Lý Do Độc

Lý Do Độc (chữ Hán: 李由獨; ? – ?), known in Chinese as Li Youdu (Wade–Giles: Li Yu-tu) was a chieftain of a tribe called Taohua and a rebel leader in Phong around mid-9th century, during the Third Chinese domination of Vietnam. Phong (modern-day Phú Thọ Province) back then was the boundary area between Tang empire's Annan Protectorate and the kingdom of Nanzhao in modern-day Yunnan. Lý Do Độc himself commanding a local army of 6,000 and was assisted by seven "Lords of the Ravines."^[1]

The Annan governor, Li Zhuo (r. 853–857) refused to entrust Lý Do Độc, unfortunately pushed Lý Do Độc into closer ties with Nanzhao, the contemporary enemy of the Tang.^[2] In 857, Lý Do Độc and his "Lords of the Ravines" submitted to Nanzhao.^[1] King Meng Shilong of Nanzhao sent a military commander to deliver a letter to Do Độc soliciting his submission. Lý Do Độc and the Lords of the Ravine accepted the offer of vassalage by the Nanzhao king.^[1] The Yunnanese commander married his niece or daughter off to Lý Do Độc's younger son, and this young man in return became a junior official of the Nanzhao court.^[2][3]

Lý Do Độc and other disaffected mountain tribes openly sided with Nanzhao, formed a "suicide squad in white clothes" (baiyi mengmin yun) and teamed up with the Yunnanese forces, joined with lowland people that brought warfare to villages in the heart of the protectorate.^[3] Chaos and riots ravaged northern Vietnam until they were briefly calmed in 858 by the arrival of the new governor Wang Shi.^[4]