Chai Rong
Emperor Shizong of Zhou | |||||||||||||||||
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Emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
Reign | 26 February 954[1] – 27 July 959 | ||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Guo Wei | ||||||||||||||||
Successor | Chai Zongxun | ||||||||||||||||
Born | 27 October 921 Xingzhou (modern Xingtai, Hebei, China) | ||||||||||||||||
Died | 27 July 959 Kaifeng | (aged 37)||||||||||||||||
Burial | Qing Mausoleum ( 34°33′44.52″N 113°41′47.88″E / 34.5623667°N 113.6966333°E | ||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
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Issue | Chai Zongxun others | ||||||||||||||||
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House | Chai (by birth) Guo (adoptive) | ||||||||||||||||
Dynasty | Later Zhou | ||||||||||||||||
Father | Chai Shouli ( Guo Wei (adoptive) |
Chai Rong | |||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | |||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | |||||||||||||||
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Chai Rong (Chinese:
Emperor Shizong is considered a highly successful emperor of the Five Dynasties period. He centralized military power by his reforms, and proved his military prowess by a series of victories against Northern Han, Later Shu, Southern Tang, and the Liao dynasty. Although his accomplishments were limited due to his premature death, they paved the way for the eventual unification of large parts of China proper by the Northern Song, founded by his trusted generals Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.
Early life
[edit]Chai Rong was born in Xingzhou (邢州; modern Xingtai, Hebei).[2] As a child he came to live with his aunt — a younger sister of his father Chai Shouli (
Career under Later Han
[edit]After the establishment of the Later Han in 947, the Guo family's condition improved dramatically. Guo Wei became the Commissioner of Military Affairs (
In 950, the Later Han emperor Liu Chengyou unexpectedly killed the entire family of Guo Wei as a plot to liquidate the most powerful ministers in his nation. Guo Wei decided to rebel. As Guo Rong's wife Lady Liu (
Career under Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou
[edit]In a few months, Liu Chengyou was killed, Later Han was terminated, as Guo Wei founded the Later Zhou. Guo Rong became the military governor of Zhenning Command (鎮寧
Chancellor Wang Jun, the most powerful minister, did not see eye-to-eye with Guo Rong on some issues and prevented him from visiting the capital on more than one occasion. In 952, Guo Rong requested permission to lead an army to quell a rebellion, but Wang Jun vetoed it for fear that Guo Rong would hold too much military power. At the end, Guo Wei had to personally lead the troops as an emperor. It was not until Wang's banishment in early 953 that Guo Rong finally got a chance to come back to the capital, when in April 953 he was named Prince of Jin (
Emperor of Later Zhou
[edit]Guo Rong (posthumously known as Shizong of Later Zhou) became emperor in 954 upon his adoptive father's death. Like his father, he was considered an able ruler. He continued reforms introduced by his father. More importantly, he began putting pressure on the Northern Han and even the Liao dynasty, though nothing substantial came of it. More success was met in the south as some minor successes were made against the Southern Tang and Later Shu, paving the way to eventual unification by the Song dynasty.
Campaign against Liu Chong
[edit]One month after Chai Rong took the throne, Liu Chong, Emperor of Northern Han, colluded with Liao dynasty to launch an assault on Later Zhou. Against the advice of Minister Feng Dao, Chai Rong decided to lead the army to fight against the incursion. When Chai Rong engaged Liu Chong at Gao Ping (in modern Jincheng, Shanxi), two of Chai's general Fan Aineng, He Hui fled from battlefield along with their troops. At this critical moment, Chai Rong risked his life to break through the defense and crushed Liu's forces. After this campaign, Chai Rong consolidated his power.[9]
He suffered an early death at the age of 38 when he died from illness while out on the field in 959. He left behind him a six-year-old heir to succeed him. This led to the fall of the dynasty and the rise of the Song dynasty, which eventually succeeded in reunifying China.
Family
[edit]Parents
- Father: Chai Shouli (
柴 守 禮 ) (biological)
Wives
- Empress Zhen, of the Liu clan (
貞惠 皇后 劉 氏 ;?–951) - Empreas Xuanyi, of the Fu clan (
宣 懿符皇后 ;931 – 29 August 956), daughter of Fu Yanqing (符 彥卿) - Empress Xiaofu, of the Fu clan (
小 符 皇后 ;933-993, daughter of Fu Yanqing (符 彥卿) - Unknown:
- Chai Zongyi (
柴 宗 誼 ; 10th century?- 24 December 950), first son - Chai Cheng (
柴 誠 ; 10th century -24 December 950), second son - Chai Xian, Prince of Han (
韓 王 柴 諴; 10th century – 24 December 950), third son - Chai Zongxun, Prince of Liang (
梁 王 柴 宗 訓 ; 14 September 953 - 6 April 1973), fourth son - Chai Xirang (
柴 熙讓), fifth son - Chai Xijing (
柴 熙謹), sixth son - Chai Xihui (
柴 熙誨), seventh son
- Chai Zongyi (
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, ch. 289 indicates that he was called Guo Rong at least since 950. However, his original name Chai Rong is far better known in posterity.
- ^ Guizhou (
貴 州 ; modern Guigang, Guangxi) was then under Southern Han's and not Later Han's direct control.
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]Sources
[edit]- Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900–1800. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-44515-5.
- (in Chinese) Toqto'a; et al., eds. (1345). Song Shi (
宋 史 ) [History of Song]. - (in Chinese) Xue Juzheng; et al., eds. (974). Wudai Shi (
五 代 史 ) [History of the Five Dynasties]. - (in Chinese) Ouyang Xiu (1073). Wudai Shiji (
五 代 史記 ) [Historical Records of the Five Dynasties]. - (in Chinese) Sima Guang (1086). Zizhi Tongjian (
資 治 通 鑑 ) [Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government]. - "Later Zhou". Retrieved 2006-10-08.
- "5 DYNASTIES & 10 STATES". Retrieved 2006-10-08.