Hồ Quý Ly (,ồQuý born 1336) ruled Đại Ngu (Vietnam) from 1400 to 1401 as the founding emperor of the short-lived Hồ dynasty. Quý Ly rose from a post as an official served the court of the ruling Trần dynasty and a military general fought against the Cham forces during the Cham–Vietnamese War (1367–1390). After his military defeat in the Ming Conquest of Dai Ngu (1406–1407), he and his son were captured as prisoners and were exiled to China, while the Dai Viet Empire became the thirteenth province of Ming Empire.
Biography
Early career
Hồ Quý Ly was born in 1336 at Đại Lại village, Vĩnh Ninh district, Ái Châu, Thanh Đô town with aristocracy's standing. His birth name was Lê Quý Ly (黎季犛), courtesy name Lý Nguyên (理元) or Nhất Nguyên (一元), as he was adopted by Lê Huan, after whom he took the family name. Descended from a Chinese family named Hu who had migrated from Zhejiang (China) to Dien Chau (modern-day Thanh Hóa) in the tenth century, he adopted the Vietnamese surname Lê to appeal to the local elite. Two of Quý Ly's paternal aunts first came to the court of king Tran Nghe Tong (r. 1370–1372) and were honored in 1371 and 1372, thus enabled Ho Quy Ly's rise to power. In 1371, he got married with a princess of king Tran Minh Tong after finishing a commission of the king.
Rise to power
At the time, power in Dai Viet remained in the hands of the royal family and the aristocracy. In 1375, through beneficial royal contacts, Quý Ly received a high military rank. In June 1376, Che Bong Nga of Champa launched an offensive into Hoa Chau. King Tran Due Tong (r. 1373–1377) called the army for a counterattack. Quý Ly was responsible for transporting supplies and army from Nghe An, Tan Binh and Thuan Hoa, while general Do Tu Binh commanded the army. The campaign became disastrous in January 1377 as king Due Tong was killed in battle and prince Tran Huc was captured; only Do Tu Binh and Le Quý Ly were able to flee. Le Quý Ly disappeared from politics for two years. Following the victory in Vijaya, Che Bong Nga's army rapidly advanced into the Red River Delta and sacked Hanoi, gaining control of vast territories including Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.
In 1380, Quý Ly joined Do Tu Binh in fending off a Cham attack in Thanh Hoa. In 1382, Che Bong Nga launched another northward assault into Thanh Hoa by both land and sea. A local general named Nguyen Da Phuong, put aside Quý Ly's orders and left his position to attack, inflicting a series of defeats on the Cham forces and forcing them to withdraw back to the south. In early 1383, a large fleet of Quý Ly was cancelled due to a storm. In summer, Che Bong Nga launched a new offensive through the mountains in Eastern Laos, bypassing Quý Ly's position, and attacked Son Tay from the west. King Nghe Tong ordered troops to stop the Cham advances, but they were routed and a Vietnamese commander was captured. The king once again fled north across the Red River while Cham troops sacked Hanoi, occupying it for six months before their departure.
As a chief minister
In March 1387 Nghe Tong returned to the capital and Quý Ly was appointed chief minister. By September, anti-Quy Ly faction began emerging in the court. Le A Phu, an official, had warned Prince Ngac about Quý Ly and secretly sent an offer to Tran Phe De (r. 1377–1388) seeking Quý Ly's death. However the conspiracy was leaked. With advice from Pham Cu Luan, Quý Ly came to the old king Nghe Tong, urged to purge the young king Phe De and place Prince Ngung on the throne. In 1388, Tran Phe De was dethroned and executed, along with Le A Phu and other supporters. Prince Ngu was crowned as Tran Thuan Tong (r. 1389–1398). Quý Ly promptly married his eldest daughter to Thuan Tong while continued placing his own men to the government.
In mid-1389, chaos and revolts against Quý Ly occurred in Thanh Hoa. Take advantage, Che Bong Nga launched a new attack on Thanh Hoa. Quý Ly led an army to against them but was badly defeated. Quý Ly asked Nghe Tong for royal warships, but he preferred to keep them in defense of the capital. In late 1389, a Buddhist monk from Son Tay led a revolt the court, attacked the capital and forced two monarchs Nghe Tong and Thuan Tong to flee to Bac Ninh. As the same time, troops were rallied to put down the rebellion while the Cham forces remained themselves in southern Delta. In February 1390, the Vietnamese inflicted a heavy defeat on the Chams that ended the war. The great Cham king was killed and his general La Ngai fled to the south, proclaimed as Jaya Simhavarman VI.