Emperor Zhangzong was emperor of the Jin Dynasty

Jin Dynasty, 1115–1234

The Jīn Dynasty ; Khitan language: Nik, Niku; ; 1115–1234), also known as the Jurchen Dynasty, was founded by the Wanyan clan of the Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later...

, the Jurchen dynasty which ruled northern China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. He reigned from January 20, 1189 to December 29, 1208. His personal name was Wanyan Madage (完顏麻达葛) (in Jurchen), or Wanyan Jing (完顏璟) (in Chinese).

Zhangzong was the sixth in the line of Jin rulers. He inherited the throne from his grandfather Emperor Shizong of Jin and was succeeded by Emperor Weishaowang of Jin

Emperor Weishaowang of Jin

Emperor Weishaowang of Jin was the emperor of the Jin Dynasty whom ruled most of northern China in the 12th and 13th centuries. His name at birth was Wányán Yǒngjì Weishaowang was the seventh of ten emperors of the Jin Dynasty...

.

To some extent, Zhangzong continued Shizong's policy of encouraging intensive use of Jurchen language

Jurchen language

Jurchen language is an extinct language. It was spoken by Jurchen people of eastern Manchuria, the creators of the Jin Empire in the northeastern China of the 12th–13th centuries. It is classified as a Southwestern Tungusic language.-Writing:...

 and maintaining Jurchen customs. He forbade wearing of Chinese clothes and required his subjects to perform the Jurchen kowtow

Kowtow

Kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. An alternative Chinese term is ketou, however the meaning is somewhat altered: kòu originally meant "knock with reverence", whereas kē has the general meaning of "touch upon ".In Han...

 ceremony. He required his meng'an and mouke (Jurchen hereditary feudal nobility) to take an archery

Archery

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...

 test if they wanted to sit for a jinshi examination. On the other hand, he permitted Jurchen to follow Chinese funeral practices, and Tang

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 and Song

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 rituals are known to have been performed at his court in 1194.
Resuming one of the projects of King Hailing

Emperor Hailingwang of Jin

Emperor Hailingwang of Jin was emperor of the Jin Dynasty, the Jurchen dynasty which ruled northern China. He reigned from January 9, 1150 to December 15, 1161....

, he established Confucian

Confucianism

Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...

 temples in all prefectures and counties of his empire.

He ordered Zhongnanhai

Zhongnanhai

Zhongnanhai is an area in central Beijing, China adjacent to the Forbidden City which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The term Zhongnanhai is closely linked with the central government and senior Communist...

 built in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

 for him to go fishing.

Unlike Shizong, Zhangzong apparently did not consider hunting as a natural and necessary way or military training, and viewed it merely as recreation.

When in 1206 the troops of the Southern Song  prime minister Han Tuozhou

Han Tuozhou

Han Tuozhou was a Chinese statesman of the Southern Song dynasty and a minister to Emperor Ningzong.He was responsible for Southern Song efforts to recover territories lost in northern China to the Jurchen Jin dynasty in their 1142 peace settlement...

invaded the Jin Empire, trying to reunify China from the south, Zhangzong's armies defeated the invaders. To obtain peace, the Song had to yield territory, pay indemnity, and execute their militant prime minister.

Literature

• Jing-shen Tao, The Jurchen in Twelfth-Century China. University of Washington Press, 1976, ISBN 0-295-95514-7.