NGO QUYEN (939 - 944) The end of the Trieu Dynasty in 111 A.D. marked the beginning
of the Chinese thousand years conquest. Although there were many insurrections
and attempts to restore independence during that millennium, all were short-lived.
Finally in 939 A.D., the provincial mandarin Ngo Quyen vanquished the Chinese.
Ngo Quyen is honored as Vietnam's greatest hero for restoring Vietnamese independence,
which despite centuries of turbulence, has continued through today. Ngo Quyen
was born in 899 in Son Tay province. He was the son of a provincial officer and
a native of the western Red River Delta. He was a military general under Duong
Dinh Nghe, and was well known for his martial art and tactical skills, courage,
wisdom and generosity. When Duong Dinh Nghe defeated the Southern Han in 931,
he wedded one of his daughters to Ngo Quyen and gave him command of Ai Province.
In 937, Duong Dinh Nghe was assassinated by one of his generals, Kieu Cong Tien.
After killing the traitor, Ngo Quyen assumed responsibility for the country's
affairs. In 938, aware that the Southern Han, led by Prince Hoang Thao were attacking
through the Bach Dang River, Ngo Quyen devised a battle plan that would use the
tide to their advantage. At low tide, he ordered his men to embed thousands of
iron-tipped stakes along the mouth of the Bach Dang River. When the tide was high
enough to conceal the stakes, Ngo Quyen sent his men out in small boats to lure
the enemy. After a few rounds of battle, they feigned defeat and retreated into
the Bach Dang River. Eager to capture them, the Han followed. As the Han's ships
crossed the thorny bed and the water level begin to recede, Ngo Quyen ordered
his men to turn back. Realizing that they were being trapped, the Han dropped
their pursuit and fled in the opposite direction. By the time they reached the
mouth, the tide was low enough to expose the sharp stakes, which assisted by gravity
(dragging the ships down), broke through the hulls and impaled their ships. Ngo
Quyen's army attacked vigorously, killing thousands of Hans and Prince Hoang Thao.
The Han Emperor was coming to his son's aid when he received news of his son's
demise. He broke down in sorrow and instructed his army return to China. With
Vietnamese independence restored in 939 A.D., Ngo Quyen crowned himself Emperor.
He set up the Ngo Dynasty and established the Capital at Co Loa. After ruling
for five years, he passed away on January 18, 944, at the age of 45. [ Home |
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