Dynasties of ChinaWestern XiaWestern Xia lineage
Guangding · Reign 1211—1223
A top-ranked examination graduate, he seized the throne in a coup, allied with the Mongols and waged a prolonged war against Jin that exhausted Western Xia. He later abdicated in favor of his son.
Li Zunxu, the son of Li Yanzong, King Qi of the clan, was well versed in calligraphy since he was a child, and worked in official script and seal script. When Huanzong was in Huanzong, he participated in the court examination and ranked first in the Jinshi. Later, he inherited the title of King Qi and became the governor of the palace. In 1211, he launched a coup to depose Xiangzong Zili and adopted the era name Guangding.
During Shenzong's reign, he continued to annex Mongolia and attack the Jin Dynasty. He sent troops to the Jin Dynasty border in consecutive years, and sent envoys to join the Song Dynasty to attack Jin Dynasty. As a result, the army was in trouble, finances were scarce, and agriculture was abandoned. In 1217, when the Mongolian army besieged Zhongxing Mansion, he fled to Xiliang and sent envoys to ask for his surrender. Crown Prince Li Deren remonstrated with the attack on Jin and was imprisoned after being deposed. In 1223, under internal and external difficulties, he passed the throne to his second son Li Dewang, who claimed to be the emperor. He died in 1226 at the age of sixty-four.
PeopleNumber One Scholar in Imperial Examination
According to "Western Xia Shu Shi" written by the Qing Dynasty, in the tenth year of Huanzong Tianqing's imperial examination, Li Zunxu of the clan ranked first. He later became a rare emperor in history.
Politicscoup d'état
In July, he launched a coup, deposed Xiangzong, proclaimed himself emperor, adopted the era name Guangding, and then petitioned Jin Dynasty for canonization.
MilitaryAttached to Mongolia and Attacking Gold
Under pressure from Mongolia, troops were sent to attack Jin Dynasty border states and counties in successive years, and the Jin army also repeatedly counterattacked. Xia and Jin have been attacking each other for more than ten years. Western Xia's national power has been exhausted and its farmland has been barren.
DiplomacyAlliance with the Song Dynasty to Attack the Jin Dynasty
He sent envoys to Sichuan in the Song Dynasty many times, agreeing to attack Jin Dynasty from both sides. In 1220, the Xia army and the Song army jointly attacked Jin Dynasty Gongzhou, but they retreated after being unable to attack for a long time. The strategy of uniting with the Song Dynasty failed to work.
MilitaryZhongxing Mansion is besieged again
The Mongolian army launched another massive attack and surrounded Zhongxing Mansion. Shenzong ordered the Crown Prince to stay behind, and left Xiliang Mansion himself. He sent an envoy to ask for surrender, and the Mongolian army retreated.
PoliticsPassing the throne to the emperor
Crown Prince Li Deren was deposed and placed under house arrest because of his dissent. After years of defeat and the people's livelihood being in dire straits, Shenzong passed down the throne to his second son Li Dewang, who claimed to be the emperor and was the only emperor in Western Xia.
PeopleThe emperor passed away
He died at the age of sixty-four when Cheng Jisihan personally conquered Western Xia and the army was approaching. At this time, Western Xia had lost a large area of its territory and was on the verge of extinction.
Shenzong's eldest son. He believed that joining Mongolia to attack Jin would deplete the country's power, so he tried to make peace with Jin and refused to lead troops to attack Jin. Therefore, he was deposed as Crown Prince and imprisoned in Lingzhou.
Shenzong's second son. After his elder brother was deposed, he came to the throne with the accession following abdication. It was Xianzong. After he came to the throne, he changed to the strategy of allying Jin to fight against Mongolia.