Emperor Taizu of Song
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| Emperor Taizu of Song China | |
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| Birth and death: | March 21, 927–November 14, 976 (aged 49) |
| Family name: | Zhào (趙) |
| Given name: | Kuāngyìn (匡胤) |
| Courtesy name (字): | Yuanlang (元朗) |
| Dates of reign: | February 4, 960¹–November 14, 976 |
| Dynasty: | Sòng (宋) |
| Temple name: | Tàizǔ (太祖) |
| Posthumous name: |
Never used short |
| Posthumous name: |
Emperor Qiyun Liji Yingwu Ruiwen Shende Shenggong Zhiming Daxiao² 啓運立極英武睿文神德聖功 至明大孝皇帝 |
| General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. |
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| 1. In control of only Northern China at first, was in control of most of Southern China only in 975. |
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Emperor Taizu (March 21, 927–November 14, 976, Chinese: 太祖), born Zhao Kuangyin (traditional Chinese: 趙匡胤), was the founder of the Song Dynasty of China, reigning from 960 to 976.
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Ancestry and early life
His family was of fairly modest origins and cannot be traced back with certainty further than the late Tang dynasty. His ancestor Zhao Ting (828-874) was an official who served in Zhuozhou, in Hebei near to where the family lived. His sons, Zhao Ting (851-928) and Zhao Jing (872-933), also served as local officials in Hebei. Zhao Jing's son Zhao Hongyin (趙弘殷) (899-956) decided against a civil career and became a military officer instead under Tang Zhuangzhong(唐莊宗): he knew that in times of disunity it would be a military career that will lead to success.
As a result, Zhao Kuangyin was trained in martial arts and in the art of war. He started training ever since he was a child, and showed strong preservence. It was said that he found an untamed horse to practice his archery skills. The horse threw him off its back and onto the wall. Everyone was shocked, because one would be expected a heavy injury, but Zhao Kuangyin got right back up and chased the horse. Eventually, it was subdued, while Zhao Kuangyin went unharmed.
At the age of twenty-one, after his father started to lose his position in the government (due to the death of Tang Zhuangzhong), Zhao Kuangyin decided to leave. He knew that with his father's position he could not become successful in the current society. He would wander around various settings in society for two years, which would mold Zhao Kuangyin's broad view on social life. It was said that one day a Daoist at a monastery in Xiangyang saw that Kuangyin, despite his beggar-like dressing, had an unusual aura. He told the lad to go to the north where there were currently conflicts of war: the south was too stable for him to fight and become famous.
Zhao Kuangyin went up north and got under command of Later Han's Guo Wei. In 951, Guo Wei rebelled and created the Later Zhou dynasty. Because of his brilliant combat skills, Zhao Kuangyin was promoted to a Chief of the Palace commander. Chai Rong (柴榮), who was later to become the emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, frequently met Guo Wei(郭威) and noticed Zhao Kuangyin's potential. Under his command, Zhao Kuangyin was made into a commander of the calvary units. Under Chai Rong, Zhao Kuangyin's rise to power had begun.
Period under Zhou Shizong
Zhao Kuangyin's career starting point was the Battle of Gaoping, against the alliance of the Northern Han and the Liao.
This rivalry first started when Zhou Shizong just got on the throne and Liu Min (劉旻)decided to work with Liao. In the initial confrontation, the right flank army, led by Fan AiNen (樊愛能）and He Wei （何微）, was defeated. Looking at the situation, Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde (张永德) led 4000 personal Chief of the Palace elite troops to counter the Liao army. Zhao Kuangyin yelled out for the loyalty to the emperor, and this quickly strengthened the morale of the units. The 4000 units were able to hold off the Liao army to get the reinforcements there and repel the enemies. In the end, the counter was successful, repelling the Northern Han back to Taiyuan.
The victory raised Kuangyin up to the post of the grand commander of the Chief of the Palace troops. He was also given the task to organize and train the Chief of the Palace troops. After successful training, the troops were completely reorganized and far superior to before. More importantly, he developed the relations with other generals and officials related to the Chief of Palace including Shi Soxing （石守信）, Wang Senchi （王審琦）, Yang Guangyi （楊光義）, Wang Zhenzhong （王政忠）, Liu Qingyi （劉慶義）, Liu Sozhong （劉守忠), Liu Yanlang （劉延讓）, Mi Xin （米信）, Tian Zhongjing （田重進）, Pang Mei （潘美）, Zhao Guangyi (his brother), Shen Yileng （沈義倫）, Lu Xuqing, Zhao Pu （趙普）, Chu Zhaobu （楚昭捕）. Within a few years, Zhao Kuangyin completely controlled the Chief of the Palace units and even developed a set of officials under him with the people mentioned above.
