Song, Liao, and Jin · Ruler

Emperor Zhezong 哲宗

Zhezong

Attested AD 1085 - AD 1135

Passages: 13
Chapters: 5
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Zhezong was a ruler.

Life and dates

Birth

Day Of Month 7 · festival observed one day later
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passage 42

Attested activity

AD 1086 to AD 1094 元祐中
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 118, passages 67, 70
AD 1086 元祐元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 144, passage 210
AD 1085 哲宗即位
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 124
AD 1085 哲宗即位
Strongly inferred · History of Song 112, passage 40
AD 1095 紹聖二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 144, passage 119
AD 1094 紹聖元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 144, passage 216

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 1094 to AD 1098 紹聖初
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 118, passages 72, 80
AD 1135 紹興五年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 107, passage 159

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Empress Dowager Gao (高氏)
grandmother 祖母 · 2 generations
Strongly inferred · History of Song 110, passage 124
Spouse of Empress Yuanfu (元符皇后)
empress 皇后
Directly stated · History of Song 144, passage 221
Spouse of Empress Xiang (向氏)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 124
Child of Emperor Shenzong of Song (神宗)
father 父
Strongly inferred · History of Song 112, passage 40
Kin of Great Empress Dowager (太皇太后)
grand empress dowager 太皇太后
Strongly inferred · History of Song 144, passage 210
Spouse of Virtuous Consort Zhu (德妃朱氏)
virtuous consort 德妃 · Concubinage
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 124
Descendant of Emperor Xizu (僖祖)
Xizu 僖祖 · paternal line
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passage 42

Key source chapters

Career and standing

AD 1086 元祐元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 144, passage 210
AD 1085 哲宗即位
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passage 40

Places and affiliations

Song 宋
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 118, passage 70
Polity Song 宋 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passage 40; History of Song 144, passage 119

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Song 118, passage 70

Events and relationships

Xinglong Festival 興龍節
Ritual · Honoree · Birthday festival established
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passages 41-42
Reorganized tour escorts
AD 1095 紹聖二年 · Administrative · Ruler
Directly stated · History of Song 144, passage 119

Source notes

Actually born on the seventh day; festival moved one day later to avoid Xizu taboo anniversary
Related Person Id Emperor Xizu (僖祖)
Directly stated · History of Song 112, passage 42

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

History of Song, Chapter 107Volume 107 Treatises 60: Rites 10 · 1 passage

太宗、仁宗、神宗南向為昭，真宗、英宗、哲宗北向為穆。 Taizong, Renzong, and Shenzong should face south as zhao; Zhenzong, Yingzong, and Zhezong north as mu.

History of Song, Chapter 110Volume 110 Treatises 63: Rites 13 · 2 passages

哲宗即位，詔尊太后高氏為太皇太后，皇后向氏為皇太后，德妃朱氏為皇太妃。 When Zhezong ascended the throne, an edict honored Empress Dowager Gao as grand empress dowager, Empress Xiang as empress dowager, and Virtuous Consort Zhu as imperial consort dowager.

徽宗即位，加哲宗太妃號曰聖瑞，既又禦文德殿，冊命元符皇后劉氏為太后，並依皇后禮製。 When Huizong ascended the throne, he added the title Shengrui to Zhezong's imperial consort dowager. He then proceeded to Wende Hall and by patent appointed Empress Liu of the Yuanfu era as empress dowager, all according to the empress's ritual regulations.

History of Song, Chapter 112Volume 112 Treatises 65: Rites 15 · 2 passages

哲宗即位，詔以太皇太后七月十六日為坤成節。 When Zhezong ascended the throne, an edict established the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday on the sixteenth day of the seventh month as the Kuncheng Festival.

哲宗本七日生，以避僖祖忌，故後一日。 Zhezong was actually born on the seventh day, but the observance was moved one day later to avoid the taboo anniversary of Emperor Xizu.

History of Song, Chapter 118Volume 118 Treatises 71: Rites 21 · 3 passages

今陛下初見群臣，請對者必眾。 Now Your Majesty is first meeting the host of ministers, and those requesting audience will certainly be numerous.

帝曰：「人君以納諫為上，然邪正則不可不辨。」 The Emperor said: "For a ruler, receiving remonstrance is paramount, yet the wicked and the upright cannot go undistinguished."

其群臣請對，雖遇休假，特禦便殿聽納。 When ministers request audience, even on a holiday, the Emperor specially holds audience in the convenient hall to receive them.

History of Song, Chapter 144Volume 144 Treatises 97: Ceremonial Guards 2 · 5 passages

哲宗紹聖二年，詔：車駕行幸儀衛，駕後東西班殿侍馬兩隊，撥充駕前編攔，分兩壁行於前引行門之前，隨身器械，各別給銀骨朵一。 In Shaosheng 2 under Emperor Zhezong, an edict ordered that the two rear escort companies of east and west Palace Attendants be reassigned as front blocking escorts, marching in two flanks before the forward gate guides, each man issued a silver geku.

哲宗即位，元祐元年，詔太皇太后出入儀衛，並依章獻明肅皇后故事。 When Emperor Zhezong ascended the throne, in Yuanyou 1 an edict held that the grand empress dowager's processions should follow Empress Dowager Zhangxian Mingsu's precedents.

仁、英、哲之世，太后臨朝垂簾，儀從亦不崇侈，止曰儀衛，無鹵薄名也。 Under Emperors Ren, Ying, and Zhe, when empress dowagers presided from behind the curtain, their escorts were kept modest—called ceremonial guards only, never granted the title of full imperial procession regalia.

哲宗紹聖元年，三省、樞密院言：“增崇皇太妃出入儀衛：龍鳳扇二十，侍從官入內省都知或押班一員，內侍省都知或押班一員，皇城司、禦藥院、內東門司各一員，帶禦器械內侍八員，引喝內侍一員。 In Shaosheng 1 under Emperor Zhezong, the Three Departments and Bureau of Military Affairs proposed: "To augment the imperial consort dowager's processional guards: twenty dragon-and-phoenix fans; one chief steward or ushership leader from the Escort Officials Inner Palace Service; one chief steward or ushership leader from the Inner Service Bureau; one official each from the Imperial City Command, Imperial Pharmacy, and Inner East Gate Command; eight armed inner attendants; and one herald.

二年，臣僚又言：“元符皇后，元符末嚐預定策之勳，以承神宗、哲宗之誌。” In year 2, officials again memorialized: "Empress Yuanfu, at the end of the Yuanfu era, had shared in settling the succession and carried forward the intentions of Emperors Shenzong and Zhezong."