Shi Shi (; 339–349) was briefly (for 33 days) the
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
Jie-led
Later Zhao dynasty of China following his father
Shi Hu
Shi Hu (; 295–349), courtesy name Jilong (季龍), formally Emperor Wu of (Later) Zhao ((後)趙武帝), was an emperor of the Jie-led Chinese Later Zhao dynasty. He was the founding emperor Shi Le's distant nephew, who took power in a coup ...
's death in 349. In the Chinese annals he is sometimes referred to by his title after removal as an Emperor, Prince of Qiao ().
Shi Shi was Shi Hu's youngest son, by his third
empress
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), ...
Empress Liu, the daughter of
Han Zhao
The Han Zhao (; 304–329 AD), or Former Zhao (), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xiongnu people during the Sixteen Kingdoms period of Chinese history. In Chinese historiography, it was given two conditional state titles, the Northern ...
's last emperor
Liu Yao
Liu Yao (died 329), courtesy name Yongming, was the final emperor of the Xiongnu-led Han Zhao dynasty of China. He became emperor in 318 after most other members of the imperial Liu clan were massacred by Jin Zhun in a coup. However, the empir ...
. In 348, after Shi Hu had executed his second
crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
Shi Xuan () for having assassinated his brother Shi Tao (), he considered whom to make crown prince, and although Shi Shi was the youngest, Shi Hu's official Zhang Chai () was able to convince him that he needed to create a crown prince whose mother did not come from low birth. Empress Liu and Zhang then planned to control the government after Shi Hu's death.
As Shi Hu neared death in summer 349, although Shi Hu had initially intended that his sons and Shi Shi's older brothers
Shi Zun
Shi Zun (石遵) (died 349) was briefly (for 183 days) an emperor of the Jie-led Chinese Later Zhao dynasty. He was the second of four short-lived emperors after the death of his father Shi Hu (Emperor Wu). He is sometimes referred to by his tit ...
the Prince of Pengcheng and Shi Bin () the Prince of Yan serve as co-
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
s, Empress Liu and Zhang managed to forge edicts ordering Shi Zun to go to
Guanzhong
Guanzhong (, formerly romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben basin within present-day ce ...
and execute Shi Bin. After Shi Hu's death, Shi Shi succeeded to the throne. Empress Dowager Liu became regent, and she shared power with Zhang. Unhappy with this development, Shi Zun, with a number of generals supporting him, advanced on the capital
Yecheng, killing Zhang and detaining Empress Dowager Liu and Shi Shi. He then forged an edict by Empress Dowager Liu deposing Shi Shi and giving himself the throne. He reduced Shi Shi to a Prince of Qiao, and Empress Dowager Liu to a Princess Dowager of Qiao, but then executed them. Shi Shi was just 10 when he died.
Personal information
* Father
**
Shi Hu
Shi Hu (; 295–349), courtesy name Jilong (季龍), formally Emperor Wu of (Later) Zhao ((後)趙武帝), was an emperor of the Jie-led Chinese Later Zhao dynasty. He was the founding emperor Shi Le's distant nephew, who took power in a coup ...
(Emperor Wu)
* Mother
**
Empress Liu
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shi, Shi
4th-century Chinese monarchs
Later Zhao emperors
339 births
349 deaths
People from Handan
Murdered Chinese emperors
Murdered Chinese children
Rulers who died as children
Xiongnu