Soon, he was promoted to a jiedushi, controlling the most of the military power under Zhou Shizong. Nevertheless, he still had two rivals - Zhang Yongde and Li Zhongjing （李重進）, who were both Zhou Taizu's son-in-laws. Even though Zhang Yongde had a good relationship with Zhao, Kuangyin still had to eliminate Yongde's power to prevent him as a potential threat. In 959, after a trap set by Kuangyin, Zhang Yongde was demoted. After the deaths of Zhang Yongde and Zhou Shizong (the last competent Later Zhou Emperor, r. 954-960) on the throne was left an infant boy, and the second rival, Li Zhongjing, hound himself lacking the political backing. As a result, Zhao Kuangyin was able to use his influence to transfer Zhongjing to the Yang Prefecture as a jiedushi. With his two potential rivals out of the way, Zhao Kuangyin was now free to plan his coup.
In 960, word reached the prime minister Fang Zhi that Northern Han and Liao were once again allied to invade them again. Without verifying the liability of the hearsay, Fan Zi sent Zhao Kuangyin to combat the alliance. After traveling 40 li, there was a clamor that a "prophet" saw 2 suns fighting, and that this meant the transfer of the Heaven's Mandate onto Zhao Kuangyin. The story effectively spread around the army: there came discontent of the "command" of the baby-emperor and a shiftof loyalty to Zhao. While Zhao Kuangyin pretended that he didn't know anything, he sent a secret message back to Kaifeng to tell Shi Soxing and Wang Senchi to prepare to open the gate in the case of a coup. A few days, when Kuangyin was drunk in his tent, all the troops have not slept the whole night; they got their weapons and started yelling. Zhao Pu and Zhang Kuangyi, who were guarding the tent, saw the situation and went into the tent to wake up Kuangyin. When Kuangyin came out, all the troops yelled, "The army is without a master, we're willing to make commander the new emperor." Allegedly, Zhao Kuangyin took the power reluctantly, only under the urging of his soldiers. News of the rebellion soon reached the court and erupted chaos. The only person who thought about a resistance was Han Tong, but he was killed by one of Kuangyin's generals when he reached home.
With the gate open for Zhao Kuangyin, he took the court with no much resistance. Kuangyin did pretend that he was sad and forced by his troops, but before the prime minister Fang Zhi could say anything, one of Kuangyin's generals pointed a sword at Wang Zhi and said, "We're without masters. Today, we must have an emperor." After the officials looked at each other and knew it was hopeless to resist, they all bowed down. With the court under control, Kuangyin was officially proclaimed Taizu, the emperor of Song. The new dynasty name was taken after the army he controlled in the Song Prefecture.
After the declaration, he sent the dethroned baby-emperor with his mother to Xi Jing (西京）. He personally ordered the Chai faimly to receive the Zhaos into their family's care for generations.
Accomplishments
In 960, Song Taizu helped reunite most of China after the fragmentation and rebellion between the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 and the establishment of the Song dynasty. The plan set during Zhou Shizong's period was to first conquer the North, then the South. During Taizu's period, there was a change in strategy. He would conquer all the small countries such as Shu, South Han, and South Tang. The exception was the strong Northern Han in the north at Taiyuan supported by the Khitans. Taizu's strategy was to first take the Southern territories because the South was weaker than the North as the Liao supported Northern Han.
In 968, Taizu personally led the army against the Northern Han. At first, Taizu tore through the defenses and placed Taiyuan under siege, but was ultimately forced to retreat after he stuck against the defenses of the Northern Han with the Liao cavalry coming in to support.
He established the core Song Ancestor Rules and Policy for the future emperors. He was remembered for his expansion of the examination system such that most of the civil service were recruited through the exams (in contrast to the Tang where less than 10% of the civil servants came through exams). He also created academies that allowed a great deal of freedom of discussion and thought, which facilitated the growth of scientific advance, economic reforms as well as achievements in arts and literature. He is perhaps best known for weakening the military and so preventing anyone else rising to power as he did.
Throne transmission
He reigned for seventeen years and died in 976 at the age of forty-nine. Curiously, he was succeeded by his younger brother even though he had four living sons. This mode of succession was common among the nomadic peoples who lived in the north (such as the Khitans and the Tanguts) but it was not common in Chinese history. The traditional historical accounts place emphasis on the role Zhao Kuangyin's mother played in the decision which was made shortly after the Song Dynasty was proclaimed (around 961). So for nearly his entire reign, it was known and accepted that his brother would succeed him.
His temple name means "Grand Forefather".
Martial Arts
According to martial arts traditional lore, the Emperor Taizu created a Shaolin-based fighting style known as Tàizǔ Chángquán (太祖長拳; literally "Emperor Taizu long fist"). It is the core style of modern day Long Fist. Whether he really did invent this style or if it even dates from this time is not actually known.
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Emperor Taizu of Song
House of Zhao (960-1279)
Died: 976 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Dynasty Created |
Emperor of the Song Dynasty 960-976 |
Succeeded by The Taizong Emperor |
| Preceded by The Gongdi Emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty |
Emperor of China 960-976 |
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