Dynasties of ChinaLiao, Song, Xia, Jin & Yuan · Coexisting states
9 Northern Song emperors · AD 960—1127 · 7 generations of succession
Founded after the Chenqiao mutiny, Northern Song favored civil government and fostered trade, education and culture, before falling in the Jingkang Incident.
Dynastic color · Sky blue
Northern Song is a dynasty established by Zhao Kuangyin. In 960, Zhao Kuangyin, who was inspected in front of the palace of Houzhou, launched the Chenqiao mutiny. He wore a yellow robe and established the Song Dynasty on behalf of Zhou Dynasty, making Kaifeng Prefecture in Tokyo the capital. He used "a cup of wine to release the military power" to seize the military power of the imperial generals, and also adopted the strategy of "first south and then north" to successively pacify the separatist regimes such as Jinghu, Houshu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang. When Taizong was conquered by Wu and Yue, he destroyed the Northern Han Dynasty in 979, ending the division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, but the Sixteen States of Yanyun were never recovered.
In the early Song Dynasty, in view of the disadvantages of the separatist rule of vassal towns in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, they withdrew military power, controlled money and grain, and reduced local power. They governed the country with civil servants and expanded the imperial examination to recruit scholars, forming a political pattern in which scholar-bureaucrats and monarchs jointly rule the world. The north confronted Liao and Western Xia successively. In 1005, it entered into the Chanyuan Treaty with Liao, and in 1044 it reached a Qingli peace treaty with Western Xia, exchanging Sui coins for peace. During this period, agriculture, handicrafts and commerce prospered unprecedentedly, the boundaries between cities and towns were broken, and the world's earliest paper currency exchange appeared in Sichuan.
However, redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and redundant expenses are becoming increasingly serious, and poverty and weakness are gradually becoming apparent. During the Renzong period, Fan Zhongyan implemented the Qingli New Deal, and during the Shenzong period, Wang Anshi presided over the reform and tried to enrich the country and strengthen the army, but this triggered decades of old and new party struggles. Huizong appointed Cai Jing and others to be extravagant and lustful. After the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, they sent their troops southward and captured Kaifeng at the end of 1126. The following year, they captured Emperors Huizong and Qinzong and their clan and headed north. This was known as the "Jingkang Incident" in history, and the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed. In the same year, King KangZhao Gou ascended the throne in Yingtianfu and established Southern Song.
In the early Song Dynasty, the Privy Council was in charge of dispatching troops, and the three yamen were in charge of commanding the troops. The imperial army implemented a garrison law, so that "the soldiers have no permanent commanders, and the commanders have no permanent divisions." In the local area, civil servants were appointed to know the state, and general magistrates were set up to check and control, and the transfer envoys collected wealth. The unprecedented strengthening of central power has also led to redundant troops and weak military strength.
The Song Dynasty established the imperial examination system and promoted name-blinding and transcription. The number of admissions was far higher than that in the Tang Dynasty. A large number of children from poor families entered official positions through the imperial examination. The imperial court was courteous to civil servants, and it is said that Taizu swore not to kill scholar-bureaucrats and those who wrote letters to express their opinions, and the politics of scholar-bureaucrats matured.
Kaifeng broke through the separation of cities and towns and the night ban. Shops were opened along the streets, the night market lasted all night, and a variety of plays were performed on the tile hooks. The proportion of commercial taxes in the fiscal system has increased significantly, Jiaozi has become the world's earliest banknote, and "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" reproduces the prosperity of Bianjing.
During the Qingli period, Bi Sheng invented clay movable type printing; the compass was used for navigation in the late Northern Song Dynasty; "Wu Jing Zong Yao" recorded the earliest gunpowder formula; Su Song presided over the manufacture of the water transport instrument platform, which is regarded as one of the earliest astronomical clocks in the world.
