Emperor Zhezong of Song (4 January 1077 – 23 February 1100), personal name Zhao Xu, was the seventh emperor of 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 res ...
of China. His original personal name was Zhao Yong but he changed it to "Zhao Xu" after his coronation. He reigned from 1085 until his death in 1100, and was succeeded by his younger half-brother,
Emperor Huizong, because his son died prematurely.
Emperor Zhezong was the sixth son of
Emperor Shenzong. He ascended the throne at the age of nine under the supervision of his grandmother,
Grand Empress Dowager Gao.
Reign
As the young emperor's regent, Grand Empress Dowager Gao appointed conservatives such as
Sima Guang
Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
as
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
, who halted the
New Policies set forth by
Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi ; ; December 8, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu (), was a Chinese economist, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. He served as chancellor and attempted major and controversial socioeconomic reforms ...
before dying in 1086. Emperor Zhezong was powerless and it was not until Grand Empress Dowager Gao's death in 1093 that the emperor was able to reinstate Wang Anshi's reforms and reduce the late Sima Guang's influence.
Emperor Zhezong lowered taxes, stopped negotiations with the
Tangut-led
Western Xia
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 ...
state, and resumed armed conflict which eventually forced Western Xia to enter a more peaceful stance with the Song Empire. However, Emperor Zhezong was unable to stop fighting between conservative members of his government and the more liberal members who supported Wang Anshi's reforms and in fact, the fighting intensified during Emperor Zhezong's reign. This split would eventually contribute to the Northern Song dynasty's demise in the 12th century.
On May 18, 1099, Zhezong became ill in which the symptoms were constant coughing and
constipation
Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel moveme ...
.
Zhezong did not get any better, even though he had taken many medications and so Zhezong asked his councilors to recommend physicians.
Geng Yu, an physician who was recommended advised Zhezong and even though Zhezong followed his directions, there were no signs of him getting better.
On July, his
constipation
Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel moveme ...
was replaced by
severe diarrhea and Zhezong could not get up from his bed to receive medicine.
Geng recommended
spleen-warming pills, an action Zhezong's mother supported.
The coolness of the weather improved Zhezong's health; making him well enough to attend the celebration of his son Zhao Mao on August 8.
But his illness returned so Zhezong cancelled his audiences for two days.
When he saw his councillors on August 14, he told them that Geng gave him medicine to induce
vomiting
Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenter ...
.
He was slightly better but his appetite was gone and his belly constantly ached.
Zhezong attended the banquet in honor of his son, in which he was in a very good mood and that his younger brother
Zhao Ji also attended.
However, Zhao Mao became sick. Zhezong, now in a bad mood due to his son's illness told his councillors that the royal doctors were treating Zhao Mao.
On September 26, Zhao Mao was getting better but soon died making Zhezong cancelling his audiences for three days.
His birthday was a great celebration but was cut short when after the birthday party, he fell ill and was
vomiting
Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenter ...
all day long.
He also contracted
laryngitis
Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and dysphagia, trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks.
Laryngitis is c ...
and could only speak with great effort.
By December 21, Zhezong was close to death; he had a weak pulse.
Emperor Zhezong died on February 23, 1100 in
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
at the age of 23 and was succeeded by his younger brother,
Emperor Huizong.
Family
Consorts and issue:
*
Empress Zhaoci, of the Meng clan (; 1073–1131)
** ''Princess Xunmei'' (; 1094–1096), first daughter
*
Empress Zhaohuai, of the Liu clan (; 1078–1113), personal name Qingjing ()
** Princess Shushen (; 1096–1164), third daughter
*** Married Pan Zhengfu (; d. 1153) in 1112, and had issue (three sons)
** ''Princess Chunmei'' (; 1097–1099), fourth daughter
** ''Zhao Mao, Crown Prince Xianmin'' (; 1099), first son
* Unknown
** Princess Shuhe (; d. 1117), second daughter
*** Married Shi Duanli () in 1110
Ancestry
See also
*
Chinese emperors family tree (middle) This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the Northern and Southern dynasties period to the collapse of the Southern Song dynasty.
Southern and Northern Dynasties
Liu Song
Southern Qi
Liang dynasty and Western Liang
Chen dynasty
Nor ...
*
List of emperors of the Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that succeeded the period referred to as Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960) and preceded the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), which conquered the Song dynasty in 1279. T ...
*
Architecture of the Song dynasty
The architecture of the Song dynasty (960–1279) was noted for its towering Buddhist pagodas, enormous stone and wooden bridges, lavish tombs, and extravagant palaces. Although literary works on architecture existed beforehand, architectural wri ...
*
Culture of the Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (960–1279 AD) was a culturally rich and sophisticated age for China. It saw great advancements in the visual arts, music, literature, and philosophy. Officials of the ruling bureaucracy, who underwent a strict and extensive exa ...
*
Economy of the Song dynasty
The economy of the Song dynasty (960–1279) in China was the wealthiest economy in the world during its time. The dynasty moved away from the top-down command economy of the Tang dynasty (618-907) and made extensive use of market mechanisms as na ...
*
History of the Song dynasty
The Song dynasty ( Chinese: 宋朝; pinyin: Sòng cháo; 960–1279) of China was an imperial dynasty that ruled most of China proper and southern China from the middle of the 10th century into the last quarter of the 13th century. The dyna ...
*
Society of the Song dynasty
Chinese society during the Song dynasty (960–1279) was marked by political and legal reforms, a philosophical revival of Confucianism, and the development of cities beyond administrative purposes into centers of industry and of maritime and ...
*
Technology of the Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; 960–1279 CE) invented some technological advances in Chinese history, many of which came from talented statesmen drafted by the government through imperial examinations.
The ingenuity of advanced mechanical engineeri ...
*
Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi ; ; December 8, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu (), was a Chinese economist, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. He served as chancellor and attempted major and controversial socioeconomic reforms ...
*
Sima Guang
Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
References
*
ged 23
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhezong of Song
Northern Song emperors
11th-century Chinese monarchs
Child rulers from Asia
People from Kaifeng
1077 births
1100 deaths
Chinese reformers