Nguyễn Trãi
In 1427, Lê Lợi led the Lam Sơn uprising to the ultimate victory over the Ming Dynasty which put an end to the Fourth Chinese domination in Vietnam. As a result, in 1428 Lê Lợi ordered Nguyễn Trãi to write an announcement for people in the country about the total pacification of the Ming Dynasty and the affirmation of the independence of Đại Việt. From that demand, Nguyễn Trãi wrote "Bình Ngô đại cáo" which not only proclaimed the independence of the country but also claimed the equality of Đại Việt with China during the long history and expressed many own ideas of Nguyễn Trãi about the fairness, the role of people in history of the country and the way to win a war of independence. Besides, Nguyễn Trãi used "Bình Ngô đại cáo" to prove the just cause of the Lam Sơn uprising and why Lê Lợi's army could drive out the Ming Dynasty with its policies of relying on people to fight against the invaders. After it was announced, the proclamation was considered a success, while Nguyễn Trãi became one of the most crucial figures of the royal court after the coronation of Lê Lợi, now Lê Thái Tổ. However Nguyễn Trãi was finally executed in 1442 during the political struggle in the royal court and royal family of the early Lê Dynasty. The earliest version of "Bình Ngô đại cáo" that remains today was found in the 1697 edition of "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư" which was compiled by Ngô Sĩ Liên.