Hiển Khánh Vương

Hiển Khánh Vương ( "Duke of Hiển Khánh") was the father of Lý Thái Tổ. Very little is known about him, as not much was recorded about him historically; even his real name remains unknown and controversial.

Vietnamese sources The paternal lineage of Lý Thái Tổ was not prominently recorded in Vietnamese official history. The Vietnamese annuals Việt sử lược and Đại Việt sử ký tiền biên only record Công Uẩn's mother as having the surname Phạm, and do not mention his father, suggesting that he was a fatherless child. Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư and Khâm định Việt sử Thông giám cương mục record that when Công Uẩn's mother went sightseeing at Tiêu Sơn temple, she copulated with a demigod or a Taoist immortal, and later gave birth to Công Uẩn. Researcher Trần Viết Điền argued that the conclusion that Lý Công Uẩn was the son of a demigod satisfied the expectation of people throughout the realm at the time to be ruled by the Son of Heaven, his view is supported by many people; while historian professor Hoàng Xuân Hãn argued that this conclusion was intended to cover up the emperor's unfavorable origins. Furthermore, Đại Việt sử ký tiền biên quotes another record stating that Lý Công Uẩn's mother became pregnant after being touched by an old monk at Ứng Thiên pagoda: "According to folklore, when the king's mother was 20 year old, she was poor and unmarried. She worked as a cook and steamed sticky rice every night for an old monk at Ứng Thiên pagoda. One night, she overslept when the stove went out. The monk accidentally touched her which woke her up and made her feel uneasy. She later became pregnant and was expelled by the monk. She then went to another pagoda and gave birth to the king."

Although historical sources differ about the origin of Công Uẩn's father, Hiển Khánh Vương, they all record that at the age of 3, Mrs. Phạm brought Công Uẩn to Cổ Pháp Pagoda, where he was raised by Lý Khánh Văn (李慶文). Khánh Văn, the head monk of the pagoda, adopted him and named him Lý Công Uẩn.

During the Nguyễn dynasty, Nam Hải dị nhân of Phan Kế Bính records a folklore stating that Lý Công Uẩn's father died after falling into a well, and that his tomb was later built up by termites. However, this story appears to be a distorted version of a folklore that originated during the Later Lê dynasty. There is also a folk hypothesis that Lý Công Uẩn is Patriarch Vạn Hạnh's son, however that hypothesis is dismissed by historians who argue that the Buddhist in Vạn Hạnh's hometown Siêu Loại – Cổ Pháp would not have paid homage to a violated monastic precepts monk like this. Until 1018, he posthumously granted his grandmother the title Empress. Based on these two records, Ngô Thì Sĩ concluded that the grandmother who received the posthumous title was Công Uẩn's maternal grandmother (the mother of Mrs Phạm), not his paternal grandmother. This suggests that Lý Công Uẩn had no known paternal relatives. From this, Hiển Khánh vương may have been a nonexistent figure, or he may have been Lý Khánh Văn; however both hypotheses go against the feudal moral codes. Cương mục also leaves open the possibility that Hiển Khánh vương was Lý Khánh Văn, but it does not reach a conclusion. Cương mục also raises question of why, although Lý Thái Tổ granted titles for his brothers and uncle, historians during that time didn't record his father's full name. It also questions whether Hiển Khánh Vương was Thái Tổ's biological father, stepfather or godfather.

In Đại Việt sử ký, Lê Văn Hưu criticized the fact that Lý Thái Tổ posthumously honored his father only with the title of prince, rather than an imperial title. This is quoted in Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư: "The Zhou when founding the empire posthumously granted the titles of Great King (太王) and Prince Ji (王季) for Gugong Danfu and Jili. Likewise, after ascending the throne, emperor Taizu of Song when became emperor posthumously granted the titles of Emperor Xizu of Song (宋僖祖) and Emperor Yizu (翼祖) for his great-grandfather Zhao Tiao and his father Zhao Hongyin, reflecting the idea that fathers are honored because of their sons’ achievements. In contrast, after ascending the throne, our emperor Lý Thái Tổ posthumously granted his father only the title Duke of Hiển Khánh. His mandarins don't even correct him on that. Such an act reflected an inferiority complex."

Based on several historical records related to the locality of Hiển Khánh (located between the Đáy river and the Red river in Vụ Bản district, present day Nam Định), as well as accounts in Đại Nam nhất thống chí regarding the Temple of Lý Nhân Tông (built upon the Ứng Phong temporary royal palace) in Hiển Khánh, associate professor Nguyễn Hải Kế leaves open the possibility that Hiển Khánh may have been either the hometown or the workplace of Lý Công Uẩn's father, or even of Lý Công Uẩn himself, before he entered military service under the Hoa Lư royal court. Regarding Lý Công Uẩn's birthplace, essayist Trần Siêu concluded that the emperor didn't want to reveal his exact birthplace in Cổ Pháp district, so he renamed Cổ Pháp into Thiên Đức Prefecture. According to his analysis, when Lý Khuê was defeated by Đinh Bộ Lĩnh and his children had to go into hiding to avoid capture from the Đinh - Lê royal court, Patriarch Vạn Hạnh helped a son of Lý Khuê marry Mrs Phạm to give birth to Lý Công Uẩn. That son of Lý Khuê is Hiển Khánh Vương.

