Ỷ Lan

Ỷ Lan (chữ Hán: 倚蘭, lit: ''leaning on the orchid'', 1044–1117) or Empress Mother Linh Nhân (Vietnamese: ''Linh Nhân Hoàng thái hậu'', chữ Hán: 靈仁太后) was a Vietnamese concubine and regent who effectively controlled the imperial government of Vietnam for over 40 years.

A concubine of Lý Thánh Tông, the third emperor of the Lý dynasty, she is the mother of Lý Nhân Tông, the fourth emperor. Ỷ Lan twice served as regent, first during the absence of her spouse from 1066 to 1068, and then as co-regent during the reign of her son from 1073 until her death in 1117.

Being of commoner origin, Ỷ Lan was favoured by Lý Thánh Tông because she not only gave birth to his first child but also successfully acted the regency for him during his military campaign in Champa. After the death of the Emperor Lý Thánh Tông, Ỷ Lan conspired with General Lý Thường Kiệt to murder the Empress Mother Thượng Dương and took over the regency, making her a controversial figure in Vietnamese history.

Ỷ Lan is considered one of the most important figures of the early Lý era, being credited with driving the country's economic prosperity and political stability, in addition to her contributions to promoting Buddhism in Vietnam. One of the few women who held significant political power during the dynastic period of Vietnamese history, Ỷ Lan has been worshipped as a goddess while streets in cities across Vietnam have been named after her. Provided by Wikipedia