Shi Jingtang

Shi Jingtang (石敬瑭) (30 March 892 – 28 July 942 ), also known by his temple name Gaozu (高祖), was the founder and the 1st emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Jin Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 936 until his death.

Likely of Shatuo descent ethnically, he was an important military general for the Later Tang Dynasty before rebelling in 936. To overthrow Later Tang he enlisted the help of the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty, not only humiliating himself as Emperor Taizong of Liao's son but also yielding the strategically-crucial Sixteen Prefectures to Liao after his rise to power — an event that would shape the Chinese political landscape for the next 200 years.

Early life
Shi Jingtang was of Shatuo descent. His father Nieliji (臬捩雞), also known by his Chinese name Shi Shaoyong (石紹雍), had been a successful general under the Shatuo leaders in the Jin territory, Li Keyong and his son Li Cunxu, during the last years of the Tang Dynasty. Interested in military strategy since a young age, Shi Jingtang looked up to Li Mu and Zhou Yafu. When Li Siyuan was a Prefect of Daizhou (代州; today's Dai County, Shanxi), he married his 3rd daughter to Shi and allowed him to command his Left Archer Corps (左射軍).

During Emperor Mingzong's reign
In 926, a group of soldiers who were supposed to be stationed at Waqiao-guan Pass, rebelled, and threatened Zhao Zaili into assuming leadership. They seized Ye, so Cunxu, then Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, order Li Siyuan to suppress the rebellion. Generals who had moved away from the rebellion attempted to force Siyuan into commanding the. Shi used this opportunity to talk Siyuan into overthrowing Zhangzong, and took Bian with three hundred. Siyuan turned to the direction of Bian and Luoyang. Zhuangzong was killed in an accident amidst the chaos, and Siyuan was crowned Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang.

Shi Jingtang was a high-ranking official during Mingzong's reign. He was the Governor (尹) of Taiyuan, Administrator (留守) of the Northern Capital (Taiyuan), and jiedushi of Hedong (modern Shanxi), and had great financial and military power.

Overthrow of Later Tang
During Emperor Fei of Later Tang's reign, internal conflicts arose among the House of Tang. On top of that, the power of the state was declining. Shi decided to take advantage of the situation and prepare for the deposition of Tang.

He moved his possessions in Luoyang to Taiyuan. Using defence against the Khitans as an excuse, he requested expansion of his military power, resulting in the troops of Bing and You being under his command. He sent his sons Shi Zhongyan and Shi Zhongyi to court to gain the positions of youwei shangjun (右衛上軍) and huangcheng fushi (皇城副使) and to use them to bribe Empress Cao's servants, enabling Shi to be notified of everything that Fei did.

On Fei's accession anniversary, Shi did not attend the ball himself. Instead, his wife, the Princess of Jin, went in his place. Jin had to return to Jinyang immediately after the ball; Fei, drunk, commented that Shi could have been plotting against Fei. Shi thought Fei had seen through his conspiracy, so he requested that he move to a different town, to test if Fei had been suspicious of him.

In 936, rumours of Shi's plot were widespread. This fuelled Fei's suspicions. Bi Wenyu, the zhizhigao (知制誥), suggested removing Shi's threat before he had a chance to rise up. Fei took his advice and made him the Jiedushi of Tianping. Shi, who was moved to Yunzhou, asked his courtiers for advice. Liu Zhiyuan advised Shi to take advantage of the geographical features of Jiao, where he was based, and the strength of his army and overthrow the Emperor. Sang Weihan also advised him to do so, and suggested asking for help from the Liao Dynasty should it be necessary during the battle.

When Fei was notified of Shi's rebellion, he ordered his official positions and titles to be revoked, and ordered the siege of Jiao, and deployed Zhang Jingda and Yang Guangyuan. Zhang set up his camp in Jinan and surrounded Shi's troops. Despite Liu's opposition, Shi requested help from the Liao, offering the Sixteen Prefectures and to declare himself son and subject of Emperor Taizong of Liao, who was a decade his junior.

Taizong, who had been planning to expand to the south, promptly agreed. As Tang focussed on defeating Shi, they neglected to protect the state from Liao's forces. Before Zhang could invade Jiao, he had to face the Liao army. Fei ordered troops from all over the state to aid Zhang, and went to the battlefield himself to raise morale. Long Min suggested that Li Zanhua, Taizong's older brother, be crowned the Emperor of Liao and escorted to Liao, although the plan was not implemented due to obstruction from Lu Wenji, the chancellor.

Yang persuaded Zhang to surrender to Taizong. Zhang was reproached and furious at the suggestion. Yang murdered Zhang and surrendered to Taizong, ending the battle. Taizong crowned Shi Emperor Gaozu of Great Jin, known historically as Later Jin, in Jinyang, to which he left his nephew Shi Zhonggui before going south with Taizong. Fei and loyal Tang soldiers fled to Luoyang, where they killed Li. Not longer afterwards, Fei, the Empress Dowager and the Empress Consort took all the treasure to Xuanwu Tower (玄武樓), where they burnt themselves, ending the Tang Dynasty.

Reign as Later Jin emperor
Gaozu moved the capital to Bian, now known as Kaifeng (Henan). The Later Jin Dynasty is often derided as being a puppet of the Khitans. Following the agreement between him and Taizong, he ceded the strategically crucial Sixteen Prefectures to Liao, as well as agreeing to give tribute and even to acknowledging Taizong - who was ten years his junior - as his godfather.

An Chongrong, the Jiedushi of Chengde, advised him to take advantage of Liao's internal conflicts and attack it. Gaozu refused. Taizong criticised Gaozu for his inability to control An An later rebelled, but was defeated. Gaozu gave Taizong An's head, but Taizong did not forgive him and frequently condemned Gaozu.

Shi died of natural causes in 942.

The Later Jin Dynasty (936–946) was the third of the Five Dynasties that controlled much of northern China from 907 to 960, and the second of three successive Shatuo Turk dynasties that made up the middle three of the Five Dynasties.

Ancestry
Ancestors of Shi Jingtang, Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin


 * Father
 * Shi Shaoyong (石紹雍), né Nielieiji (臬捩雞), posthumously honored Emperor Xiaoyuan with the temple name of Xianzu
 * Mother
 * Lady He, posthumously honored Empress Xiaoyuan
 * Wife
 * Empress Li, daughter of Li Siyuan and Empress Cao, mother of Shi Chongxin
 * Children
 * Shi Chongying (石重英) (killed by Li Congke 936), posthumously created the Prince of Guo (created 939)
 * Shi Chongxin (石重信) (killed by Zhang Congbin 937), posthumously created the Prince of Yi (created 942) and then the Prince of Chu (created 943)
 * Shi Chongyi (石重乂) (killed by Zhang Congbin 937), posthumously created the Prince of Shou
 * Shi Chongjin (石重進), posthumously created the Prince of Kui (created 942)
 * Shi Chonggao (石重杲), name posthumously bestowed, né Fengliu (馮六), posthumously created the Prince of Chen
 * Shi Chongrui (石重睿)