of Lê Đại Hành, who was the first emperor of the Early Lê Dynasty.
When her first husband, Đinh Tiên Hoàng, was sadly assassinated in 979, Dương Vân Nga became the Empress Dowager. This happened because her young son, Đinh Phế Đế, became the new emperor. During her son's short rule, Dương Vân Nga and a brave general named Lê Hoàn helped govern the country. They were like temporary rulers for the 6-year-old emperor.
Later, Dương Vân Nga and General Phạm Cự Lượng made a big decision. They decided to give the throne to Lê Hoàn in 980. This was done so that Đại Cồ Việt (the name of Vietnam back then) would have a strong leader. This leader was needed to fight off an invasion from the powerful Song Dynasty. After this, Lê Hoàn made Dương Vân Nga his empress. This made her the first woman in history of Vietnam to be married to two different emperors.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and First Marriage
Dương Vân Nga's early life is not fully clear. Some stories say she was the daughter of a warlord's helper. She might have come from the Ái province, which is now Thanh Hóa, Vietnam. Other stories suggest she was from the same town, Hoa Lư, as Đinh Tiên Hoàng.
She became one of Đinh Tiên Hoàng's wives. In 974, she gave birth to his youngest son, Đinh Toàn.
Empress Dowager of the Đinh Dynasty
Towards the end of 979, a sad event happened. Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng and his eldest son, Đinh Liễn, were assassinated. Because of this, the 6-year-old prince Đinh Toàn became the new emperor. He was then known as Đinh Phế Đế.
His mother, Dương Vân Nga, became the Empress Dowager. She took charge of ruling the country with General Lê Hoàn. Lê Hoàn was given a very important position as viceroy of the Đinh Dynasty.
A Time of Challenge and Change
The rule of young Emperor Đinh Phế Đế was very difficult. There were rebellions inside the country. Important officials like Đinh Điền and Nguyễn Bặc started revolts. At the same time, the country faced threats from outside. Ngô Nhật Khánh, who was Đinh Tiên Hoàng's son-in-law, attacked from the south. He had help from the kingdom of Champa.
Lê Hoàn quickly stopped the rebellions inside the country. But in the north, the powerful Song Dynasty began to invade Đại Cồ Việt. They saw that Vietnam was in a difficult situation after the emperor's death.
To deal with these big problems, a major decision was made. Empress Dowager Dương Vân Nga and General Phạm Cự Lượng agreed. Most of the officials in the royal court also agreed. They decided to make Lê Hoàn the new emperor. This way, the country would have a strong and capable leader. This decision led to the start of the Early Lê Dynasty. It replaced the Đinh Dynasty.
Empress of the Early Lê Dynasty
After becoming emperor, Lê Hoàn successfully drove out the Song Dynasty invasion in 981. This was a great victory for Đại Cồ Việt.
After his victory, Lê Hoàn gave Dương Vân Nga a new title. She became the empress of the Early Lê Dynasty. Her new name was Empress Đại Thắng Minh. This means "Bright Empress of Great Victory" in Vietnamese. With this second marriage, Dương Vân Nga made history. She became the first woman in history of Vietnam to be married to two different emperors.
Dương Vân Nga passed away in the year 1000. This was during the seventh year of Lê Đại Hành's rule.
Legacy
Today, Dương Vân Nga is still honored in Vietnam. She is worshipped in the Temple of Lê Đại Hành in Hoa Lư. This temple is right next to the tomb of her first husband, Đinh Tiên Hoàng.
Dương Vân Nga lived through a very important and difficult time in Vietnamese history. She was involved in many major events. Because of her important role, her life has been featured in many plays. These include traditional Vietnamese plays like chèo and cải lương. There is also a novel about her called Hoàng hậu hai triều Dương Vân Nga. This means Dương Vân Nga, Empress of Two Dynasties.
Dương Vân Nga and Lê Đại Hành had one known daughter. Her name was Princess Lê Thị Phất Ngân. She married a man named Lý Công Uẩn. He later became Emperor Lý Thái Tổ. Their son, in turn, became Emperor Lý Thái Tông. This shows how Dương Vân Nga's family continued to be important in Vietnamese history.
