Previously, since the rule of Đinh Tiên Hoàng, the country had been referred to officially as "Đại Cồ Việt" ; in the name of Gautama Buddha. The term "Việt" is cognate with the Chinese word "Yue", a name applied in ancient times to various non-Chinese groups who lived in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam ; so it means "Great Buddhist Viet".
Unification of Vietnam
Đinh Tiên Hoàng
Đinh Bộ Lĩnh's father was Đinh Công Trứ, a general under the reigns of Ngô Quyền and Ngô Xương Văn. Đinh Công Trứ died while Bộ Lĩnh was still very young. His mother then took him back to her village to live with her family. There Đinh Bộ Lĩnh attended the village school and in his free time rode atop water buffaloes and played games with other children. When he reached adulthood he joined Trần Minh Công, one of the Twelve Warlords, who made him a general due to his skills and talents. One by one, Đinh Bộ Lĩnh defeated or subdued the other 11 lords. His multitude victories over other lords earned him the title Vạn Thắng Vương, which means "King of Ten Thousand Victories." After unifying the country in 968 and bringing peace back to the land, he proclaimed himself Đinh Tiên Hoàng Đế. He renamed the country "Đại Cồ Việt." Worried that his country was still weak, he sought to strengthen the government by appointing military men to important positions. Among his top generals were Nguyễn Bạc, his oldest son Đinh Liễn, Lê Hoàn, etc. The latter became a major figure for the Đinh Dynasty succession and the rise of the Anterior Lê Dynasty. The end of Đinh Tien Hoàng's reign was marked by the following successive events.
He removed his oldest son Đinh Liễn from the throne as he had decided to have his second son, Đinh Hang Lăng, succeed him. His infant son, Đinh Tuệ, would be next in line.
One night in 980, as Đinh Tiên Hoàng and his son Đinh Liễn were having a party, a mandarin official sneaked into the palace and killed both father and son. Thus fate decreed that the infant son Đinh Tuệ would inherit the kingdom.
Appalled by this new threat, the Dowager Empress Dương Vân Nga threw her support to Lê Hoàn who was now commander-in-chief of the army. To confront the Song army who had already arrived at the border, the Empress Dowager agreed to recognize Lê Hoàn and let him step up to the throne as a new king. With the crowning of Lê Hoàn, the Anterior Lê Dynasty was founded. As Lê Hoàn was being crowned Emperor, the Song army approached the boundary of the two countries.
Relationship with China
From 970 to 975, Đinh Bộ Lĩnh established the tributary status of Đại Việt with the Song dynasty to gain Chinese recognition of the independence of Đại Việt. The tributary relationship would last until the French protectorate was established in 1883.
