Dynasties of ChinaWestern XiaWestern Xia lineage
Daqing and others · Reign 1139—1193
In the fifty-fourth year of his reign, he established schools to respect Confucius, promulgated laws and regulations, promoted Buddhism, and punished the powerful ministers who divided the country. Western Xia culture reached its peak.
Li Renxiao, the eldest son of Chongzong, and his mother, Cao, are Han Chinese. He ascended the throne at the age of sixteen in 1139 and maintained peace with Jin Dynasty, making the territory relatively stable. In the early years of his accession to the throne, he encountered the rebellion of Xiao Heda, the commander of Xiazhou, and the uprising of hungry people after the earthquake. They were all put down by the army led by his relative Ren Dejing. From then on, the Ren family came to power in the court, became the minister of the country, and was granted the title of King of Chu. He specialized in government affairs for more than 20 years.
Renxiao advocated Confucianism, ordered all states and counties to establish schools, established Taixue, respected Confucius as Emperor Xuan, opened subjects to recruit scholars, and established the Hanlin Academy to compile and compile records; during the Tiansheng period, the "Tiansheng Reform of Old and New Laws" was revised and promulgated. He also believed in Buddhism and engraved Buddhist scriptures in Western and Chinese on a large scale. In 1170, Ren Dejing forced him to cede half of his territory, and with the support of Jin Dynasty, he killed Ren's party. He died of illness in 1193 at the age of seventy. Western Xia reached its cultural peak under his rule.
Renxiao reigned for more than half a century, and had a long-term reconciliation with Jin Dynasty. He promoted internal learning and respected Confucius, opened schools to recruit scholars, revised laws and regulations, and engraved scriptures, which brought Confucianism, Buddhism, and literary classics in Western Xia to their peak. Most of the Western Xia documents seen today date from this period. He decisively killed Ren Dejing and prevented the country from splitting. However, he valued literature over military affairs, and his military preparations gradually weakened. In his later years, officialdom gradually became corrupt, and Western Xia quickly declined after him.
PoliticsAscended to the throne at the age of sixteen
Chongzong died of illness, and 16-year-old Renxiao came to the throne. The next year, it was changed to Daqing. He continued to surrender to Jin, the two countries reconciled, and Western Xia was able to recuperate.
MilitaryPingxiao Heda Rebellion
Xiao Heda, the commander of Xiazhou's army, rebelled and besieged Xiping Mansion. Ren Dejing led the army to suppress the rebellion, and Xiao Heda was defeated and killed. Ren Dejing gained trust and began to take power in the court.
SocietyEarthquakes and hungry people’s uprisings
A strong earthquake occurred in the Xingzhou area, and the ground cracked in Xiazhou and springs gushed out. Coupled with famine, hungry people in Weizhou, Jingzhou, Dingzhou and other places started to revolt. Renxiao ordered tax exemptions and relief for the victims, but the uprising was suppressed by Ren Dejing.
CulturePromoting learning and respecting Confucius
He ordered all states and counties to set up schools. In 1145, the Imperial College was built. In 1146, Confucius was honored as Emperor Xuan, which was the highest title given to Confucius in the past dynasties. In 1147, subjects were opened to recruit scholars and officials were selected based on Confucianism.
PoliticsThe "Tiansheng Law Order" was promulgated
During the Tiansheng period, the "Tiansheng Reform of Old and New Laws" was revised and promulgated, with a total of twenty volumes, published in Western Xia, covering various aspects such as criminal law, litigation, administration, military, economy, religion, etc.
Lasting legacyThe engraving of "Tian Sheng Ling" unearthed in Heishui City is now in the Institute of Oriental Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is the first existing code in China printed in the languages of ethnic minorities.
CultureHanlin Academy of Sciences was established
The Hanlin Academy of Academic Affairs was established, Jiao Jingyan, Wang Qian and others were appointed as academicians, and the actual records of this dynasty were compiled. The civil governance system of Western Xia became more complete.
PoliticsKill Ren Dejing
Ren Dejing forced Renxiao to transfer half of the land in the Southwest Road and Lingzhou area to himself, and established a separate "Chu State". He also requested Jin Dynasty for canonization, but Jin Shizong refused. Renxiao got the support of Jin Dynasty and killed Ren Dejing and his gang members.
CultureGreat Dharma Conference
A large Dharma conference was held in the capital, and a total of 100,000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures in Western and Chinese were distributed. The engraving industry was developed in Western Xia, and movable type was used to print Buddhist scriptures.
Lasting legacyIn 1991, the Western Xia Buddhist scripture "Auspiciousness Becoming Zhikouhe Benxu" was unearthed from the Baisigou Square Pagoda in Helan Mountain, and was identified as the earliest extant wooden movable type print.
Culture"The Pearl in the Palm of the Han Dynasty"
Dangxiang scholar Gu Leimaocai compiled a dictionary that compares Western Xia and Chinese, "The Pearl in the Palm of Fans and Chinese". Each word is juxtaposed with Western Xia, Chinese and mutual phonetic notation, which facilitates mutual learning between Western Xia and Han.
Lasting legacyThis book was unearthed at the Blackwater City site and became the key for modern scholars to interpret the Western Xia text. The Western Xia text was basically interpreted from this.
PeopleRenzong died of illness
He died of illness in September at the age of seventy. He reigned for fifty-four years and was the longest-reigning monarch in Western Xia. The eldest son, Li Chunyou, ascended the throne as Huanzong.
The father of Empress Chongzong, he came to power after pacifying the Xiao Heda Rebellion. He rose to the rank of Prime Minister and was granted the title of King of Chu. He specialized in government affairs for more than 20 years. In 1170, he forced Renxiao to divide the country, but failed and was executed.
He has been in charge of compiling national history for generations, is proficient in the Five Classics, translated "The Analects of Confucius" in Western Chinese, and wrote "The Analects of Confucius". Ren Dejing was ostracized for many years because of his opposition to Ren Dejing.
Dangxiang scholar, in 1190 compiled a dictionary comparing Western Xia and Chinese "The Pearl in the Palm of Fans and Han Dynasties" to facilitate mutual learning between Fan and Han.
Huanzong's biological mother was a Han Chinese and believed in Buddhism. She once vowed to engrave and distribute Buddhist scriptures. Renzong became the Queen Mother after her death, and supported Li Anquan in deposing Huanzong in 1206.