Emperor Huizong of Western Xia

Emperor Huizong of Western Xia
西夏惠宗
Emperor of the Western Xia dynasty
Reign1067–1086
PredecessorEmperor Yizong
SuccessorEmperor Chongzong
RegentEmpress Dowager Liang (1067–1076)
Liang Yimai (1076–1085)
Liang Yibu (1085–1086)
Born1060
Died1086 (aged 25–26)
Burial
Xiànlíng Mausoleum (獻陵, presumptively the No. 5 tomb of Western Xia mausoleums[1])
Names
Weiming Bingchang (嵬名秉常)[2]
Li Bingchang (李秉常)
Era dates
Qiandao (乾道): 1068
Tiancilishengguoqing (天賜禮盛國慶, 𘀗𗙀𗅲𗯿𗂧𗴴): 1069–1073
Da'an (大安, 𘜶𗵐): 1074–1084
Tian'anliding (天安禮定, 𘓺𗪚𗅲𗧯): 1085–1086
Regnal name
Emperor Jiude Zhuguo Zengfu Zhengmin Daming (就德主國增福正民大明皇帝)[3]
Emperor Gongde Zhuguo Zengfu Zhengmin Daming (功德主國增福正民大明皇帝)[3]
Emperor Mingsheng (明盛皇帝, 𗭼𘃸𘓺𘋨)[3]
Tangut style:
Emperor of the Wall-gazing Castle (𘅞𗹼𗍁𘓺𘋨)[3]
Posthumous name
Emperor Kangjing (康靖皇帝)
Temple name
Huizong (惠宗)
FatherEmperor Yizong
MotherEmpress Dowager Liang

Emperor Huizong of Western Xia (1060–1086), born Li Bingchang (Chinese: 李秉常), was the third emperor of the Tangut-led Chinese Western Xia dynasty, ruling from 1067 to 1086.

After his father's sudden death, Huizong assumed the throne at the young age of six. His mother, Empress Dowager Liang (Chinese: 梁太后, Tangut: 𗃛𘞽𘓺𗨺𘜹), became the regent for the rest of Huizong's reign. In 1076, Huizong turned sixteen, and was supposed to assume direct control of the throne but was stopped by the enormous influence of the Dowager. The two sparred over the cultural policy of the empire: the Emperor Huizong supported sinicization, while the Empress Dowager Liang supported Tangutization (ironic, considering Huizong was of paternal Tangut heritage, and Liang was of ethnic Han heritage). Empress Dowager Liang eventually had Huizong put under house arrest; as a result, Huizong requested the Song dynasty for help. The Song Dynasty then invaded the Western Xia on the premise of freeing Huizong, but the invasion was repelled.

Empress Dowager Liang then forced Huizong to marry her niece, who would also become a powerful empress dowager. Thus, the Western Xia had two different Empress Dowager Liang.

He was depressed by the control of his mother, and Huizong later died at the young age of 26.

Huizong was succeeded by his son, the Emperor Chongzong.

  1. ^ "西夏王陵简介" (in Chinese (China)). 宁夏西夏陵. 2012-12-14. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  2. ^ 辞海编辑委员会 [Ci hai bian ji wei yuan hui] (2000). 辞海:1999年版缩印本 [Ci hai: 1999 nian ban suo yin ben]. Shanghai: 上海辞书出版社 [Shanghai ci shu chu ban she]. p. 2543. ISBN 7532608395. OCLC 222462793. 惠宗(嵬名秉常)
  3. ^ a b c d Cui, Hongfen; Wen, Zhiyong (2007). "西夏皇帝尊号考略". 宁夏大学学报 (1). Retrieved 14 January 2022.