Emperor Taizu of Song

Emperor Taizu , born Zhao Kuangyin , was the founder of the Song Dynasty of China, reigning from 960 to 976.

Ancestry and early life

His family was of fairly modest origins and cannot be traced back with certainty further than the late Tang dynasty. His ancestor Zhao Ting was an official who served in Zhuozhou, in Hebei near to where the family lived. His second son Zhao Ting and his son Zhao Jing also served as local officials in Hebei. Zhao Jing's son Zhao Hongyin decided against a civil career and became a military officer instead under Tang Zhuangzhong. Zhao Hongyin knew that in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period that it would be a military career that will lead to success. As a result, Zhao Kuangyin was trained in martial arts and in the art of war. Zhao Kuangyin started training ever since he was a child and from his childhood, Zhao Kuangyin showed strong preservence. It was once said that Zhao Kuangyin found an untamed horse to practice his archery skills. Unfortunetly, the horse didn't want Zhao Kuangyin on it and therefore threw Zhao Kuangyin off its back and onto the wall. Everyone was at first shocked because a normal person would be heavily injured after being thrown against the wall, but Zhao Kuangyin got right back up and chased the horse down. Eventually, the horse was subdued and Zhao Kuangyin was unharmed. After his father started to lose his position in the government , Zhao Kuangyin at the age of twenty-one decided to leave because he knew that with his father's position, he could not become successful in the current society. He would wander around various settings in society for two years, which would mold Zhao Kuangyin's broad view on social life. It was said that one day a Daoist at a monastery in Xiangyang saw that Kuangyin, despite his beggar-like dressing, had an unusual aura. Seeing the aura, he told him to go to the north where there were currently conflicts of war. The south is too stable for him to fight and become famous. He first went up north and went under Guo Wei's command, who served under Later Han. In 951, Guo Wei rebelled and created the Later Zhou. Because of his brilliant combat skills, Zhao Kuangyin was promoted to a Chief of the Palace commander. Because Chai Rong frequently met Guo Wei, Chai Rong noticed Zhao Kuangyin and his potential. Soon, Chai Rong placed Zhao Kuangyin under his command and a commander of the calvary units. Under Chai Rong, Zhao Kuangyin's rise to power begins because Zhou Taizu had no sons and Chai Rong is his adopted son. As a result, when Zhou Taizu died, Chai Rong became Zhou Shizong.