Chinese sources Many Chinese historical records state that Lý Thái Tổ was of Min ancestry, which originated in present-day Fujian. Those records include: Sushui Jiwen of Sima Guang (Northern Song), Dream Pool Essays of Shen Kuo (Northern Song), Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian of Li Tao (Sourthen Song), Trịnh Thiều Châu kỷ lược phụ lục of Trịnh Tủng (the late Song and early Yuan), Wenxian Tongkao of Ma Duanlin (Yuan), Trịnh Khai Dương tạp trứ of Trịnh Nhược Tăng (Ming), Dushi Fangyu Jiyao of Gu Zuyu (Qing), Miscellaneous Records of Tây Sơn (西山雜志) of Cài Yǒngjiān (蔡永蒹, Qing). Some modern researchers agree with that statement. In the article “Documents on the Ancestral Origin of Lý Công Uẩn”, researcher Nguyễn Phúc Anh argues that the sources claiming Lý Công Uẩn was of Min ancestry are consistent, in contrast to the inconsistent information found in historical records asserting that Lý Công Uẩn was a native of Jiaozhou (including both Chinese and Vietnamese historical sources). However, Nguyễn Phúc Anh also discovered that all the previously mentioned Chinese historical sources were based on the letter sent by Xu Boxiang (徐伯祥) to emperor Lý Nhân Tông, which was regarded as a justification for the conquest of the Song's Qinzhou, Lianzhou, and Yongzhou. This letter was reported to Sima Guang by Guo Kui (郭逵). A quote from that letter: "Your predecessor was from Min. I heard that many senior mandarins in Jiaozhou are also from Min."

In the research work Lý Thường Kiệt - Lịch sử ngoại giao và tông giáo triều Lý (Lý Thường Kiệt – Diplomatic and Religious History of the Lý Dynasty), professor Hoàng Xuân Hãn argued that the Lý clan may have had Min ancestry, suggesting that they possibly took refuge in Jiaozhou when the Song conquered Min at the end of the Five Dynasties period. Since the letter of Xu Boxiang mentioned many people bearing the Lý surname, including numerous mandarins, relocated in the Jiaozhou during the Northern domination period, Nguyễn Hải Kế argued that this letter should be regarded only as a suggestion, rather than direct evidence for the Min ancestry of the Lý clan. In the article “Documents on the Ancestral Origin of Lý Công Uẩn”, researcher Nguyễn Phúc Anh also discusses the hypothesis that Lý Công Uẩn's father was originally from Min. He argues that when Song annexed Min in 971, only a few years before Công Uẩn's birth in 974, the Lý clan had already taken refuge in Jiaozhou. Later, when ascending to the throne, as not wanting everyone to know his ancestor was from the Min, and also hoping to strengthen popular support, Lý Công Uẩn made up the story that he was a son of a demigod.

There are 2 Chinese historical sources stated that Lý Công Uẩn originated from Jiaozi, which is consistent with the Vietnamese ones. The first is An Nam Chí Lược of Lê Tắc, the Trần dynasty-born Yuan historian, stated that "Some people said that he [Lý Công Uẩn] is of Fujian origin; this is incorrect." Thus, Lê Tắc confirms that Lý Công Uẩn was of Jiaozi origin, but provides no further explanation. Summary of the Record of An Nam by Gāo Xióngzhēng (高熊徵), a historian who lived during the transition from the late Ming to the early Qing dynasty, records material found in the Đại Việt Sử ký toàn thư, stated that Lý Công Uẩn was from Cổ Pháp, Bắc Giang. Some researchers argue that Lý Công Uẩn was the descendant of Prince Gong of Cao Li Ming, son of Emperor Taizong and Cháo Là Wángfēi Yáng Shì (巢剌王妃楊氏) of the Yang clan of Hongnong.

Chinese-Vietnamese historian Li Taishan (李泰山) discovered a record in the genealogy of the Li clan of Anhai which showed that the father of Lý Công Uẩn was Li Chun'an (, Vietnamese: Lý Thuần An, 9 October 921 – 29 November 999). Historical sources disagree on whether Li Chun'an's wife Phạm Thị Ngà gave birth to Lý Công Uẩn in Fujian or Jiaozhi. which was then controlled by the warlord Liu Congxiao (but nominally under the control of the Southern Tang dynasty).

He resettled in the Li Family village in Anhai, Quanzhou and became a Water mid Land Transport Commissioner (水陸轉運使) at some point. Some time later, he deserted his official post to escape from an unspecified danger, and traveled by South China Sea to Jiaozhi (now Vietnam), Champa and Khmer Empire for business, spending the most time in Jiaozhi. He fathered several children, including Lý Công Uẩn who would later become the founding emperor of the Lý dynasty.

Family Consort: Phạm Thị (Empress Dowager Minh Đức) Issues: Vũ Uy Vương, Lý Công Uẩn, Dực Thánh Vương