Emperor Zhezong of Song

Emperor Zhezong was the seventh emperor of the of China. His personal name was Zhao⁴ Xu¹. He reigned from 1085 to 1100.

Zhezong was the son of Emperor . He ascended the throne at age 10 under the supervision of Empress Dowager Gao. Under Empress Gao's regency she appointed conservatives such as Sima Guang as Chancellor and Sima Guang immediately halted socio-economic improvements set forth by Wang Anshi. Zhezong was powerless and it was not until Empress Dowager Gao's death in 1093 that Zhezong was able to reinstate Wang Anshi's reform and remove Sima Guang.

Zhezong lowered taxes, stopped all negotiations with the and resumed armed conflict which eventually forced the Xixia to enter a more peaceful stance with the Song. Overall, Zhezong's reign gave the Song dynasty a breathe of fresh air but Zhezong was not able stop fighting between conservative members in his government and the more liberal members catering to Wang Anshi's reforms. This eventually lead to the northern Song's demise in the 12th century.

Zhezong died in 1100 in Kaifeng and was succeeded by his younger brother. He was only 24. His temple name means "Wise Ancestor".