Emperor Jingzong of Western Xia (1003–1048), born Li Yuanhao () or Tuoba Yuanhao (), also known as Zhao Yuanhao (趙元昊), Weiming Yuanhao (嵬名元昊) and Weiming Nangxiao (嵬名曩霄), was the founding
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of the
Western Xia dynasty
The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...
of China, reigning from 1038 to 1048. He was the eldest son of the
Tangut ruler
Li Deming.
Early background
Yuanhao was born to Tuoba Weiming's consort, lady Weimu as "Weimai" (嵬埋
). After his father died in 1032, he became the leader of the Tangut.
He was described as a talented army general and had always wanted to establish a country for the Tanguts.
Military campaigns
Early in his leadership, Jingzong abolished the surname Zhao which had been given by the
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, replacing it with the surname Weiming (Chinese: 嵬名, Tangut: ).
He had also started a revolution, changing the lifestyles of the Tangut people. He ordered Tangut men to shave their heads or they would face public execution. He also ordered a change of clothing and writing.
With the help of Chinese traitors (張元) and (吳昊), Jingzong took an aggressive stance with the Song dynasty. At its height, he claimed an army of 500,000 men.
In 1034 Jingzong attacked the Huanqing territories (環慶路). He captured Song general Qi Zongju (齊宗矩).
At this point, he changed his target to the
Kingdom of Qocho
Qocho (), also known as Idiqut, ("holy wealth"; "glory"; "lord of fortune") was a Uyghur kingdom created in 843, with strong Chinese Buddhist and Tocharian influences. It was founded by Uyghur refugees fleeing the destruction of the Uyghur Kh ...
in the west, and his efforts against them began in 1036.
From the Uyghurs, he took large portions of
Gansu, and the
Tangut people
The Tangut people ( Tangut: , ''mjɨ nja̱'' or , ''mji dzjwo''; ; ; mn, Тангуд) were a Tibeto-Burman tribal union that founded and inhabited the Western Xia dynasty. The group initially lived under Tuyuhun authority, but later submitte ...
would control the
Hexi Corridor
The Hexi Corridor (, Xiao'erjing: حْسِ ظِوْلاْ, IPA: ), also known as the Gansu Corridor, is an important historical region located in the modern western Gansu province of China. It refers to a narrow stretch of traversable and rela ...
for 191 years before being conquered by the
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...
.
In 1038 he declared himself the emperor of the
Western Xia dynasty
The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...
whose capital was situated in
Xingqing
Xingqing District (, Xiao'erjing: ) is one of three urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Auto ...
. Afterwards, he launched a campaign against the Song. Although the Tangut empire won a series of three large battles, the victories proved to be very costly and they found their forces depleted, due in part to a
scorched earth policy by the Song. In 1044 the Western Xia dynasty signed a treaty with the Song dynasty resulting in the nominal acknowledgment of Song sovereignty by the Tangut and the payment of tribute by the Song.
Culture and politics
The Emperor led to a reorganization of much of the Empire with the help of ethnic
Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
advisors. The empire created new departments and administrative services. The Emperor also knew
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and had Chinese works translated into his people's language. He accomplished this by supporting the development of a
written language
A written language is the representation of a spoken or gestural language by means of a writing system. Written language is an invention in that it must be taught to children, who will pick up spoken language or sign language by exposure eve ...
for the Tangut people.
However the
Tangut script
The Tangut script ( Tangut: ; ) was a logographic writing system, used for writing the extinct Tangut language of the Western Xia dynasty. According to the latest count, 5863 Tangut characters are known, excluding variants. The Tangut characte ...
eventually went extinct after the
Yuan conquest.
Nevertheless, Emperor Jingzong had strong opposition to the people imitating the Song dynasty too closely. He emphasized the value of their traditional nomadic way of life and discouraged any dependence on Song luxury items. Trade with the Song was minimized or cut off before the peace treaty that came four years before his death. Although Li used talented Song workers, to retain his own power and dynasty, he did not want to be conquered by the Song dynasty.
