Emperor Zhongzong of Tang

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Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Birth and death:	Nov. 26, 656–July 3, 710
Family name:	Li (李)
Given name:	Xian (顯), later Zhe¹ (哲), then later back to Xian² (顯)
Dates of reign (1st time):	Jan. 3, 684–Feb. 26, 684³
Dates of reign (2nd time):	Feb. 23, 7054–July 3, 710
Dynasty:	Tang (唐)
Temple name:	Zhongzong (中宗)
Posthumous name: (short)	Never used short
Posthumous name: (full)	Emperor Dahe Dasheng Dazhao Xiao5 大和大聖大昭孝皇帝
General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
———
1. Had his name changed into Zhe in 677.
2. Had his name reverted to Xian when he was reinstated as crown prince in October 698. This name became his taboo name when he reascended the throne in 705.
3. Deposed by his mother Empress Wu.
4. Restored as Emperor three days after the coup that put an end to his mother's power.
5. Final version of his posthumous name as given in 754.

Zhongzong (November 26, 656 – July 3, 710), personal name Li Xian, was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.

Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu. He succeeded his father in 684. His mother, however, deposed him less than two months later in favor of his younger brother Emperor Ruizong. Zhongzong, demoted to a princely rank, was sent in exile in the provinces and placed under house arrest. Six years later, Ruizong in turn relinquished the throne to his mother and Wu officially proclaimed herself "Emperor", while Ruizong was made crown prince.

By 698 the court was caught in the middle of a bitter power struggle. The Empress Wu and her nephew, Wu Sansi (武三思), ran the court with a great deal of corruption. In an attempt to assuage opponents at court, Empress Wu liberated Zhongzong from his fourteen years of seclusion and recalled him to the capital in April 698. Zhongzong was reinstated as crown prince in October 698, taking the place of his brother Ruizong. On February 20, 705, a palace coup deposed Empress Wu and Zhongzong was restored as Emperor three days later. Emperor Zhongzong reigned for five years but was a rather weak and easily influenced ruler. Real power was in the hands of his empress consort, Empress Wei (韋皇后), and Empress Wu's nephew, Wu Sansi, who was the lover of Empress Wei.

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died, allegedly poisoned by Empress Wei who then installed Zhongzong's only surviving son, Li Chongmao, as emperor. Empress Wei, who had failed to install her daughter with Zhongzong, the Princess Anle (安樂公主), as heir to Zhongzong, thought that Li Chongmao (known posthumously as Emperor Shang), born of Zhongzong and a low ranking concubine, and who was only 16 years old, would be easy to control and allow her to preserve her power. The scheme failed, however, when Princess Taiping, the sister of Zhongzong, launched a coup two weeks later with her nephew Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong), son of the abdicated Emperor Ruizong, and overthrew Empress Wei and the young emperor (Princess Taiping said to the young emperor:" you shall not sit on the emperor's seat"). Ruizong, the father of Li Longji and the older brother of Princess Taiping, was restored as emperor.

Preceded by Emperor Gaozong	Emperor of Tang China 684	Succeeded by Emperor Ruizong
Preceded by Empress Wu	Emperor of Tang China 705–710	Succeeded by Emperor Shang

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