The Đinh family originated from the village of Hoa Lư, Jinghai kingdom in modern-day Ninh Bình province, northern Vietnam.

[4] His father died when he was a child and he lived with his mother and other family members in a holy temple near a mountain in Hoa Lư.

Bộ Lĩnh sent his friends to attack the uncle, who pursued him, found him trapped under a collapsed bridge, and almost intended to kill him, but then saw two yellow dragons flying above.

[6] Historian Oliver W. Wolters termed the story as a "man of prowess" possessing the "soul stuff" befitting a chief.

[9] In 968, Đinh Bộ Lĩnh established the kingdom of Đại Cồ Việt, relocated the capital to his home in Hoa Lư.

Nguyễn Bặc was placed at the head of the nobility, with the title "Nation Establishing Duke" (Định Quốc Công).

[12] The Đinh family established the official religious organization in incorporating Taoists and Buddhists in an administrative hierarchy.

[11] In 973, Prince Đinh Liễn erected one hundred ratanadhvaja stone columns contain Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī sutras (written in Classical Chinese) in order to generate merits to help liberate the spirit of his deceased brother.

[16] In 972 Đinh Bộ Lĩnh sent tribute envoys include cloth, rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks and perfumed tea to the Song dynasty of China.

However, the threat of renewed Chinese intervention in Vietnam caused court officials to support Lê Hoàn's bid for power.

However, in 1001 a rebellion erupted in Phong (modern-day Phú Thọ province), Mường rebels trapped the royal army on the Đà River, and Đinh Toàn was killed on his boat.