Emperor Xianzong (憲宗)

Overview

Emperor Xianzong was a ruler.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 805 嗣位
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 141, passage 130
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 5; New Book of Tang 184, passage 121
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 186
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗時
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗為廣陵王時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 179
c. AD 805 憲宗立
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 30

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 805 憲宗立
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 19
AD 805 貞元二十一年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 150, passage 131

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Emperor Shunzong (順宗)
son 子
father 父
Sources vary in certainty · New Book of Tang 52, passage 186; Old Book of Tang 150, passage 131
Child of Empress Zhuangxian (莊憲皇后王氏)
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 150, passage 131
Parent of Princess Yongchang (永昌公主)
Xianzong's Princess Yongchang 憲宗永昌公主
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 51

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 186
Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passages 192-193; New Book of Tang 141, passage 131

Events and relationships

Abolished succession tribute and extralegal monopolies beyond two taxes
Administrative · Ruler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 186
Granted residence
Political · Grantor · With Yizu (懿祖) · At Qinren Ward 親仁坊
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 5
Wore washed clothes and reduced spending relying on Dezong stores
Administrative · Ruler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 189

Assessments and attributes

Assessment did not realize presentations weighed heavily on the people · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 52, passage 194

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212; New Book of Tang 172, passage 30

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 50Volume 50 Book of Later Tang 26: Biographies 2: Imperial Family · 1 passage

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初，懿祖歸朝，憲宗賜宅於親仁坊，自長慶以來，相次一人典衛兵。 When the Virtuous Ancestor (Yizu) first submitted to the Tang court, Emperor Xianzong granted the family a residence in Qinren Ward. From the Changqing reign onward, a member of the clan in each generation held command of the palace guard.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 40: Selecting and Appointing Officials 2 · 1 passage

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憲宗時，宰相李吉甫定考遷之格，諸州刺史、次赤府少尹、次赤令、諸陵令、五府司馬、上州以上上佐、東宮官詹事諭德以下、王府官四品以上皆五考。 Under Xianzong, Li Jifu set review standards: prefects, secondary-capital officials, tomb directors, capital marshals, senior prefectural aides, Eastern Palace staff from grand tutor down, and fourth-rank princely officials—all required five reviews.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 52Volume 52 Treatises 48: Finance and Economics 2 · 3 passages

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憲宗又罷除官受代進奉及諸道兩稅外榷率； Xianzong ended succession tribute and circuit monopolies beyond the two taxes;

是時，因德宗府庫之積，頗約費用，天子身服澣濯。 Thanks to Dezong's hoard, Xianzong cut spending and wore patched robes.

帝喟然曰：「誠知非至德事，然兩河中夏貢賦之地，朝覲久廢，河、湟陷沒，烽候列於郊甸。 The emperor sighed: "I know this falls short of utmost virtue, yet the Two Rivers and the central plain are tribute lands whose court audiences have long been suspended; the He and Huang regions have fallen, and beacon posts line the capital's outskirts.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 141Volume 141 Biographies 66: Cui, Deng, Wei, Wei, Li Han, Lu, Gao · 2 passages

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憲宗在藩，疾之，既嗣位，全義大懼，願入覲，不復用，以太子少保致仕卒。 When Xianzong was still heir apparent he detested him; once he succeeded to the throne, Quanyi was greatly afraid and wished to enter for an audience, but was not again employed and died after retiring as grand guardian of the heir apparent.

憲宗患之。 Xianzong was troubled by him.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 7 passages

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憲宗立，權綱自出，頔稍懼，願以子尚主，帝許之。 When Xianzong came to the throne and power flowed from the center again, Di grew uneasy and offered his son in marriage to a princess; the emperor agreed.

帝討蔡，頔獻家財以助國，帝卻之。 When the emperor campaigned against Cai, Di offered his family fortune to support the war effort, but the emperor refused.

帝初欲頔告老，宰相李逢吉謂得謝乃優禮，非所以示責。 The emperor first wanted Di to retire, but Chief Minister Li Fengji argued that granting retirement would look like an honor, not a punishment.

宰司將以太子少保官之，帝改署賓客。 The chief ministers planned to make him Junior Mentor to the Heir Apparent, but the emperor reassigned him as Retainer instead.

季友尚憲宗永昌公主，拜駙馬都尉。 Jiyou married Xianzong's Princess Yongchang and was appointed Commandant of the Imperial Sons-in-Law.

憲宗遣中使問狀，具對府政苛細，力不堪奉。 Xianzong dispatched an imperial messenger to investigate; Gao explained in full that the prefect's rule was petty and exacting beyond what he could endure.

代還，坐治第過制，憲宗薄不用，改光祿卿。 On recall he was charged with building a residence that exceeded regulations; Xianzong looked on him coldly and reassigned him as Grand Master of Splendid Happiness.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 4 passages

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憲宗立，轉膳部員外郎，兼侍御史知雜事。 Under Emperor Xianzong he became Vice Minister of Rites and concurrently Attending Censor with charge of miscellaneous business.

憲宗面覆登，得其情，大怒，將誅群，吉甫為救解，乃免，出為湖南觀察使。 Xianzong examined Deng face to face, learned the facts, flew into a rage and nearly put Qun to death; Jifu interceded, he was spared, and was demoted to observation commissioner of Hunan.

且憲宗及先帝皆長君，朝夕恪勤，四方猶有叛者。 Xianzong and the previous emperor were seasoned rulers who labored dawn to dusk, yet rebels still rose on every side.

憲宗為廣陵王時，因張茂宗薦尉，得出入邸中，誕譎敢言。 As Prince of Guangling, Xianzong took him in through Zhang Maozong as aide; he entered the mansion, sly and outspoken.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 184Volume 184 Biographies 109: Ma, Yang, Lu, Lu · 1 passage

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宣宗追加順、憲二宗尊號，有司議改造廟主，署新謚，詔百官議。 When Emperor Xuanzong added posthumous honorific titles for Emperors Shun and Xian, the relevant offices debated remaking temple tablets and affixing new posthumous designations, and an edict ordered all officials to discuss it.