death_date notes birth_date reign father house death_place title spouse image name caption succession birth_place issue successor mother burial_place article_title more
976 11 14 927 3 21 y '' at first , was in control of '' 1 . in control of only northern china 927 3 21 y 4 february 960 -- 14 november 976 zhao hongyin house of zhao kaifeng , henan , china emperor taizu of song lady empress wang -lrb- dec. 963 -rrb- empress song he -lrb- 賀夫人 -rrb- -lrb- dec. 958 -rrb- song taizu.jpg zhao kuangyin palace national palace museum , taipei , taiwan portrait on a hanging scroll , kept in 1st emperor of the song dynasty luoyang henan -rrb- , later tang -lrb- today 's luoyang , zhao -rrb- daughter -lrb- m. shi baoji -rrb- zhao defang , dezhao son daughter -lrb- m. wei xianxin -rrb- , son daughter -lrb- m. wang chengyan emperor taizong , brother empress dowager du gongyi , henan , china emperor taizu of song
 china
emperor taizu of song

zhao kuangyin -lrb- 趙匡胤 -rrb- -lrb- 21 march 927 -- 14 november 976 -rrb- , also known by his temple name taizu -lrb- 太祖 -rrb- , was the founding emperor of imperial china 's song dynasty , reigning from 960 until his death .
a distinguished military general under the later zhou , he came to power by staging a coup d'état and forcing the young emperor gong of later zhou to abdicate power .
during his reign , he conquered the states of southern tang , later shu , southern han and jingnan , thus reunifying most of china proper and effectively ending the tumultuous five dynasties and ten kingdoms period .
to strengthen his control , he lessened the power of military generals and relied on civilian officials in administration .
he was succeeded by emperor taizong , his younger brother who possibly murdered him for the throne .
