Western Xia
Xia 夏 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1038–1227 | |||||||||
 Location of Western Xia in 1142 (dark grey in north west) | |||||||||
| Capital | Xingqing | ||||||||
| Common languages | Tangut language, Chinese | ||||||||
| Religion | Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Emperor | |||||||||
• 1038-1048 | Emperor Jingzong | ||||||||
• 1226-1227 | Emperor Modi | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1038 1038 | ||||||||
• Surrendered to the Mongol Empire | 1227 1227 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• peak | 3,000,000 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Part of a series on the |
| History of China |
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The Western Xia Dynasty (Chinese: 西夏; pinyin: Xī Xià; lit. 'Western Xia') or the Tangut Empire was a state that existed from 1038 up to 1227 in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi, and Ningxia. It was established in the 11th century by Tangut tribes. Occupying the area along the trade route between North China and Central Asia, the Tangut were neighbors to Northern China, which was ruled by Song Dynasty and later the Jin Dynasty.
Name
The Tanguts called their own state "phiow¹-bjij²-lhjij-lhjij²" which translates as "The Great State of the White and the Lofty" (大白高國). Since it was located in the west, the Chinese name is Xi-Xia (西夏), literally "Western Xia", and thus that name is often used in Sinological literature. The English name "Tangut" comes from the Mongolian name for the country, Tangghud (Taŋɣud), a cognate of the Chinese name Dangxiang (Chinese: 党项; pinyin: Dǎngxiàng), which in Chinese refers to the ethnic group identified with the political entity of the Western Xia.
Foundations
After coming under military pressure from the Tibetan Empire some Tangut tribes submitted to Tang China under Emperor Dezong in 799. The Tanguts who submitted were moved to the Ordos region near Ningxia, whereas those who stayed accepted Tibetan political dominance and became known in Chinese as Mi-yao.
The Tanguts remained loyal to the Tang during the revolt of Huang Chao but established de-facto independence when Tang fell in 906. They retained their de-facto independence throughout the Five Dynasties period. During this period, their chieftain had the title of Dingnan Jiedushi and nominally remained under the Five Dynasties. Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang made an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Dingnan in 932 after believing incorrectly that Dingnan was about to enter an alliance with Liao.
The foundation of a Tangut state as such goes back to the year 982 under Li Deming (李德明). However, it would not be until 1038 that the Tangut chieftain Li Yuanhao (李元昊), Li Deming's son, who also ordered the creation of a Tangut writing system and the translation of Chinese classics into Tangut, named himself emperor of Da Xia, and demanded of the Song emperor recognition as an equal. The Song court accepted the recognition of Li Yuanhao as 'governor', but not 'emperor', a title considered exclusive to the Song emperor. After intense diplomatic contacts, in 1043 the Tangut state accepted the recognition of the Song emperor as emperor in exchange for annual gifts, which implied tacit recognition on the part of the Song of the military power of the Tangut.
Early history
After Jingzong's death, Yizong became the emperor at the age of two. His mother became the regent and during Yizong's reign, Liao Dynasty launched an invasion of Western Xia, causing Western Xia to submit to Liao Dynasty as a vassal state. After Yizong's death, Huizong was put under house arrest by his mother, and she attacked Song Dynasty. The attack was a failure, and Huizong took back power from his mother. After Chongzong became emperor, his grandmother (Huizong's mother) became regent again and launched invasion of Liao Dynasty and Song Dynasty. Again, both campaigns ended in defeat and Chongzong took direct control of Western Xia. He ended wars with both Liao and Song and focused on domestic reform.
In 1115, Jurchen Jin Dynasty was set up and Liao emperor fled to Western Xia in 1123. Chongzong submitted to the Jin demand of the Liao emperor and Western Xia became a vassal state of Jin. After Jin Dynasty destroyed Northern Song Dynasty, Western Xia attacked and took several thousands square miles of land from Northern Song. Immediately following Renzong's coronation, many natural disasters occurred and Renzong worked to stabilize the economy.
The Tanguts and the Mongols
After Renzong's death, Huanzong came into power and Western Xia's power began to fail. Corruption was widespread and the economy began to falter. Western Xia also began to come under attack by Mongol Empire.
The Mongol Empire campaigned six times against the Tanguts (1202, 1207, 1209-10, 1211-13, 1214-19, 1225-26).
In 1206, Xiangzong (Li An-chuan) initiated a coup d'état against Huanzong and killed him, installing himself as emperor. In 1207 Li An-ch'uan submitted to the Mongols, and gave his daughter to Genghis Khan in marriage. Xiangzong then began a decade-long campaign against Jin Empire, significantly weakening both empires. Also during Xiangzong's reign, corruption rose to new heights, and normal peasants were very poor. The Western Xia army was also untrained and ill-equipped. Xiangzong abdicated after Shenzong started a coup d'état and seized power, and Xiangzong died in the same year, 1211.
The Mongols asked their allies and tributaries for military aid in the campaign against the Islamic countries in 1216. Although the Tangut emperor Shenzong was willing, his court and in particular his general Aša-gambu recommended against it. When Genghis Khan returned from his campaign the new emperor Xianzong pled with him, but the general Aša-gambu challenged Genghis Khan. The emperor Xianzong died during the fighting and was succeeded by Modi (Li Xian), the last of the Tangut rulers. Modi sued for peace, which was accepted, but he was then executed by Tolui, the son of Genghis Khan, and the Tangut state was fully incorporated into Mongolian administration. (cf. Kwanten 1974)
Rulers of Western Xia
| Temple Name | Posthumous Name | Personal Name | Reign Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jǐngzōng 景宗 | Wǔlièdì 武烈帝 | Lǐ Yuánhào 李元昊 | 1038-1048 |
| Yìzōng 毅宗 | Zhāoyīngdì 昭英帝 | Lǐ Liàngzuò 李諒祚 | 1048-1067 |
| Huìzōng 惠宗 | Kāngjìngdì 康靖帝 | Lǐ Bǐngcháng 李秉常 | 1067-1086 |
| Chóngzōng 崇宗 | Shèngwéndì 聖文帝 | Lǐ Qiánshùn 李乾順 | 1086-1139 |
| Rénzōng 仁宗 | Shèngzhēndì 聖禎帝 | Lǐ Rénxiào 李仁孝 | 1139-1193 |
| Huánzōng 桓宗 | Zhāojiǎndì 昭簡帝 | Lǐ Chúnyòu 李純佑 | 1193-1206 |
| Xiāngzōng 襄宗 | Jìngmùdì 敬穆帝 | Lǐ Ānquán 李安全 | 1206-1211 |
| Shénzōng 神宗 | Yīngwéndì 英文帝 | Lǐ Zūnxū 李遵頊 | 1211--1223 |
| Xiànzōng 獻宗 | none | Lǐ Déwàng 李德旺 | 1223--1226 |
| Mòdì 末帝 | none | Lǐ Xiàn 李晛 | 1226-1227 |
References
- Kwanten, Luc. "Chingis Kan's Conquest of Tibet, Myth or Reality". Journal of Asian History 8.1 (1974): 17-23.