On This Day In History: Zhao Kuangyin Became Emperor Taizu Of Powerful Song Dynasty – On Feb 4, 960
AncientPages.com - On February 4, 960, an important political and historical event occurred in China. The coronation of Zhao Kuangyin as Emperor Taizu of Song initiated the Song dynasty period of China that would last more than three centuries.
Born in a family of military tradition, Zhao Kuangyin began to learn martial arts at an early age and acquired marvelous feats. He was famous for his outstanding battle achievements.
Palace portrait on a hanging scroll, kept in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Republic of China. - Digitized by NPM; image is directly from Shuge - Public Domain
Emperor Taizu launched a series of wars and unified the separatist regimes in South China in thirteen years. He conquered the Northern Han Dynasty, ended the separation situation of the previous 50 years, and reunified China again.
He was also an emperor who was good at dealing with state affairs. He conducted a variety of iron-handed reforms with his great verve: strengthening centralization, taking over local military power, and appointing civilians to be local officials.
Zhao Kuangyin is remembered for reforming the examination where the bureaucracy favors individuals who demonstrate abilities rather than birth. He paid attention to talent training, setting up schools, respecting knowledge, and revitalizing Confucianism.
He supported freedom of discussion and thoughts, which facilitated the pioneering of scientific advances, economic reforms, and achievements in arts and literature.
Zhao Kuangyin (Taizu was his posthumous title) promoted agricultural production and mulberry planting, establishing a series of critical farm policies.
He organized great Chinese scholars to compile essential classics such as 'The Taiping Imperial Encyclopedia,' 'The Cream of Literary World,' 'Cefu Yuangui,' and many more.
This emperor was a true master of the pen and the sword. He reigned for 16 years and died in 976 at 49, and his younger brother succeeded him.
AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Ephemeral Evidence Of Mediterranean Mobility – Boats, Migration, And The Central Mediterranean Passage In Focus
-
Huge Round Ancient Sewer System Covering 160,000 Square Meters Discovered In Ancient City Of Mastaura
-
14th Century Murals With ‘Warrior Saints’ Found In Church Of Ancient City Cherven In Bulgaria
-
Caligula: The Sole Roman Emperor Associated With The Plant Hellebore And The Ancient Greek Town Of Antikyra
-
Unexplained Mystery Of The Untraceable Stone-Throwers – Strangeness In Australia And New Zealand – Part 2
-
Egypt’s Oldest Tomb Oriented To Winter Solstice Discovered In Aswan
-
Ancient Burial Site Flagstones In Dorset Is Older Than Stonehenge
-
Incredibly Rare Iron Age Wooden Objects Discovered In 2,000-Year-Old Waterlogged Site In The UK
-
Mysterious 11,000 – Year-Old Tower Of Jericho: Was World’s First Skycraper A Symbol Of Power Or An Ancient Time-Keeping Device?
-
Hyksos: 15th Dynasty Rulers Of Ancient Egypt, Were An Internal Takeover
-
Ancient Egyptians Invented World’s Oldest Egg Ovens And They Are Still In Use
-
Largest Ancient Embalming Cachette Ever Found Unearthed At Abusir, Egypt
-
Ancient People In Tasmania Witnessed Stunning Auroras When The Earth’s Magnetic Field Flipped
-
Sarcophagus Of The Amazons: Etruscan Coffin With Paintings Of Dynamic Fighting Scenes Of Greeks With Amazons
-
Ancient City Of Uxmal And Magnificent Pyramid Of The Magician
-
When And What Was The Golden Age Of Piracy?
-
On This Day In History: Chaldean Account Of The Deluge Translated And Presented For The First Time – On Dec 3, 1872
-
On This Day In History: Canute Lavard Was Murdered By His Cousin, Magnus I Of Sweden – On Jan 7, 1131
-
Remarkable Archaeological Discoveries Made Near Bratislava, Slovakia
-
Mysterious Royston Cave And Its Unexplained Carvings Still Puzzle Scientists
