Emperor Shengzong of Liao
| Emperor Shengzong of Liao | |||||||||||||
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| Emperor of the Liao dynasty | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 14 October 982 – 25 June 1031 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Jingzong | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Xingzong | ||||||||||||
| Born | Wenshunu (Khitan name) Yelü Deguang (sinicised name) 16 January 972 |
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| Died | 25 June 1031 (aged 59) | ||||||||||||
| Empress | Xiao Pusage | ||||||||||||
| Concubine | Xiao Noujin Consort Puwei Consort Jiang Consort Xiao Consort Xiao Consort Ma Consort Da Consort Bai Consort Li Consort Ai Consort Sun |
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| Issue |
Sons: Yelü Zongzhen Yelü Zhongyuan Yelü Biegute Yelü Wuge Yelü Gou'er Yelü Hougu Daughters: Yelü Yange Yelü Yanmu Yelü Shuogu Yelü Cuiba Yelü Taoge Yelü Dianni Yelü Jiuge Yelü Changshou Yelü Bage Yelü Shige Yelü Boshi Yelü Taige Yelü Saige Yelü Xingge |
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| Father | Emperor Jingzong | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Xiao Chuo | ||||||||||||
| Era dates | |
|---|---|
| Qianheng (乾亨; 982) Tonghe (統和; 983-1012) Kaitai (開泰; 1012-1021) Taiping (太平; 1021-1031) |
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| Posthumous name | |
| Wenwu Daxiao Xuan Huangdi (文武大孝宣皇帝) |
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| Temple name | |
| Shengzong |
| Emperor Shengzong of Liao | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 遼聖宗 | ||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 辽圣宗 | ||||||
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| Wenshunu (Khitan name) | |||||||
| Chinese | 文殊奴 | ||||||
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| Yelü Longxu (sinicised name) | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 耶律隆緒 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 耶律隆绪 | ||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Liáo Shèngzōng |
| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wénshùnú |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Yēlǜ Lóngxù |
Emperor Shengzong of Liao (16 January 972 – 25 June 1031), personal name Wenshunu, sinicised name Yelü Longxu, was the sixth emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty.
Emperor Shengzong succeeded his father, Emperor Jingzong, at the age of 12 in 982. As he was too young to rule at the time, his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, became the regent.
Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song dynasty sought to take advantage of the situation by launching an invasion on the Liao dynasty's southern capital (present-day Beijing) in the contentious Sixteen Prefectures in 986. Three large Song armies were sent to three different strategic locations on the approach to the southern capital. While initially successful, the young Emperor Shengzong, along with Empress Dowager Xiao, led an army of Liao cavalry to counter the enemy and defeated the Song forces at the Battle of the Qigou Pass in June. Empress Dowager Xiao appointed Yelü Xiuge as her senior general to continue attacks on the Song dynasty in retaliation until the following year.
In 1004, the Liao dynasty carried out a large-scale invasion of Song territory, camping out in the town of Shanyuan, about 100 miles north of the Song capital of Kaifeng. This resulted in the Treaty of Shanyuan, signed in mid-January 1005. According to this treaty, the Song dynasty would pay an annual tribute of 200,000 bolts of silk and 100,000 taels of silver to the Liao dynasty in exchange for peace. This arrangement would remain in place with modifications until the end of the Liao dynasty, and in fact, the Jurchens could continue this arrangement with the Song dynasty with the founding of their Jin dynasty.
Emperor Shengzong also institutionalised state examinations for the selection of officials, which was done in 988, based on models used by the Han Chinese-led Tang and Song dynasties. Despite the importance of the return of the examination system, it initially only opened the road for very small numbers, as only three to five were awarded initially, and the number only increased to between 30 and 130 candidates passing the triennial exams by 1014.
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