Emperor Yizong of Tang

Emperor Yizong of Tang
唐懿宗
Emperor of the Tang dynasty
ReignSeptember 13, 859[1][2] – August 15, 873
PredecessorEmperor Xuanzong
SuccessorEmperor Xizong
BornDecember 28, 833[1][2]
DiedAugust 15, 873 (aged 39)[1][2]
Burial
Jian Mausoleum (簡陵)
ConsortsEmpress Hui'an
(died 866)
Empress Gongxian
(died 867)
IssueLi Yi
Li Ting
Li Ji
Li Kan
Emperor Xizong
Li Bao
Emperor Zhaozong
Li Yi
Princess Weiwenyi
Princess Anhua
Princess Changyuan
Princess Changning
Princess Jinhua
Princess Renshou
Princess Yongshou
Princess Suining
Full name
Era name and dates
Xíantōng (咸通): December 17, 860[1][3] – December 17, 874[1][4]
Posthumous name
Emperor Gonghui (恭惠皇帝) (short)
Emperor Zhaosheng Gonghui Xiao (昭聖恭惠孝皇帝) (full)
Temple name
Yìzōng (懿宗)
HouseLi
DynastyTang
FatherEmperor Xuanzong
MotherEmpress Yuanzhao
Tang Yizong
Chinese唐懿宗
Literal meaning"Restrained Ancestor of the Tang"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTáng Yìzōng
Li Wen
Chinese李溫
Literal meaning(personal name)
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Wēn

Emperor Yizong of Tang (December 28, 833 – August 15, 873), né Li Wen, later changed to Li Cui (Chinese: ), was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Emperor Yizong was the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong. After Emperor Xuanzong's death in 859, Emperor Yizong was placed on the throne by the eunuch Wang Zongshi (王宗實), who killed other eunuchs supporting another son of Emperor Xuanzong, Li Zi the Prince of Kui.

According to traditional historians, Emperor Yizong did not pay much attention to governmental affairs but instead chose to live in opulence, became an alcoholic and surrounded himself with women while his government levied heavy taxes on its citizens. A deeply devout Buddhist, even more so than his father, he would hold grand Buddhist ceremonies throughout the year as well as ordering frequent musical performances in the palace. If the entertainment was to his liking, Yizong would not only reward the entertainers greatly but also bestow governmental ranks. Emperor Yizong eventually exhausted the empire's treasury that had accumulated during his father's administration. Extreme hardships, including famines that forced people to resort to cannibalism, led to widespread agrarian rebellions late in his reign. Those rebellions would plague the reign of his son Emperor Xizong.