Ouyang Xiu led the innovation of poetry and prose, and Northern Song accounted for six of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties". Ci poetry reached its peak in the Song Dynasty: Liu Yong was good at slow Ci poetry, and Su Shi started a bold and unrestrained style. Zhou Bangyan was a masterpiece of graceful poetry, and was called a generation of literature together with Tang poetry.
Zhou Dunyi, Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi integrated Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism to create Neo-Confucianism. There are four calligraphers in the Song Dynasty: Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fei and Cai Xiang. Huizong established a painting school, compiled "Xuanhe Painting Book", created his own thin gold style, and the courtyard style flower and bird paintings were very popular.
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In the first month of the seventh year of Xiande's reign in the later Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin was inspected in front of the palace. Zhao Kuangyin led his army on an expedition under the pretext of the Northern Han Dynasty uniting with the Khitan to invade the south. When he arrived at Chenqiao Post Station, he was supported by the soldiers and wore a yellow robe. Then he returned to Kaifeng, and in the later Zhou Dynasty, Emperor Gongabdication, Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty, and changed the Yuan Dynasty to Jianlong.
Song Taizu persuaded Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi and other senior generals of the Forbidden Army to hand over their military power at the banquet in exchange for generous rewards in exchange for their place out of town. After that, the imperial army was led by those with less seniority, which prevented generals from gathering troops to usurp the throne. The details of this matter come from the notes of Song Dynasty people, which are exaggerated.
Following the strategy of "first south and then north", the Song army successively pacified Jingnan, Hunan, Houshu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang; in 978, Wu Yue and Zhangquan Chen Hongjin accepted their territory and surrendered; in 979, Taizong personally conquered the Northern Han Dynasty, ending the split since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
In 979, after Taizong defeated the Northern Han Dynasty, he took advantage of the victory to attack the Liao Dynasty. He was defeated by the Liao army at the Gaoliang River outside Youzhou City. Taizong was wounded and escaped in a donkey cart. In 986, Yongxi's Northern Expedition suffered another disastrous defeat, and the famous general Yang Ye was captured and died for his country. From then on, the Song Dynasty turned to the defensive against Liao.
Empress Dowager Xiao of Liao and Shengzong led their troops deep into Chanzhou. Chief minister Kou Zhun strongly advocated Zhenzong's personal expedition. The Song army shot Liao general Xiao Talin with a bed crossbow. The two sides negotiated a peace, and the Song Dynasty gave Liao 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk every year. The two countries became brotherly countries, and there was generally peace for more than a hundred years.
In the early days of Northern Song, wealthy businessmen in Chengdu jointly issued paper currency "Jiaozi" to replace the cumbersome iron money in circulation. In 1023, the imperial court established Yizhou Jiaoziwu, and the following year issued Guanjiaozi, which was the earliest paper currency issued by the government in the world.
After Western Xia Yuanhao became emperor, the Song army was defeated one after another at Sanchuankou, Haoshuichuan, and Dingchuan Village. Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi visited Shaanxi and strengthened border defenses. The two sides negotiated a peace in 1044, and Western Xia became a vassal. The Song Dynasty "gifted" silver, silk, and tea every year, which was known as the "Qingli Peace Agreement" in history.
Renzong appointed Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Han Qi and others. Fan Zhongyan wrote "Answering the Imperial Edict and Chen Shi Shi", focusing on rectifying the administration of officials, and carried out reforms such as clearing up officials, suppressing luck, and promoting fine tribute. Because they violated the interests of powerful people, Fan Zhongyan and others resigned one after another more than a year later, and the New Deal failed.
Shenzong appointed Wang Anshi to implement new laws and enacted the Young Crops Law, the Recruitment Law, the Farmland Water Conservancy Law, the Baojia Law, the Market Change Law, and the Farmland Equalization Tax Law, etc., in order to enrich the country and strengthen the army. The new law increased fiscal revenue, but its implementation was full of drawbacks and was strongly opposed by Sima Guang and others.
