Emperor Gaozong (12 June 1107 – 9 November 1187), born
Zhao Gou, was the tenth emperor of the
Song Dynasty of
China, and the first emperor of the Southern Song. He reigned from 1127 to 1162. He fled south after the
Jurchens overran
Kaifeng in the
Jingkang Incident, hence the beginning of the Southern Song dynasty 1127-1279. Gaozong re-established his seat of government in
Lin'an (臨安; today's
Hangzhou, 杭州).
Biography
Gaozong was the 5th son of Emperor
Huizong and the younger half-brother of Emperor
Qinzong. His mother was a concubine from the Wei (韋) family who later became
empress dowager, and is known posthumously as Empress Xianren (顯仁皇后) (1080-1159).
Quatrain on the Heavenly Mountain,
calligraphy by Emperor Gaozong.
Gaozong was a regional ruler in the Northern Song dynasty. After Song's Qinzong and Huizong emperors were captured by the Jurchen, he became the emperor of China and established Southern Song empire. During his reign,
Jurchens often attacked the Southern Song empire. Initially, he used military officials such as
Li Gang,
Yue Fei,
Han Shizhong and
Yu Yunwen to hold the Jurchens at bay. However, after years of fighting and significant military success, Gaozong settled on a pacifist stance. One of the major reasons behind this was that Gaozong and the premier
Qin Hui did not want the Song army to defeat the Jurchens, as this might result in Emperor Qinzong being restored to the throne. As a result, Gaozong and Qin plotted to frame Yue Fei for some ambiguous offence and had him put to death. General
Han Shizhong was also dismissed from his military duties. Gaozong then signed the
Treaty of Shaoxing with the
Jurchens which further ceded huge amounts of territories to the Jurchens in the hope of appeasement.
Gaozong was also a notable poet, and had significant influence on other Chinese poets. Among his surviving works is "Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain" (left).
Gaozong abdicated in 1162 after reigning for more than 35 years but lived on until 1187. He was 80 when he died. His
temple name means "High Ancestor".
See also
Category:1107 birthsCategory:1187 deathsCategory:Song Dynasty emperorsCategory:12th-century Chinese monarchsCategory:Chinese poetsfr:Song Gaozongko:남송 고종ja:高宗 (宋)th:จักรพรรดิซ่งเกาจงvi:Tống Cao Tôngwuu:宋高宗zh:宋高宗
