Noble Bloodline: A History of the Imperial Clan in the Song Dynasty -- Overseas Chinese Studies Series

Author: (American) Jia Zhiyang, translated by Zhao Dongmei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-11-01
Features: In 1127, the Jin army conquered Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty, and took Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong, along with over 3,000 close imperial relatives, captive. Emperor Gaozong, the son of Huizong, rebuilt the Song Dynasty in Hangzhou. After his death, the imperial throne returned to the descendants of Emperor Kuangyin. The imperial relatives who fled south continued to receive special privileges and care from the government but were also granted the freedom to take imperial examinations and hold official positions, gradually integrating into the scholar-official class. The most outstanding among them even rose to become prime ministers. In 1279, the Song Dynasty fell, marking the end of the history of the Zhao family descendants as imperial relatives and the beginning of a new chapter in their history as a clan. The connection between family and state is perhaps most closely and directly tied to imperial relatives. This book presents to readers a historical tapestry filled with legends and changes about the imperial relatives of the Song Dynasty, encompassing both detailed historical narratives and profound institutional reviews.