Emperor Jingzong of Western Xia (1003–1048), born Li Yuanhao (Chinese: 李元昊) or Tuoba Yuanhao (Chinese: 拓跋元昊), also known as Zhao Yuanhao (趙元昊), Weiming Yuanhao (嵬名元昊[5]) and Weiming Nangxiao (嵬名曩霄), was the founding emperor of the Western Xia dynasty of China, reigning from 1038 to 1048. He was the eldest son of the Tangut ruler Li Deming.
Early background
Yuanhao was born to Tuoba Weiming's consort, lady Weimu as "Weimai" (嵬埋[1][note 1]). After his father died in 1032, he became the leader of the Tangut.
He was described as a talented army general and had always wanted to establish a country for the Tanguts.
Military campaigns
Early in his leadership, Jingzong abolished the surname Zhao which had been given by the Song dynasty, replacing it with the surname Weiming (Chinese: 嵬名, Tangut: 𗼨𗆟[6]).
He had also started a revolution, changing the lifestyles of the Tangut people. He ordered Tangut men to shave their heads or they would face public execution. He also ordered a change of clothing and writing.
With the help of Chinese traitors Zhang Yuan [zh] (張元) and Wu Hao [zh] (吳昊), Jingzong took an aggressive stance with the Song dynasty.[7][8] At its height, he claimed an army of 500,000 men.
In 1034 Jingzong attacked the Huanqing territories (環慶路). He captured Song general Qi Zongju (齊宗矩).
At this point, he changed his target to the Kingdom of Qocho in the west, and his efforts against them began in 1036.
In 1038 he declared himself the emperor of the Western Xia dynasty whose capital was situated in Xingqing. Afterwards, he launched a campaign against the Song. Although the Tangut empire won a series of three large battles, the victories proved to be very costly and they found their forces depleted, due in part to a scorched earth policy by the Song. In 1044 the Western Xia dynasty signed a treaty with the Song dynasty resulting in the nominal acknowledgment of Song sovereignty by the Tangut and the payment of tribute by the Song.
Culture and politics
The Emperor led to a reorganization of much of the Empire with the help of ethnic Han advisors. The empire created new departments and administrative services. The Emperor also knew Chinese and had Chinese works translated into his people's language. He accomplished this by supporting the development of a written language for the Tangut people.
However the Tangut script eventually went extinct after the Yuan conquest.
Nevertheless, Emperor Jingzong had strong opposition to the people imitating the Song dynasty too closely. He emphasized the value of their traditional nomadic way of life and discouraged any dependence on Song luxury items. Trade with the Song was minimized or cut off before the peace treaty that came four years before his death. Although Li used talented Song workers, to retain his own power and dynasty, he did not want to be conquered by the Song dynasty.
Later on the Western Xia emperors would switch between multiple sides, Liao, Song, Jin, and the Mongols, in order to retain their power. Li's attacks weakened the Jin and Song dynasties to the extent that the Mongols would later be able to conquer China. For vacillating between multiple sides, colluding with Mongols and Jurchen, and launching attacks against the Song.
However, the Mongols ultimately crushed the Western Xia dynasty, destroyed nearly any vestige of the empire, and ended Li's reign in Ningxia. The Mongols would then reunify China under the Yuan dynasty.
In 1048, both the Prime Minister, Mozang Epang (沒藏訛龐), and Prince Ningling Ge (寧令哥) conspired to assassinate Jingzong. Prince Ningling Ge attempted to kill Jingzong with a sword, but he only managed to slice off Jingzong's nose. Frightened by what he had done, Prince Ningling Ge fled to Mozang for backup, but Mozang betrayed Ningling Ge by turning him in as the assassin.
Although Jingzong initially survived the assassination, he succumbed to his wounds a few days later.
