Li Jiqian () (963–1004), occasionally also known by his Song-bestowed name of Zhao Baoji (趙保吉), was a Tangut leader and progenitor of China's Western Xia dynasty. He resisted 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 ...

and organized a rebellion in 984. He also created a successful alliance with the

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...

for military support. Li Jiqian arranged a peace agreement with the Song emperor, but violated the treaty himself. To avoid costly military campaigns,

Emperor Zhenzong of Song Emperor Zhenzong of Song (23 December 968 – 23 March 1022), personal name Zhao Heng, was the third emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to his death in 1022. His personal name was originally Zhao Dechang, but was changed ...

made Li Jiqian the ''

jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate ...

'' of Dingnan (定難節度使), and recognized Li Jiqian's new autonomous rule. He supported the construction of irrigation canals that were crucial for the development of agriculture in the arid areas of northwestern China, especially around the capital Xingqing (modern

Yinchuan Yinchuan (, ; ) is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, and was the capital of the Tangut-led Western Xia dynasty. It has an area of and a total population of 2,859,074 according to the 2020 Chinese census, and its built ...

). Li Jiqian was father of

Li Deming Li Deming () (981–1032) was the eldest son of Li Jiqian and the father of Li Yuanhao, the founder of China's Western Xia dynasty. When his father died in battle in 1004, Li Deming became leader of the Tangut people, and over the next twenty ...

, and grandfather of Li Yuanhao, the founder of the Western Xia dynasty. He was conferred the

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

"Wuzong" (武宗) and the

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishm ...

"Emperor Yingyun Fatian Shenzhi Rensheng Zhidao Guangde Guangxiao" (應運法天神智仁聖至道廣德光孝皇帝) by Li Deming in 1005. Later, he was honored with the temple name "Taizu" (太祖) and the posthumous name "Emperor Shenwu" (神武皇帝) by Li Yuanhao. In 1644,

Li Zicheng Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by the nickname, Dashing King, was a Chinese peasant rebel leader who overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 and ruled over northern China briefly as the emperor of the short-li ...

, founder of the short-lived Shun dynasty, accorded the temple name "Taizu" (太祖) to Li Jiqian because Li Zicheng grew up in a village in

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

called "Li Jiqian's walled village" (李繼遷寨), and he therefore claimed ancestry from him.

Family

Consorts and issue: * Empress Shuncheng Yixiao, of the Yeli clan (順成懿孝皇后野利氏, d.1007) **

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 triba ...

Ting, Princess Yicheng of Khitan (義成公主耶律汀)

References

External links

www.chinaknowledge.de
963 births 1004 deaths Song dynasty jiedushi 10th-century Tangut rulers Liao dynasty jiedushi People from Northwest China 11th-century Tangut rulers {{China-mil-bio-stub