Li Yu (Southern Tang)

Not to be confused with Li Congke.
Li Yu
李煜
Ruler of Southern Tang (more...)
an illustration from Sancai Tuhui (1609)
3rd and last ruler[1] of Southern Tang
Reignsummer 961 – 1 January 976[2]
PredecessorLi Jing, father
Born937 or early 938[3]
likely modern Nanjing, Jiangsu, Southern Tang
Died(978-08-15)15 August 978 (aged 40–41[4])
modern Kaifeng, Henan, Northern Song
Spouse
Issue
Another son died young		Li Zhongyu, son
Names
Surname: Lǐ (李)
Given name: Cóngjiā (從嘉), later changed to Yù (煜)
Courtesy name: Chóngguāng (重光)
Royal titles
Before enthronement:
Before 959: Duke of Anding 安定公
959–961: Prince of Wu 吳王
As ruler of Southern Tang:
961–971: King of Tang 唐國主
971–975: King of Jiangnan 江南國主
After surrender:
After 975: Marquess Wei Ming 違命侯
Era dates
Jianlong (建隆):[5] 961[6]–963
Qiande (乾德):[5] 963–968
Kaibao (開寶):[5] 968–974
None:[7] 974–975
Posthumous name
None
HouseLi
DynastySouthern Tang
FatherLi Jing
MotherEmpress Zhong
In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.
Li Yu
Chinese李煜
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Yù

Li Yu (Chinese: 李煜; c. 937[3] – 15 August 978[4]), before 961 known as Li Congjia (李從嘉), also known as Li Houzhu (李後主; literally "Last Ruler Li" or "Last Lord Li") or Last Lord of Southern Tang (南唐後主), was the third ruler[1] of the Southern Tang dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He reigned from 961 until 976, when he was captured by the invading Northern Song dynasty armies which annexed his state.

Li Yu was sentenced to death by poisoning by Emperor Taizong of Song after 2 years as an exiled prisoner.

Li Yu was an incompetent ruler[8] and poisoned Lin Renzhao and Pan You (潘佑) to death.[9][10]

  1. ^ a b Unlike his father and grandfather, Li Yu never ruled as an emperor. His official title as a ruler was a king (國主), the same as his father after 958. During Li Yu's reign from 961 until 974, Southern Tang was nominally a vassal state of the Song Dynasty. Even after the rejection of the relationship following the Song invasion in 974, Li Yu never declared himself emperor.
  2. ^ Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian, ch. 16.
  3. ^ a b From his date and Chinese age at death we can deduct that he was born some time between 13 February 937 and 1 February 938.
  4. ^ a b Book of Southern Tang, ch. 3.
  5. ^ a b c Adopted the era names of Song.
  6. ^ 961 was the 2nd year of Jianlong.
  7. ^ Used the sexagenary cycle calendar without era name.
  8. ^ Indiana Companion p. 555
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference sgcq24 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ 歐陽修 (14 May 2015). 新五代史三十列傳: 二十五史風流人物--新五代史. 谷月社. p. 91. GGKEY:PY4A3ARY4DH.