Emperor Duzong

Emperor Duzong of Song
宋度宗
Emperor of the Song dynasty
Reign 16 November 1264 – 12 August 1274
Coronation 16 November 1264
Predecessor Emperor Lizong
Successor Emperor Gong
Born Zhao Mengqi (1240–1251)
Zhao Zi (1251–1253)
Zhao Qi (1253–1274)
2 May 1240
Died 12 August 1274(1274-08-12) (aged 34)
Era dates
Xianchun (咸淳; 1265–1274)
Posthumous name
Duanwen Mingwu Jingxiao Huangdi
(端文明武景孝皇帝)
Temple name
Duzong (度宗)
House House of Zhao
Father Zhao Yurui
Mother Lady of Qi (Huang Ding Xi)
Emperor Duzong of Song
Chinese 宋度宗
Literal meaning "Measured Ancestor of the Song"
Zhao Qi
Traditional Chinese 趙禥
Simplified Chinese 赵禥
Zhao Mengqi
Traditional Chinese 趙孟啟
Simplified Chinese 赵孟启
Zhao Zi
Traditional Chinese 趙孜
Simplified Chinese 赵孜

Emperor Duzong of Song (2 May 1240 – 12 August 1274), personal name Zhao Qi, was the 15th emperor of the Song dynasty in China and the sixth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. He was a nephew of his predecessor, Emperor Lizong, and reigned from 1264 until his death in 1274. His birth name was Zhao Mengqi but his name was changed to Zhao Zi in 1251 and finally to Zhao Qi in 1253 after he was designated as Emperor Lizong's heir apparent.

Early life

Emperor Duzong’s mother wanted to have an abortion for unknown reasons so she took drugs.[1][2][3] However, Emperor Duzong was still born but the drugs affected him. His intelligence was low, his hand and feet were soft and he couldn’t even speak until he was seven years old. Duzong also had a huge lump on his forehead. Duzong was discovered by his paternal uncle Emperor Lizong in 1253, who was sonless, who then adopted Duzong and designated him crown prince. Emperor Lizong died in 1264 and Emperor Duzong became emperor.[1][2][4]

Reign

Emperor Duzong's reign was plagued with rebellions, warfare and upheaval despite Duzong trying to encourage learning in the start of his reign. There was corruption in his court; many officials accused Jia Sidao of corruption but Duzong trusted Jia Sidao who Duzong honoured by bowing down to Jia and crying mostly because Jia was considering resigning. The Mongols had spent decades harassing the Song Empire's borders and were on the verge of conquering the whole of China. Emperor Duzong ignored his duties and instead delegated all state and military affairs to the hands of Jia Sidao; the emperor instead indulged in drinking and women and lived in opulence. To make things even worse, Duzong’s intelligence was lower than a normal person and he was often depressed.[1] At first, he told the officials to be straightforward and tell him the problems in the countries, but this was all an act. Soon, he completely neglected his duties. Furthermore, he had a very high sexual appetite. Under Song laws, any woman who had sexual relations with the emperor had to pay respects to the emperor every morning. At one point, there were as many as 30 women paying their respects to Emperor Duzong in one morning. Duzong also gave official documents to four of his most favored women.[1]

Lu Wenhuan sent a messenger to Emperor Duzong, to request immediate reinforcements to defend Xiangyang. The messenger successfully got by the Yuan forts and reached the emperor but upon hearing the effectiveness of these new trebuchets, the emperor considered Xiangyang lost and did not send reinforcements. The decisive Battle of Xiangyang was fought in 1274 when the Mongols succeeded in capturing and destroying the last Song stronghold. The loss of Xiangyang sealed the fate of the Song dynasty and the news of its capture was deliberately hidden from Emperor Duzong by Jia Sidao.

Emperor Duzong died shortly thereafter from overindulgence in wine and was succeeded by his sixth son, Zhao Xian (Emperor Gong), who was then only four years old. Although Emperor Duzong was technically not the last emperor of the Song dynasty, historians see him as the last Song emperor who could have made decisions that would've significantly halted or even prevented the fall of the dynasty.

Family

  • Parents:
    • Zhao Yurui (福王 趙與芮; 1207 – 1287), great great great great great great great grandson of Zhao Dezhao, the son of Zhao Kuangyin
    • Lady Huang (齊夫人 黃定喜), personal name Dingxi
  • Consorts and Issue:
  1. Empress Quan (皇后 全氏; 1241 – 1309), second cousin
    1. Zhao Shu (趙舒; 1264)
    2. Zhao Xian (孝恭皇帝 趙㬎; 1271 – 1323)
  2. Empress dowager Yang (皇太后 楊巨良; d. 1279), personal name Juliang
    1. Zhao Huang (岐衝靖王 趙鍠; b. 1268)
    2. Zhao Shi (端宗 趙是; 1269 – 1278)
    3. Princess (公主)
    4. Princess Jin (晉公主)
  3. Third rank consort Yu (修容 俞氏)
    1. Zhao Xian (益衝定公 趙憲; 1268 – 1270)
    2. Zhao Bing (皇帝 趙昺; 1272 – 1279)
    3. Princess Xin'an Zhuangyi (信安莊懿公主)
    4. Princess Zhenjing (貞靜公主 趙光懿), personal name Guangyi
  4. Unknown
    1. Zhao Chao (廣衝善王 趙焯; 1262 – 1263)

See also

  1. Chinese emperors family tree (middle)
  2. List of emperors of the Song dynasty
  3. Architecture of the Song dynasty
  4. Culture of the Song dynasty
  5. Economy of the Song dynasty
  6. History of the Song dynasty
  7. Society of the Song dynasty
  8. Technology of the Song dynasty

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Song Duzong". Baike Baidu.
  2. 1 2 "The only idiot Emperor of the Song Dynasty". Baike Baidu.
  3. ↑ Davis, Richard L. "Troubles in Paradise: the Shrinking Royal Family in the Southern Song" (PDF). National Palace Museum.
  4. ↑ History of Song.
  • Toqto'a, ed. (1343). History of Song. Volume 46: Biography of Emperor Duzong.
Emperor Duzong
Born: 1240 Died: 1274
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Emperor Lizong		 Emperor of China
1264–1274		 Succeeded by
Emperor Gong
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