The chronicle style general history edited by Sima Guang took 19 years to complete, with a total of 294 volumes, recording historical events from the Warring States period to the Five Dynasties, a total of 1362 years. Shenzong gave him the name "Zizhi Tongjian" because he was "qualified to govern Taoism in view of the past."
Shenzong died, and the young Zhezong ascended the throne. Gaotaihougovern as regent, appointed Sima Guang as prime minister, and abolished the new law. It was known as "Yuanyou Genghua" in history. Gaotaihou died in 1093, and Zhezong took charge. The following year, he was replaced by Yuan Shaosheng, restored the new law, demoted the old party, and the party struggle intensified.
When the Song Dynasty learned of the rise of the Jurchens, they sent envoys across the sea to make an agreement with the Jin Dynasty to attack Liao Dynasty from both sides: the Song Dynasty took the Yanjing area and transferred the old coins originally given to the Liao to the Jin Dynasty. In 1122, the Song army failed in its two attacks on Yanjing. In the end, it paid heavily to redeem Yanjing and other empty cities from the Jin people, which exposed its military weakness.
In order to build a garden, Huizong searched for exotic flowers and stones in the southeast and transported them to Kaifeng in the "Flower and Stone Gang". The people could not bear to be disturbed. In 1120, Fang La rebelled in Qingxi, Muzhou, and captured fifty-two counties in six states. The following year, he was suppressed by Tong Guan's army. During the same period, Song Jiang and others started an uprising on JD.com.
In 1125, the Jin soldiers went south in two groups, with Huizongabdication at Qinzong. The following year, Jin soldiers besieged Kaifeng twice and the city was defeated by the end of the year. In 1127, the Jin people deposed the two emperors Hui and Qin, and took thousands of people including the emperors, concubines, clan members, and ministers into captivity to the north, and the Northern Song was destroyed.
One of the main planners of the Chenqiao Mutiny, Taizu served as chief minister for nearly ten years. He suggested "seizing a little of his power, controlling his money and grain, and recruiting his elite troops", which established the centralization system of the Song Dynasty. Taizong regained his appearance twice. According to legend, there is a saying that "half of the Analects of Confucius governs the world."
He was originally a general of the Northern Han Dynasty, nicknamed "Yang Wudi". After returning to the Song Dynasty, he guarded Daizhou and defeated the Liao army at Yanmen Pass in 980. In 986, during Yongxi's Northern Expedition, he was forced to fight by the imperial army. He fought hard in Chenjiagu without any help, was wounded and captured, and died on a hunger strike for three days. His deeds evolved into the story of Yang family generals.
He became a Jinshi at the age of nineteen and was known for his outspokenness. In 1004, the Liao army moved south in a large scale, and many courtiers moved south. He pushed against all opinions and promoted Zhenzong's personal expedition to Chanzhou, stabilized the war situation, and finally established the Chanyuan Treaty. Later, he was excluded by Ding Wei and demoted to death in Leizhou.
His family was poor when he was young, so he studied hard. During the Song-Xia War, he conquered Shaanxi and managed the army in a strict and orderly manner. Western Xia people said that he "had tens of thousands of soldiers in his chest." In 1043, he presided over the Qingli New Deal. "The Story of the Yueyang Tower" states that "worry first when the world is worried, and rejoice when the world is happy later" became the spiritual benchmark for scholar-bureaucrats.
A native of Hefei, Luzhou, he was an honest and upright official, not afraid of powerful people, and repeatedly impeached corrupt officials and relatives. I know that during the Kaifeng Prefecture, there was a purge of officials, and there was a saying in the capital that "if the joints are not connected, there will be Yama and Luo Bao Lao". He rose to the rank of Deputy Privy Envoy, and later evolved into the image of "Bao Qingtian".
