kingdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Ho dynasty

1400 CE – 1407 CE · capital Tay Do

A seven-year Vietnamese dynasty of radical reformer Ho Quy Ly, who issued paper money and built a stone citadel before the Ming conquest.

Origins

Ho Quy Ly, a powerful minister related by marriage to the Tran dynasty, dominated the court in the 1390s, moved the capital to a new stone citadel at Tay Do in Thanh Hoa and in 1400 deposed the last Tran emperor. He renamed the state Dai Ngu and soon passed the throne to his son Ho Han Thuong.

Rule and society

Ho Quy Ly pursued sweeping reforms: he limited private landholdings and the number of slaves, introduced paper money, reformed the examinations to favour practical learning, and promoted chu nom. The Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, built of huge cut stone blocks, is a World Heritage Site. His usurpation alienated many Tran loyalists.

Decline and legacy

Using the overthrow of the Tran as a pretext, the Yongle Emperor sent a Ming army in 1406. Dai Ngu collapsed within a year; Ho Quy Ly and his son were captured in 1407 and taken to China, and Vietnam became Jiaozhi Province.

Lineage

Tran dynasty 1225 CE – 1400 CEHo dynastyJiaozhi Province (Ming) 1407 CE – 1427 CE

Connections (1)

Ho dynasty was conquered by Ming Empire1407 CE

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Cite this page

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