Dương Tam Kha was one of Dương Đình Nghệ's sons, brother of Ngô Quyền's wife, empress Dương. According to "Đại Việt sử lược" , his birth-name was Dương Chủ Tướng, but according to "Tống sử", he was named Dương Thiệu Hồng. Some historians said that he was the third son of Dương Đình Nghệ, after Dương Nhất Kha and Dương Nhị Kha.
Subordinate general period
He was a subordinate general of Khúc Hạo in the area of Aichau. In the year 931, Dương Đình Nghệ defeated Ly Khắc Chính and Ly Tiến, took up the capital of Đại La, professed himself as "Tiết độ sứ", a title established by the Chinese government to rule Giao Chỉ, a district that covered of what is now the northern area of Vietnam. Dương Tam Kha became a subordinate general of his father. Six years later, Kiều Công Tiễn, also a general of Dương Đình Nghệ, mutinied and killed his master in order to replace Dương Đình Nghệ as "Tiết Độ Sứ". In 938, Ngô Quyền, son-in-law and also former general of Dương Đình Nghệ defeated the potency of Kiều Công Tiễn and also killed him. After that, Dương Tam Kha follow Ngô Quyền as his general. Some historic books said that he and Ngô Xương Ngập, son of Ngô Quyền, led the army to defeat Kiều Công Tiễn in Đại La. As the Ngô Quyền's campaign was being developed, Kiều Công Tiễn sent the envoys to Southern Han to petition for sending army to help himself. King of Southern Han, Liu Yan, dispatched his son, Liu Hung-ts’ao to lead an infantry army to help Kiều Công Tiễn, he also led a different army to supply his son. But Kiều Công Tiễn was killed before this army arrived. In the November of 938, at the Battle of Bạch Đằng, the army was defeated by Ngô Quyền, Liu Hung-ts’ao was killed. Dương Tam Kha participated in this campaign.
Mutiny and accession
In 944, before his death, Ngô Quyền had Dương Tam Kha become regent for his son, Ngô Xương Ngập. But, after the demise of Ngô Quyền, he forced his nephew-in-law to abdicate and installed himself as king, calling himself "King of Pacification Dương." Ngô Xương Ngập fled to Trà Hưong village and was hidden by a leader of area "hào trưởng" named Phạm Lệnh Công. "Hào trưởng" is a title for a man who is leader of his kin and also of a large area around his fief. He has a power to own his army. We also know that Dương Đình Nghệ was merely a "hào trưởng" before he defeated the Southern Han army and liberated Đại La capital. Phạm Lệnh Công threefold conducted Ngô Xương Ngập to the deep forest to elude the searching forces of Dương Tam Kha. Thanks to his efforts, Ngô Xương Ngập was in safety. Afterward, Dương Tam Kha adopted the second son of Ngô Quyền. During his reign, he kept the nation going through a flat and stable way, encouraged deforestation in areas of the kingdom for further settlement. In 950, Dương Tam Kha forced Ngô Xương Văn to quell the rebellion in Thái Bình Province, but he turned his army to dethrone Dương Tam Kha. Although Dương Tam Kha dethroned his brother after the death of his father, Ngô Xương Văn did not kill him, but degraded him to "Envoy of Chương Dương".
