Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (130.95.128.---)
Date: 07-13-02 09:31
The founder of the Song Dynasty
Zhao Kuang Yin (趙匡胤 927AD to 976AD)
建宋興邦為雄主 As a powerful leader he founded the Song Dynasty
and developed the country.
In the eighth moon of 904AD, Zhu Quan Zhong (朱全忠) committed regicide by ordering the killing of Li Jie (李傑), the 19th Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Zhu
Quan Zhong then installed Li Zhu (李柷) as the next Emperor. However, in 907AD Zhu Quan Zhong abolished the emperorship and dismissed Li Zhu as the Emperor
and established his own dynasty called Hou Liang or Later Liang (後梁).That was the end of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). China then entered the
period of the Five Dynasties (Wu Dai 五代) and the Ten Kingdoms (Shi Guo 十國) which lasted for 53 years from 907AD to 979AD.
The Five Dynasties were:
(1) Hou Liang or Later Liang (後梁 907AD to 923AD)
The capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kai Feng 開封 in
Henan province 河南省). There were two rulers and their surname was
Zhu (朱). The founder was Zhu Quan Zhong (朱全忠). Later Liang was
destroyed by the Later Tang.
(2) Hou Tang or Later Tang (後唐 923AD to 936AD)
The capital was at Luoyang (洛陽) in Henan province. There were four
rulers and their surname was Li (李). The founder was Li Cun Xun
(李存勗) who was leader of the Sha Tuo Tribe (沙陀祖). Later Tang was
destroyed by the Later Jin.
(3) Hou Jin or Later Jin (後晉 936AD to 946AD)
The capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng 開封 in Henan province).
There were two rulers and their surname was Shi (石). The founder
was Shi Jing Tang (石敬塘) who was the leader of Xi Yi Tribe (西夷族).
Later Jin was destroyed by Qi Dan (契丹 or Khitan)
(4) Hou Han or Later Han (後漢 947AD to 950AD)
The capital was at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng in Henan province).
There were two rulers and their surname was Liu (劉). The founder was
Liu Zhi Yuan (劉知遠), a chief of the Sha Tuo Tribe (沙陀祖). Later Han
was destroyed by Later Zhou
(5) Hou Zhou or Later Zhou (後周 951AD to 960)
The capital was at Bian (汴 present day Luoyang in Henan province).
There were three rulers and their surname was Guo (郭). The founder
was Guo Wei (郭威). Later Zhou was abolished by Song (宋)
The Ten Kingdoms were:
(1) Wu (吳 902AD to 937AD)
The capital was at Yang Zhou (楊州) in Jiangsu orovince (江蘇省)
The founder was Yang Hang Mi (楊行密) and it was destroyed by
the Nan Tang (南唐)
(2) Nan Tang (南唐 937AD to 975AD)
The capital was at Jin Ling (金陵 present day Nanjing 南京 in
Jiangsu province). The founder was Li Sheng (李昇). Nan Tang
was destroyed by Song.
(3) Wu Yue (吳越 907AD to 978AD)
The capital was at Hang Zhou (杭州) in Zhejiang province (浙江省).
The founder was Qian Liu (錢鏐). Wu Yue was destroyed by Song.
(4) Chu (楚 907AD to 951AD)
The capital was at Chang Sha (長沙) in Hunan province (湖南省).
The founder was Ma Yin (馬殷). Chu was destroyed by Nan Tang (南唐)
(5) Min (閩 907AD to 945AD)
The capital was at Chang Le (長樂 present day Fu Zhou 福州 in Fujian
province 福建省). The founder was Wang Shen Zhi (王審知). Min was
destroyed by Nan Tang
(6) Nan Han (南漢 917AD to 971AD)
The capital was at Guangzhou (廣州) in Guangdong province (廣東省).
The founder was Liu Yan (劉巖). Nan Han was destroyed by Song
(7) Qian Shu (前蜀 903AD to 925AD)
The capital was at Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan province (四川省).
The founder was Wang Jian (王建). Qian Shu was destroyed by
Hou Tang (後唐).
(8) Hou Shu or Later Shu (後蜀 933AD to 965AD)
The capital was at Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan province. The founder was
Meng Zhi Xiang (孟知祥). Later Shu was destroyed by Song
(9) Jing Nan (荊南) or Nan Ping (南平 924AD to 963AD)
The capital was at Jing Zhou (荊州 present day Jiang Ling 江陵
in Hubei province 湖北省). The founder was Gao Ji Xing (高季興).
Nan Ping was destroyed by Song.
(10) Bei Han or Northern Han (北漢 951AD to 979AD)
The capital was at He Dong (河東 present day Tai Yuan 太原 in
Shanxi province 山西省). North Han was destroyed by Song.
Zhao Kuang Yin was born in 927AD, the second year of the Later Tang Dynasty (後唐), the year of the pig, in a little town, Jia Ma Ying (夾馬營), in Zhuo Jun (涿郡 present day Zhuo county 涿縣 in Hebei province 河北省). His father was Zhao Hong Yin (趙弘殷) and his mother Du Shi (杜氏). Zhao Hong Yin was holding a position as Situ (司徒 or an official in charge of ritual ceremony) in the Later Tang Dynasty. Zhao Hong Yin wanted his eldest son (趙大郎) to study hard and become a scholar. However, Zhao Kuang Yin was not interested in books but the martial art, especially practicing his martial art with a five-foot wooden rod.
