Emperor Gong of Song

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Emperor Gongdi 宋恭帝(1271-1323), also known as Zhào Xiǎn ( 趙顯 ), was the 16th Emperor of Song Dynasty. He reigned from 1274 until his abdication in 1276. He was succeeded by elder brother, Emperor Duanzong of Song.

Gongdi was only four years old when he ascended the throne in 1274 after the death of his father, Emperor Duzong of Song. His reign began under the regency of his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Xie and his mother Empress Dowager Quan.

During Gongdi's reign, the Song dynasty was crumbling under the invasion forces of the Mongols which have crossed the Yangtze River and enroute to capture the capital of Lin An (today's Hangzhou). Forced to capitulate, Grand Empress Dowager Xie surrendered to the Mongols. After Gongdi's capture he was demoted to the rank of a Duke and was instructed in 1289 by the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan to travel to Tibet to become a monk. As a monk he made numerous contributions to Buddhism as he translated Buddhist text. Upon knowing that he was a Song emperor, he expressed his longing for Song in a poem, angering the Mongols. As a result, he was put to death in 1323, at the age of 53.