He was born in the army and has tattoos on his face. During the Song-Xia war, he often charged into battle with his hair and bronze mask on, and made many military exploits. In 1053, he attacked Kunlun Pass on the night of 1053, quelled the rebellion of Nong Zhigao, and was promoted to Privy Council. Because the military general held a high position, he was jealous of the courtiers, so he was dismissed from office and sent to exile. He died of illness the following year.
No. Drunken Old Man, Liuyi layman. He advocated innovation in poetry and prose, advocating that articles should be simple and natural. In 1057, he presided over the imperial examination and promoted Su Shi, Su Che, Zeng Gong and others. He co-edited "New Tang Book" with Song Qi, and independently wrote "New History of the Five Dynasties". His representative works include "The Drunkard Pavilion".
No. Mr. Lianxi. He wrote "Tai Chi Illustrations" and "Tong Shu", explaining the creation of the universe and the cultivation of human nature with "Wu Chi and Tai Chi". Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi studied from him when they were young, and later generations regarded him as the founder of Neo-Confucianism. The famous article "On Love of the Lotus" uses the lotus as a metaphor for a gentleman.
The courtesy name is Jiefu and the nickname is Banshan. Shenzong paid homage to the prime minister twice and implemented new laws such as young crops, recruitment, and armor protection in an effort to enrich the country and strengthen the army. He resigned as prime minister and retreated to Jiangning. He is also one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". His poetic style is exquisite and he has famous lines such as "The spring breeze turns green on the south bank of the river."
There is a story about smashing a vat to save a friend when he was young. It took 19 years to preside over the compilation of "Zizhi Tongjian". Politically opposed to Wang Anshi's reform, he retreated to Luoyang for fifteen years; after Zhezong came to the throne, he went to court to worship the prime minister, abolished the new law, and died of illness a few months later.
No. Dongpo Jushi. Poetry, lyrics, writing, calligraphy and painting are all top-notch, creating a bold style of poetry. In 1079, he was imprisoned for the "Wutai Poetry Case" and was demoted to Huangzhou, and later to Huizhou and Danzhou. His famous works include "Nian Nujiao·Chibi Nostalgia", "Shui Tiao Ge Tou" and the two "Chibi Fu" before and after.
Erudite and talented, he participated in Wang Anshi's reform and was sent as envoy to Liao Dynasty to negotiate the border. In his later years, he wrote "Mengxi Bi Tan", which recorded Bi Sheng's movable type printing, compass magnetic declination and other achievements, and proposed the name "petroleum" for the first time. This book was hailed by Joseph Needham as "the coordinate in the history of Chinese science."
Clothing craftsman. Movable clay type was invented during the Qingli period: characters were carved with clay, which was hardened by fire. After typesetting and printing, the plates could be disassembled and reused. This was about 400 years earlier than in Europe. His deeds can only be found in Shen Kuo's "Mengxi Bi Tan". The tombstone unearthed in Yingshan, Hubei Province is said to be its tombstone.
From official to chief minister, he has broad knowledge of astronomy and materia medica. During the Yuanyou period, he presided over the manufacture of the water transport instrument platform, which integrated observation, demonstration and time reporting. Its escapement was regarded as the pioneer of modern clocks. He was the author of "New Instruments and Symbols"; he also presided over the compilation of "Bencao Illustration".
Zi Zhengdao, a native of Dongwu (now Zhucheng, Shandong), worked at the Hanlin Academy of Painting in the late Northern Song Dynasty. He specializes in boundary painting, and is especially good at painting boats, carriages and city bridges. "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" depicts the urban life inside and outside Bianjing, with numerous characters and magnificent scenes. It is an immortal masterpiece of genre painting.
The son of Shenzong and the younger brother of Zhezong. He is extremely talented in art. He created original "thin gold style" calligraphy, practiced flower and bird painting, established a painting school, and compiled "Xuanhe Painting Book". Politically, Cai Jing, Tong Guan and others were appointed to promote Huashi Gang, which caused public resentment. He was captured in the Jingkang Incident and died in Five Kingdoms City.