Later on the Western Xia emperors would switch between multiple sides,
Liao, Song,
Jin, and the Mongols, in order to retain their power. Li's attacks weakened the Jin and Song dynasties to the extent that the Mongols would later be able to conquer China. For vacillating between multiple sides, colluding with Mongols and Jurchen, and launching attacks against the Song.
However, the Mongols ultimately crushed the Western Xia dynasty, destroyed nearly any vestige of the empire, and ended Li's reign in
Ningxia
Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), is an autonomous region in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1 ...
. The Mongols would then reunify China under the Yuan dynasty.
Succession and death
![XiXia Tomb 3 F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/XiXia_Tomb_3_F.jpg)
In 1048, both the Prime Minister,
Mozang Epang Mozang Epang (, d. 1061) was an ethnic Tangut statesman and chancellor of the Western Xia dynasty of China during the reign of the Emperor Jingzong and Emperor Yizong.
Life
Family background
Mozang Epang was a member of the Tangut prominent ...
(沒藏訛龐), and Prince
Ningling Ge
Ningling Ge ( or ; 1032–1048) was a crown prince of the Western Xia dynasty and the fourth son of the Emperor Jingzong, the founding monarch. Ningling Ge was a member of Tangut Weiming (嵬名) clan.
"Ningling" (寧令, Tangut: ) was his Tangu ...
(寧令哥) conspired to assassinate Jingzong. Prince Ningling Ge attempted to kill Jingzong with a sword, but he only managed to slice off Jingzong's nose. Frightened by what he had done, Prince Ningling Ge fled to Mozang for backup, but Mozang betrayed Ningling Ge by turning him in as the assassin.
Although Jingzong initially survived the assassination, he succumbed to his wounds a few days later.
Family
Consorts and Issue:
*
Empress Xiancheng Empress Xiancheng (; 1005–1048), of the Yeli clan, was a Western Xia empress as the first empress of Emperor Jingzong.
Life Family background
Empress Xiancheng was a member of the prominent Yeli clan. Her brothers, Yeli Yuqi and Yeli Wangron ...
, of the Yeli clan (憲成皇后野利氏; d. 1048)
** Ning Ming (寧明, d.1042), the Prince (), second son
**
Ningling Ge
Ningling Ge ( or ; 1032–1048) was a crown prince of the Western Xia dynasty and the fourth son of the Emperor Jingzong, the founding monarch. Ningling Ge was a member of Tangut Weiming (嵬名) clan.
"Ningling" (寧令, Tangut: ) was his Tangu ...
(寧令哥, 1032-1048), the Crown Prince, third son
** Xili (錫狸), fourth son
* Empress, of the Muoyi clan (新皇后沒移氏; d.1049)
*
Empress Xuanmu Huiwen,of the Mozang clan (宣穆惠文皇后沒藏氏, d.1056)
**
Emperor Yizong of Western Xia, personal name Liangcha (兩岔) vel Liangzuo (諒祚), fifth son
* Princess Xingping, of the Khitan
Yelü
The Yelü clan ( Khitan: , spelled ''ey.är.uu.eld'', pronounced ''Yäruuld''; ), alternatively rendered as Yila () or Yarud, was a prominent family of ethnic Khitan origin in the history of China. The clan assumed leadership of the Khitan tribal ...
clan (興平公主耶律氏, d. 1038)
* Lady Suo (索氏)
* Lady Duola (多拉氏)
* Lady Mikemote (密克默特氏)
* Lady Miemi (咩迷氏)
**Ali (阿哩, d.1045), committed suicide together with his mother, second son
*Unknown:
** Name not recorded, first son, killed by Li Yuanhao
# One daughter
Notes
References
External links
The Western Xia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jingzong, Emperor of Western Xia
1003 births
1048 deaths
Western Xia emperors
11th-century Chinese monarchs
11th-century Tangut rulers
Murdered Chinese emperors
Founding monarchs