Emperor Shenzong of Song family House of Zhao
Reign
During his reign in 1068, Emperor Shenzong became interested in Wang Anshi's policies and appointed Wang as the Chancellor. Wang implemented his famous New Policies aimed at improving the situation for the peasantry and unemployed. These acts became the hallmark reform of Emperor Shenzong's reign.
Emperor Shenzong sent failed campaigns against the Vietnamese ruler Lý Nhân Tông of the Lý dynasty in 1076.Emperor Shenzong's other notable act as emperor was his attempt to weaken the Tangut-led Western Xia state by invading and expelling the Western Xia forces from Qing prefecture (庆州, today Qingyang, Gansu Province). The Song army was initially quite successful at these campaigns, but during the battle for the city of Yongle (永乐城), in 1082, Song forces were defeated. As a result, Western Xia grew more powerful and subsequently continued to be a thorn in the side of the Song Empire over the ensuing decades.
Emperor Shenzong hired Muslim warriors from Bukhara to fight against Khitan Liao dynasty. 5,300 Muslim men from Bukhara were encouraged and invited to move to China in 1070 by the Song emperor Shenzong to help battle the Liao empire in the northeast and repopulate areas ravaged by fighting. The emperor hired these men as mercenaries in his campaign against the Liao empire. Later on these men were settled between the Song capital of Bianliang (today Kaifeng) and Yenching (modern Beijing). The circuits (道) of the north and north-east were settled in 1080 when 10,000 more Muslims were invited into China.During Emperor Shenzong's reign, Sima Guang, a minister interested in the history of the previous 1000 years, wrote a very influential history book, the Zizhi Tongjian or A Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government. This book records historical events from the Zhou dynasty to the Song dynasty. Another notable literary achievement which occurred during his reign was the compilation of the Seven Military Classics, including the alleged forgery of the Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong.Aside from the ancient Roman embassies to Han and Three-Kingdoms era China, contact with Europe remained sparse if not nonexistent before the 13th century. However, from Chinese records it is known that Michael VII Doukas (Mie li yi ling kai sa 滅力伊靈改撒) of Fo lin (i.e. the Byzantine Empire) dispatched a diplomatic mission to China's Song dynasty that arrived in 1081, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong.Emperor Shenzong died in 1085 at the age of 36 from an unspecified illness and was succeeded by his son, Zhao Xu who took the throne as Emperor Zhezong. Emperor Zhezong was underage and so Shenzong’s mother Empress Gao ruled as regent until her death.Empress Qinsheng, of the Xiang clan (欽聖皇后 向氏; 1046–1101)
Princess Shuhuai (淑懷帝姬; 1067–1078), first daughter
Empress Qincheng, of the Zhu clan (欽成皇后 朱氏; 1052–1102)
Zhao Xu, Zhezong (哲宗 趙煦; 1077–1100), sixth son
Zhao Shi, Prince Churongxian (楚榮憲王 趙似; 1083–1106), 13th son
Princess Xianjing (賢靜帝姬; 1085–1115)
Married Pan Yi (潘意) in 1104, and had issue (two sons)
Empress Qinci, of the Chen clan (欽慈皇后 陳氏; 1058–1089)
Zhao Ji, Huizong (徽宗 趙佶; 1082–1135), 11th son
Noble Consort, of the Xing clan (懿穆貴妃 邢氏; d. 1103)
Zhao Jin, Prince Hui (惠王 趙僅; 1071), second son
Zhao Xian, Prince Ji (冀王 趙僩; 1074–1076), fifth son
Zhao Jia, Prince Yudaohui (豫悼惠王 趙價; 1077–1078), seventh son
Zhao Ti, Prince Xuchonghui (徐沖惠王 趙倜; 1078–1081), eighth son
Noble Consort, of the Yang clan (懿靜貴妃 楊氏)
Noble Consort, of the Song clan (貴妃 宋氏; d. 1117)
Zhao Yi, Prince Cheng (成王 趙佾; 1069), first son
Zhao Jun, Prince Tang'aixian (唐哀獻王 趙俊; 1073–1077), third son
Princess Xianxiao (賢孝帝姬; d. 1108), fourth daughter
Married Wang Yu (王遇) in 1097
Pure Consort, of the Zhang clan (懿靜淑妃 張氏; d. 1105)
Princess Xianke (賢恪帝姬; d. 1072), second daughter
Virtuous Consort, of the Zhu clan (德妃 朱氏)
Princess Xianmu (賢穆帝姬; d. 1084)
Able Consort, of the Wu clan (惠穆賢妃 武氏; d. 1107)
Zhao Bi, Prince Wurongmu (吳榮穆王 趙佖; 1082–1106), ninth son
Princess Xianhe (賢和帝姬; d. 1090)
Able Consort, of the Lin clan (賢妃 林氏; 1052–1090), personal name Zhen (貞)
Zhao Yu, Prince Yan (燕王 趙俁; 1083–1127), 12th son
Princess Xianling (賢令帝姬; d. 1084)
Zhao Cai, Prince Yue (越王 趙偲; 1085–1129), 14th son
Cairen, of the Guo clan (才人 郭氏)
Zhao Wei, Prince Yi (儀王 趙偉; 1082), tenth son
Furen, of the Xiang clan (夫人 向氏)
Zhao Shen, Prince Bao (褒王 趙伸; 1074), fourth son
Unknown
Princess Xianmu (賢穆帝姬; d. 1111), third daughter
Married Han Jiayan (韓嘉彥; d. 1129)
Princess Xiankang (賢康帝姬; d. 1085)
Princess Xianyi (賢宜帝姬; d. 1085)
clan kinship lineage dynasty tribe