Period under Zhou Shizong

Zhao Kuangyin slowly rose through the ranks. His career really started at the battle of Gaoping against the alliance of the Northern Han and the Liao. This battle first started when Zhou Shizong just got on the throne and Liu Mindecided to work with Liao. In the initial confrontation, the right flank army, led by Fan AiNen, Liu Yanlang（劉延讓）, Mi Xin（米信）, Tian Zhongjing（田重進）, Pang Mei（潘美）, Zhao Guangyi , Shen Yileng（沈義倫）, Lu Xuqing, Zhao Pu（趙普）, Chu Zhaobu（楚昭捕）. Within a few years, Zhao Kuangyin completely controlled the Chief of the Palace units and even developed a set of officials under him with the people mentioned above. Soon enough, he was promoted to a Jie Du Shi, controlling the most military power under Zhou Shizong. Even though Zhao Kuangyin controlled the most powers, he still had two rivals-Zhang Yongde and Li Zhongjing（李重進） who are both Zhou Taizu's son-in-laws. Even though Zhang Yongde had a good relationship with Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Kuangyin still had to eliminate Yongde's power to prevent him as a potential threat. In 959, after a trap set by Kuangyin, Zhang Yongde was demoted. After Zhang Yongde died, the last competent Second Zhou Emperor, Shizong also died, leaving an infant boy on the throne. Next up was Li Zhongjing, who lacked the people who could back him politically. As a result of this weakness, after the death of Zhou Shizong, Zhao Kuangyin was able to use his influence to transfer Zhongjing to the Yang Prefecture as a Jie Du Shi. With his two potential rivals out of the way, Zhao Kuangyin was now free to plan his coup. In 960, word reached the prime minister- Fang Zhi that Northern Han and Liao has once again allied with each other to invade them again. Without verifying whether this is true or not, Fan Zi sent Zhao Kuangyin to combat the alliance. After traveling 40 li, a "spirtiual" person claimed that he saw 2 suns fighting and that this meant the mandate of heaven is transfering onto Zhao Kuangyin. While this is one of those typical emperor rumors, it did effectively spread around the army. Soon, the army started to wonder why they are fighting under a weak little child, who can't even command an army; therefore, some of the army started to think of Zhao Kuangyin as a potential new emperor. While Zhao Kuangyin pretended that he didn't know anything, he sent a secret message back to Kaifeng to tell Shi Soxing and Wang Senchi to prepare to open the gate in the case that there really is a coup. A few days passed by until one night Kuangyin became drunk. The next morning, all the troops , who haven't slept for the whole night, got their weapons and started yelling. Zhao Pu and Zhang Kuangyi, who were guarding the tent, saw the situation and went into the tent to wake up Kuangyin. When Kuangyin got out, all the troops yelled, "The army is without a master, we're willing to make commander the new emperor." Zhao Kuangyin allegedly reluctantly and only at the urging of his soldiers, took power in a ''coup d'etat''. News of the rebellion soon reached the court and chaos erupted. The only person who thought about a resistance was Han Tong, but he was killed by one of Kuangyin's generals when he reached home. With the gate open for Zhao Kuangyin, the troops soon got into the court and without too much resistance, Kuangyin controlled the whole court. Kuangyin did pretend that he was sad and forced by his troops, but before the prime minister-Fang Zhi- could say anything, one of Kuangyin's generals pointed a sword at Wang Zhi and said, "We're without masters. Today, we must have an emperor." After the officials looked at each other and knew it was hopeless to resist, they all bowed down. With the court under control, Kuangyin officially became emperor and declared the country as Song, named after the army he controls in the Song Prefecture. After the declaration, he placed the little emperor and the little emperor's mother at Xi Jing(西京）. Song Taizu also personally ordered that the Chai faimly is to receive the care of the Zhao faimly for generations.

Accomplishments

In 960, Song Taizu helped reunite most of China after the fragmentation and rebellion between the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 and the establishment of the Song dynasty. The plan set during Zhou Shizong's period was to first conquer the North, then the South. During Taizu's period, there was a change in strategy. He would conquer all the small countries such as Shu, South Han, and South Tang. The exception was the strong Northern Han in the north at Taiyuan supported by the Khitans. Taizu's strategy was to first take the Southern territories because the South was weaker than the North as the Liao supported Northern Han.

In 968, Taizu personally led the army against the Northern Han. At first, Taizu tore through the defenses and placed Taiyuan under siege, but was ultimately forced to retreat after he stuck against the defenses of the Northern Han with the Liao cavalry coming in to support.

He established the core Song Ancestor Rules and Policy for the future emperors. He was remembered for his expansion of the examination system such that most of the civil service were recruited through the exams . He also created academies that allowed a great deal of freedom of discussion and thought, which facilitated the growth of , economic reforms as well as achievements in arts and literature. He is perhaps best known for weakening the military and so preventing anyone else rising to power as he did.

Throne transmission

He reigned for seventeen years and died in 976 at the age of forty-nine. Curiously, he was succeeded by his younger brother even though he had four living sons. This mode of succession was common among the nomadic peoples who lived in the north but it was not common in Chinese history. The traditional historical accounts place emphasis on the role Zhao Kuangyin's mother played in the decision which was made shortly after the Song Dynasty was proclaimed . So for nearly his entire reign, it was known and accepted that his brother would succeed him.

His temple name means "Grand Forefather".

Martial Arts

According to martial arts traditional lore, the Emperor Taizu created a -based fighting style known as ''Tàizǔ Chángquán'' . It is the core style of modern day . Whether he really did invent this style or if it even dates from this time is not actually known.