Emperor Huizong (November 2, 1082 – June 4, 1135) is one of the most famous emperors of the Song Dynasty of China, with a personal life spent amidst luxury, sophistication, and art, and ending in tragedy.
Born Zhao Ji, he was the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong. In February 1100 his older half-brother Emperor Zhezong (哲宗) died childless, and Huizong succeeded him the next day as emperor. He reigned from 1100 to 1126.
Huizong was famed for his promotion of Taoism, and was one of the three Chinese emperors to prohibit Buddhism. He was also a good poet and calligrapher.
While a real artist, Huizong neglected the army, and Song China became increasingly weak and at the mercy of foreign enemies. When the Jurchen of Manchuria founded the Jin Dynasty and attacked the Liao kingdom to the north of the Song empire, the Song court allied with the Jin and attacked the Liao from the south. This succeeded in destroying the Liao kingdom, a long time enemy of the Song. However, an enemy even more formidable, the Jin, was now on the northern border. Not content with the annexation of the Liao kingdom, and measuring rightly the weakness of the Song empire, the Jin soon declared war on their former ally, and by the beginning of 1126 they crossed the Yellow River and came in sight of Kaifeng, the capital of the Song empire. Stricken with panic, Huizong abdicated on January 18, 1126 in favor of his son who became Emperor Qinzong (欽宗).
Overcoming the walls of Kaifeng was a difficult undertaking for the Jin cavalry, and this, conjugated with fierce resistance from some Chinese officials who had not totally lost their temper like Huizong, resulted in the Jin raising the siege of Kaifeng and returning north. The Song empire, however, had to sign a humiliating treaty with the Jin, agreeing to pay a colossal war indemnity and to give a tribute to Jin every year.
But even such humiliating terms could not save the hopeless Song empire. Within a matter of months, the Jin were back south again, and this time they were determined to overcome the walls of Kaifeng. After a bitter siege, the Jin eventually entered Kaifeng on January 9, 1127, and many days of looting, rapes, and massacre followed. Huizong, his son Emperor Qinzong, as well as the entire imperial court and harem were captured by the Jin. One of the sons of Huizong managed to escape to Southern China where after many years of struggle he would establish the Southern Song Dynasty, of whom he was the first emperor, Emperor Gaozong (高宗).
Huizong and Qinzong were demoted to the rank of commoners by the Jin on March 20, 1127. Then on May 10, 1127, Huizong was deported to Northern Manchuria, where he spent the last 8 years of his life as a captive. The man who once had been the most powerful ruler on earth and had lived in opulence and art died a broken man in far-away Northern Manchuria in June 1135 at the age of 52.
He was also a great painter and calligrapher who invented the "Slender Gold" (瘦金體) style.
The era names of his reign were:
Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46
