Emperor Zhongzong of Tang

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
唐中宗
Emperor of the Tang dynasty
Reign3 January 684[1] – 26 February 684[2]
PredecessorEmperor Gaozong (under Empress Zetian's shadow)
SuccessorEmperor Ruizong (under Empress Zetian's regency)
RegentEmpress Zetian
Reign23 February 705[3] – 3 July 710
PredecessorDynasty restored
(Wu Zetian as empress regnant of the Wu Zhou dynasty)
SuccessorEmperor Shang (under Empress Wei's regency)
De facto regentEmpress Wei
Born26 November 656
Chang'an
Died3 July 710(710-07-03) (aged 53)[4]
Burial
Ding Mausoleum (定陵)
ConsortsEmpress Hesi
(died 675)
Lady Wei of Jingzhao (m. –710)
IssueLi Chongrun
Li Chongfu
Li Chongjun
Emperor Shang
Princess Changning
Princess Yongtai
Princess Anle
Names
Family name: Li (李),
later Wu (changed 700),
later back to Li (changed 705)
Given name: Xian (顯), later Zhe (哲),[5]
then later back to Xian (顯)[6]
Posthumous name
Short: Emperor Xiaohe (孝和皇帝)[7]
Full: Emperor Dahe Dasheng
Dazhao Xiao[8] (大和大聖大昭孝皇帝)
Temple name
Zhōngzōng (中宗)
HouseLi
DynastyTang
FatherEmperor Gaozong
MotherEmpress Zetian
Tang Zhongzong
Chinese唐中宗
Literal meaning"Middle Ancestor of the Tang"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTáng Zhōngzōng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationTòhng Jungjūng
Li Xian
Chinese李顯
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Xiǎn
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationLéih Hín
Li Zhe
Chinese李哲
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Zhé
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationLéih Jit
Wu Xian
Chinese武顯
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWǔ Xiǎn
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationMóuh Hín

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (26 November 656[9] – 3 July 710), personal name Li Xian, and at other times Li Zhe or Wu Xian, was the fourth and seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710. During the first period, he did not have actual power, which was in the hands of his mother, Empress Wu Zetian and he was overthrown on her orders after opposing his mother. During his second reign, most of the power was in the hands of his consort Empress Wei.

Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), and during the reign of his father, Emperor Zhongzong's mother Empress Wu, not Emperor Gaozong, was in actual control of power as empress consort and power behind the emperor. He succeeded his father in 684, But as emperor, he had no true power, and all authority remained in the firm hands of his mother, Empress Dowager Wu. His mother, however, deposed him less than two months later in favor of his younger brother Emperor Ruizong. The former emperor, demoted to a princely rank, was exiled to the provinces and placed under house arrest. Six years later, Emperor Ruizong relinquished the throne to his mother and Empress Dowager Wu officially proclaimed herself empress regnant, while Emperor Ruizong was made crown prince.

By 698, the court was caught in the middle of a bitter power struggle. In an attempt to secure her prominence, Empress Wu liberated the former emperor from his 14 years of seclusion and recalled him to the capital in April 698. He was reinstated as crown prince in October 698, taking his brother's place. On 20 February 705, a palace coup deposed Wu Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong was restored as emperor three days later. Emperor Zhongzong reigned for five years but was a totally weak, carefree, cowardly, shy, henpecked weakling and easily influenced ruler. Thus, real power was in the hands of his empress consort, Empress Wei and her lover Wu Sansi (Wu Zetian's nephew) and his daughter Li Guo'er, the Princess Anle. He was relatively similar to his father. Of course, Emperor Gaozong was able to make decisions, although he did it slowly in government affairs, but various debilitating diseases until his death became the main reason for handing over power to his wife Empress Wu. In contrast, Emperor Zhongzong likely had depression due to his long duration under house arrest; this encouraged him to hand over power to his wife and daughter.

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died, allegedly poisoned by Empress Wei, who then installed his son, Li Chongmao, as Emperor Shang. Empress Wei, who had failed to install her daughter Li Guo'er, the Princess Anle, as heir to Emperor Zhongzong, thought that Li Chongmao, born of Zhongzong and a concubine and who was only 16 years old, would be easy to control and allow her to preserve her power. The scheme failed, however, when Princess Taiping, the sister of Emperor Zhongzong, launched a coup two weeks later with her nephew Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong), son of the abdicated Emperor Ruizong, and overthrew Empress Wei and the young emperor. Emperor Ruizong, the father of Li Longji and the older brother of Princess Taiping, was restored as emperor.

  1. ^ Volume 203 of the Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zhongzong was made emperor under Wu Zetian on the jia'zi day of the 12th month of the 1st year of the Hong'dao era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 3 Jan 684 in the Julian calendar. [(弘道元年)十二月,...甲子,中宗即位,...] Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 203.
  2. ^ Volume 203 of the Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zhongzong was deposed by his mother Empress Wu on the wu'wu day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the Guang'zhai era of Tang Ruizong's reign. This date corresponds to 23 Jan 684 in the Julian calendar. [(光宅元年)二月,戊午,太后集百官于乾元殿,裴炎与中书侍郎刘祎之、羽林将军程务挺、张虔勖勒兵入宫,宣太后令,废中宗为庐陵王,扶下殿。] Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 203; Wu then made Zhongzong's brother Ruizong her next puppet emperor.
  3. ^ Restored as emperor three days after the coup that put an end to his mother's power. Volume 207 of the Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zhongzong assumed the throne on the bingwu day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Shenlong era of Wu Zetian's reign. This date corresponds to 23 Feb 705 in the Gregorian calendar. [(神龙元年正月)丙午,中宗即位。] Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 207.
  4. ^ According to Zhongzong's biography in the Old Book of Tang, he was poisoned, aged 55 (by East Asian reckoning), on the renwu day of the 6th month of the 4th year of the Jinglong era of his reign. This date corresponds to 3 Jul 710 in the Gregorian calendar. [(景龙四年)六月壬午,帝遇毒,崩于神龙殿,年五十五。] Old Book of Tang, vol.7.
  5. ^ His name was changed into Zhe in 677.
  6. ^ His name reverted to Xian when he was reinstated as crown prince in October 698. This name became his taboo name when he reascended the throne in 705.
  7. ^ Old Book of Tang, vol 7.
  8. ^ Final version of his posthumous name as given in 754.
  9. ^ According to Zhongzong's biography in the Old Book of Tang, he was born on the yichou day of the 11th month of the 1st year of the Xianqing era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 26 Nov 656 in the Gregorian calendar. [显庆元年十一月乙丑,生于长安。] Old Book of Tang, vol.7.