State Administration Structure under the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225)

Abstract

Ly Dai Viet was a centralized bureaucratic monarch, prossessing an administrative system which was unified from the local to the central level and headed by the king.

1. The administrative structure under the Ly Dynasty was much more complete and sophisticated than that under the Dinh and Former Le Dynasties, consisting of three major sectors: departments of papers serving the king and the royal court, central offices located inside the royal citadel, and specialized departments.

2. The administrative structure of the local level under the Ly Dynasty was organized systematically as follow: prefecture (phủ, lộ) in the lowland and mountain district (châu, trại) in the upland. The sub-level administration included district (huyện), village (hương), hamlet (thôn) in the countryside and wards in the capital. As for the mandarinate, prefecture (phủ) was governed by tri phủ or phán phủ, mountain district (châu) was governed by either huyện lệnh, quản giáp or chủ đô.

Such a complete administration enabled the Ly Dynasty to govern and develop a stable economy and army, which contributed greatly to Dai Viet's victories over the foreign invaders.