Emperor Taizong of Tang (598/9 - 649), personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
He was the second son of Li Yuan (later Emperor Gaozu of Tang) and his wife Lady Dou. He had four full siblings, Li Jiancheng, Princess Pingyang, Li Xuanba (who died young) and Li Yuanji. Through his paternal grandmother Lady Dugu, he was related to the Sui's Emperor Yang, whose mother was Lady Dugu's sister Dugu Qieluo (Empress Wenxian of Sui). When he was 15 years old, he was married to Lady Zhangsun, the niece of Li Yuan's friend Gao Shilian. Lady Zhangsun would become Li Shimin's empress, and Gao Shilian would serve under both Gaozu and Taizong.
In 617, Emperor Gaozu rebelled against Sui (Li Shimin was suspected to have coerced his father into rebellion), and with the help of Li Jiancheng, Princess Pingyang and Li Shimin, he soon conquered Chang'an. After founding the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin to deal with several other warlords. By 621, his military merits were so great (he had once decisively defeated an army of more than 100,000 with a force of (according to some sources) less than 5,000 to reunify China) that he was honoured more than any other commander. He was only 23.
Unfortunately, his military accomplishments made his older brother Li Jiancheng, the crown prince, afraid that he would be replaced in favour of Li Shimin, and with his other brother Li Yuanji, he plotted to have Li Shimin assassinated. When Li Shimin found out, he ambushed and killed them at the Xuanwu Gate, in the infamous Xuanwu Gate Incident. After killing his brothers, he then killed their sons to avoid problems later down the line, took his sister-in-law Lady Yang as a concubine (though he never gave her a formal title), and forced his father to abdicate to him.
Because of the violent way in which he became emperor, it's suggested that the reason he was so determined to be a good emperor was because he wanted to save his reputation from being destroyed by his usurpation of the throne. When he became emperor, he readily accepted the advice of his officials, and even asked for them to point out the flaws of his plans. The most famous of these advisors was Wei Zheng, who had previously served under Li Jiancheng and encouraged Li Jiancheng to kill Li Shimin. Although Li Shimin had resolved to kill Wei Zheng a few times under his governance, he was extremely grateful for Wei Zheng's advice when he calmed down his temper. His wife Empress Zhangsun had helped him during the Xuanwu Gate Incident and she, like many of his advisors, gave him honest advice to better his rule and served as a loyal assistant note
Under his reign, he was able to vanquish the Eastern Gokturks, which had launched incursions as far as Chang'an. He launched campaigns against uncooperative states along the Silk Road, establishing influence over the Tarim Basin. The Eastern Gokturks were succeeded by the Xueyantuo, which he conquered in 646 after multiple Xueyantuo incursions. However he pushed religious tolerance and allowed other ethnicities high government offices, two of his favoured generals being Turkic. He pushed China to an economic high after 400 years of disunity and the Sui Dynasty falling apart, and he cared deeply for the people, enacting measures to help them, and they enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity (well, the rich people did). He was known for being lenient in justice cases - according to one source, he only executed 29 people one year - a very low amount for the 7th century. He also enhanced China's international trade and diplomacy, striking an alliance with Silla, Tibet and the Uyghurs, and exchanging envoys with the Byzantine Empire and India. Like Emperor Yang of Sui and his father Emperor Gaozu, he only used one era name 'Zhen'guan' (hence his rule being known as the 'prosperity of Zhen'guan').
Like his father Gaozu, he experienced problems with the Sibling Rivalry between his eldest son Li Chengqian and his second son by Empress Zhangsun, Li Tai. Li Chengqian was originally a promising crown prince, but he began dressing up as a Turkic Khan, refusing to speak Chinese, pretended to be dead, and sent assassins after his teacher. The final straw was when he had his male favourites engage in sorcery, which drew Taizong's ire, and he had them executed. Li Chengqian was furious at his father, and suspected Li Tai of snitching to him. Eventually, Li Chengqian was found out to have been attempting to kill Li Tai and force Taizong to abdicate to him. Taizong executed his accomplices, but spared Li Chengqian. After Li Tai told Taizong he'd kill all his sons and make his brother (Taizong and Empress Zhangsun's third son) Li Zhi the emperor, Taizong gave up the idea of making him crown prince and made Li Zhi the crown prince.
His biggest stain is probably his failed expedition into the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo. Taizong had always wished to do what Emperor Yang of Sui couldn't (Emperor Yang had launched several failed attempts on Goguryeo). When Taizong's ally Seondeok of Silla (who he had initially refused to recognise as ruler due to her gender) was invaded by Goguryeo and Baekje, Taizong sent an envoy to order that the attacks stop. When Goguryeo's Yeon Gaesomun continued attacking, Taizong launched a full-on invasion. He enjoyed initial success, but was forced to retreat after a failed siege on the Ansi Fortress. He allegedly got blinded in one eye by an arrow, but this record is not in Chinese, or other foreign sources. Given the metropolitan nature of Tang at the time, if this was actually true, foreign dignitaries visiting China would have taken note even if it was absent from Chinese records. In fact, the Korean allegation that Taizong was blinded by an arrow was not from contemporary sources, but came much later after the death of Taizong. After failed attempts to normalise relations, Taizong continued to attack Goguryeo in 647 and 648, to prepare for another campaign in 649.
He fell ill in 649, likely due to the mercury pills he took from alchemists (death by mercury poisoning was common for emperors, as they thought taking it would make them immortal), and died that year. The planned campaign in Goguryeo was cancelled according to his last wishes - Li Zhi would eventually conquer Goguryeo in 668. After his death, Li Zhi took the throne and became Emperor Gaozong.
Was the first husband of Wu Zetian.
Portrayals of Taizong in fiction:
Literature
- Journey to the West has him as a minor character. He's seen at the start and end of Sanzang's journey, which starts from and ends in Chang'an.
- Shimin in Iron Widow shares a name with him.
- Also appears in Xiran Jay Zhao's other novel Zachary Ying And The Dragon Emperor
Live-Action TV
- Is one of the main characters of The Empress of China about Wu Zetian's rise to power, where she is inaccurately depicted as his favourite.
Manhua
- Is the antagonist of Choukakou, which depicts a fictional daughter of his older brother that he had killed.
Video Games
- In Civilization, Taizong is the leader of China in the Chinese versions of III and IV (replacing Mao Zedong). He also appears in the second mobile spin-off game, Civilization Revolution 2.
