Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, lived to be 81 years old.
Song Gaozong Zhao Gou, courtesy name Deji, was the tenth emperor of the Song Dynasty and the ninth son of Song Huizong Zhao Ji. He established the Southern Song Dynasty and was the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhao Gou was very accomplished in politics. He implemented a series of reform policies, which had a profound impact on the politics, economy and culture of the Southern Song Dynasty. After he ascended the throne, he immediately released the officials and family members of the Song Dynasty who were captured by the Jin people, and actively planned the great cause of resisting the Jin people.
He appointed many capable men, such as Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, etc. With his support, these generals actively prepared for war, which enabled the Southern Song Dynasty army to gradually gain an advantage in the war against the Jin Dynasty. At the same time, Zhao Gou is also a cultural person. He loves calligraphy and is especially good at running script and regular script. His calligraphy works were praised as "Song style" by later generations and are one of the important schools in the history of Chinese calligraphy.
Character Evaluation
In terms of personal morality, Zhao Gou is also highly praised. He lived a simple life, cared about the sufferings of the people, and reduced taxes and reduced people's burdens many times. He also attached great importance to education, strongly supported the construction of academies and schools, and contributed to the cultural and educational undertakings of the Southern Song Dynasty. However, Zhao Gou seemed too weak and compromising in dealing with the relationship with Jin. In order to maintain peaceful relations with the Jin Kingdom, he did not hesitate to give up the great cause of resisting the Jin Kingdom, and even became a vassal and paid tribute to the Jin Kingdom.
These compromises put the Southern Song Dynasty at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the Jin Kingdom, and also laid hidden dangers for the future of the Southern Song Dynasty. Generally speaking, Song Gaozong Zhao Gou was an emperor who had an important political and cultural influence. During his reign, he implemented a series of reform policies, supported culture and education, paid attention to personal moral cultivation, and contributed to the prosperity and development of the Southern Song Dynasty. But he was too weak and compromised in dealing with the relationship with the Jin Kingdom, which also had a certain negative impact on the future of the Southern Song Dynasty.