Abstract
The founder of the Southern Song 南宋 (1127–1279) regime, Emperor Gaozong 宋高宗 (1107–1187, r. 1127–1162), after several years of struggle, managed to re-stabilize the Song court after the destruction and kidnapping of the Northern Song 北宋 (960–1127) court by the Jurchen Jin 金 (1115–1234) regime. Throughout this turbulent period, Grand Councilors (zaixiang 宰相)—the top scholar-officials—were instrumental in the government’s restoration. This thesis examines the early reign of Gaozong, focusing on the collaboration and contention amongst Grand Councilors during this pivotal political stabilization process. Traditional dichotomies of loyal versus nefarious ministers, or irredentists versus pacifists, fall short in explaining the complex relationships among high-ranking political figures during the transition between the two halves of the Song. This study endeavors to uncover how these Grand Councilors interacted, and the extent to which their relationships influenced the establishment of the centralized political system of the Southern Song in 1142.During this process, the three major foci that this thesis employs for this analysis are: Li Gang’s 李綱 (1083–1140) Grand Councilor career in 1127, Zhao Ding’s 趙鼎 (1085–1147) records on Gaozong’s escape to the sea in 1129 and 1130, and the varied perspectives of different Grand Councilors and ex–Grand Councilors on the Huaixi Mutiny (Huaixi bingbian 淮西兵變) in 1137. By conducting research on the first-person writings of these early Southern Song councilors, including their memoirs, diaries, notes, memorials and letters and comparing them with other contemporary sources, this thesis traces the unnoticed facts about these stereotypically depicted political figures within traditional historical narratives.
Rather than only focusing on their tenures as Grand Councilors, as most of the previous research does, this thesis extends beyond their tenures as Grand Councilors, incorporating their broader political engagements and later recollections to present a more dynamic and multifaceted history of Gaozong’s court. This investigation will explore how the court politics of the Southern Song before Qin Hui’s 秦檜 (1091–1155) autocracy in 1142 influenced the political patterns of his era, which may have established the political character of the entire Southern Song dynasty. Consequently, this study provides a fresh lens through which to reevaluate the engagement and interactions of high-ranking scholar-officials in twelfth-century court politics, a critical juncture in Chinese history.
| Date of Award | 27 Jul 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Lik Hang Tsui (Supervisor) |