kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Early Le dynasty

980 CE – 1009 CE · capital Hoa Lu

The short Vietnamese dynasty of Le Hoan, who repelled a Song Chinese invasion in 981 and sacked the Cham capital the following year.

Origins

In 980, as the Song dynasty prepared to invade Dai Co Viet after the murder of Dinh Tien Hoang, the commander-in-chief Le Hoan took the throne with the backing of the queen mother Duong Van Nga. He ruled as Le Dai Hanh from the old Dinh capital at Hoa Lu.

Rule and society

Le Dai Hanh defeated the Song invasion at Chi Lang and on the Bach Dang river in 981, then restored tributary relations with the Song. In 982 he attacked Champa and sacked its capital at Indrapura. He promoted agriculture with a royal ploughing ceremony, built roads and canals, and relied on Buddhist monks as advisers and envoys.

Decline and legacy

After Le Dai Hanh's death in 1005 his sons fought over the succession. The last ruler, Le Long Dinh, was remembered as cruel, and on his death in 1009 the court official Ly Cong Uan was chosen as king, founding the Ly dynasty, which moved the capital to Thang Long.

Lineage

Dinh dynasty 968 CE – 980 CEEarly Le dynastyLy dynasty 1009 CE – 1225 CE

Connections (1)

Early Le dynasty paid tribute to Song Dynasty980 CE – 1009 CE

More states of Mainland Southeast Asia →

Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Early Le dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/early-le-dynasty
MLA: “Early Le dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/early-le-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Early Le dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/early-le-dynasty.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Early Le dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/early-le-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