When Zhao Kuang Yin was a young man he had no job. He loitered his time away. One day, he killed a man in a restuarant. He fled to Xiang Yang (襄陽 present day Xiang Yang county 襄陽縣 in Hubei province 湖北省). Zhao Kuang Yin lived in a temple for sometime. One day a monk told him to go north to seek for his fortune. He listened to the monk's advice and headed for north. The monk him some travelling money.
Zhou Kuang Yin joined the army under the command of Guo Wei (郭威). In 950AD Guo Wei subjugated the Later Han Dynasty (後漢 947AD to 950AD). Guo Wei established his own dynasty, the Later Zhou Dynasty (後周 951AD 960AD). He was crowned Zhou Tai Zu (周太祖). Zhao Kuang Yin was appointed the deputy commader of the garrison in Hua Zhou (滑州).
Guo Wei (郭威) died in 954AD and he was succeeded by his adopted son Chai Rong (柴榮) who was crowned Emperor Zhou Shi Zong (周世宗皇帝). Chai Rong was the son of Chai Shuo Li (柴守禮) who was the elder brother of the wife of Guo
Wei. Zhoa Kuang Yin was entrusted with the power to organize the Palace Guard brigade. Zhao Kuang Yin trained and turned the Palace Guard brigade into crack troops in the Later Zhou armed forces.
During the first year reign of Chai Rong the army of the Northern Han, a nothern tribe, marched southwards, with the intention of destroying the Later Zhou Dynasty. The army of Later Zhou under the command of Chai Rong replused the invasion. In the battles against the Later Han, Zhao Kuang Yin proved himself that he was an excellent commander. In the spring of 959AD, Chao Rong led an expeditionary army marching north with the aim of reconquering the 14 prefectures occupied by the Norther Han. The Han-Nationals living in the north welcomed the Later Zhou forces. Within 46 days the Later Zhou captured three prefectures. However, when the Later Zhou army arrived at You Zhou (幽州 in present day southern Hebei province), Chai Rong felt ill and had to return to the capital Bian Jing (汴京 present day Kaifeng 開封 city in Henan province). He was very ill and he knew he was going to die. Making sure that his seven-year-old would succeed him he entrusted full power to Zhao Kuang Yin and his Prime Minister, Fan Zhi (范質) to run the country. Chai Rong died soon after.
After the death of Chai Rong, his son Chai Zong Xun (柴宗訓) succeeded him. The boy, Chai Zong Xun was crowned Zhou Gong Di (周恭帝) or Emperor Zong Gong. Actually, Chai Gong Xun's mother, Fu Tai Hou (符太后), was the person holding the power in the country. The officials and the generals in Later Zhou still wanted to follow the policy of Chai Rong - to unify the land into a big empire.
On New Year's day in 960AD, while people were celebrating, report was received that the army of Qi Dan (Khitan 契丹 later it was called Liao 遼) in the Northeast was marching towards the capital Bian Jing. Immediately, the Prime Minister, Fan Zhi, ordered Zhao Kuang Yin to lead the army and march north to stop the incursion by the army of Qi Dan. At that time northern China was occupied by the Qi Dan people who originally lived in the Liao River Valley in present day Southern Manchuria.
Zhao Kuang Yin and his army arrived at Chen Qiao (陳橋), a small suburban town
about ten kilometers northeast of the capital. They camped there for a few days. Zhao Kuan Yi (趙匡義), the younger brother of Zhao Kuang Yin, Zhao Pu (趙普), the advisor of Zhao Kuang Yin, and the generals under the command of Zhao Kuang Yin decided that he should become the Emperor as the present Emperor was only a seven-year-old boy. Whether Zhao Kuang Yin like it or not they put a yellow robe on him and proclaimed him the Emperor. Zhao Kuang Yin refused to wear the yellow robe. Three times his generals made him to wear the yellow robe and become the new Emperor. Each time Zhao Kuang Yin refused. However, he was eventually persuaded by his subordinates. Thus he became the Emperor. Zhao Kuang Yin named his dynasty the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). He was known as Emperor Tai Zu (太祖and reigned from 960AD to 976AD).
After Zhao Kuang Yin had become the emperor, the Song Dynasty embarked on a mission to unify the land. In 963AD Zhao Kuang Yin subjugated the Jing Nan (荊南). The Hou Shu (後蜀) was conquered in 965AD. The Nan Han (南漢) was absorbed in 971AD. The Nan Tang (南唐) was also subjugated by Zhao kuang Yin in 975AD before he died in 976AD. His younger brother, Zhao Kuang Yi (趙匡義), succeeded him as Emperor Tai Zong (太宗皇帝) who reigned until 997AD. Zhao Kuang Yi conquered the Wu Yue (吳越) in 978AD and the Bei Han or Northern Han (北漢) in 979AD. Except the 16 prefectures in the north that ceded to Qi Dan or Khitan (契丹) the land was unified as a big empire called the Song Dynasty.
宋史本紀第一 - 太祖
Chapter 1 in volume one from the book
Zhong Guo Tong Shu (中國通史)
By Zhou Gu Cheng (周谷城)
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 2002
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