Renzong

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Renzong

emperor of Song dynasty

Also known as: Jen-tsung, Ren Zong, Zhao Zhen

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Quick Facts

Wade-Giles romanization:: Jen-tsung

Personal name (xingming):: Zhao Zhen

Born:: 1010, China

Died:: 1063, China (aged 53)

Also Known As:: Jen-tsung; Zhao Zhen; Ren Zong

Renzong (born 1010, China—died 1063, China) was the temple name (miaohao) of the fourth emperor (reigned 1022–63) of the Song dynasty (960–1279) of China, one of the most able and humane rulers in Chinese history. Under him, the Song government is generally believed to have come closer than ever before to reaching the Confucian ideal of just government.

During his reign, two political and philosophical groups developed into factions that bitterly disputed each other’s policies as well as interpretations of the Confucian Classics. This led to the great disputes in later reigns between the conservatives and the reformers and prevented the development of solutions to the vast problems that began to confront the Song after Renzong.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.