In Chinese history, there is a history of shame known as the "Shame of Jingkang". This history occurred in 1127, when the Jin State invaded the south and captured Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the father and son of Song Huizong and Song Qinzong fell into the hands of the enemy, and the Northern Song Dynasty was declared extinct. This is not only a change of dynasty, but also a profound national tragedy.
In 1127 AD, a turbulent year, the fate of the Northern Song Dynasty also ushered in the darkest moment, the Jingkang Change. The army of the Jin Kingdom marched south like a wolf, all the way to Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty. The once prosperous city of Kaifeng was filled with smoke overnight, the people were displaced, and the government was paralyzed.
At that time, Zhao Ji of Song Huizong, although he was a master of art, he was powerless on the throne. Faced with the sudden Jin army, Song Huizong panicked, and even gave up the throne to his son Song Qinzong Zhao Huan when the Jin army went south for the first time. But Song Qinzong, the new emperor, was also powerless. Despite the stubborn resistance of the main battle faction in the DPRK, the Kim army was forced to retreat for a time, but this was only the calm before the storm.
The Jin army invaded south for the second time and besieged Kaifeng. Song Qinzong tried to negotiate peace with the Jin people, hoping to exchange heavy gold for peace, but the Jin people demanded an astronomical ransom of 1 million ingots of gold and 5 million ingots of silver. This is undoubtedly a fantasy for the Northern Song Dynasty, which has already suffered internal and external troubles. The treasury is empty, how is it good?
Song Qinzong had no choice but to order the whole city to loot the people's wealth. You can imagine what it was like: officials went from house to house, from nobles to commoners. After ten days, only 600,000 taels of gold and 2 million taels of silver were collected, which was far from meeting the requirements of the gold people.
Seeing this, Jin Ren intensified his efforts and put forward an even more cruel demand for women to pay off their debts. According to the record of "Kaifeng Mansion", the princesses, princesses and other noble women of the Northern Song Dynasty could each be worth thousands of gold ingots, while ordinary folk women were priced by the Jin people at will. As a result, Song Qinzong had to order again to send a beautiful woman to Jinying in the folk pageant.
Officials did whatever it took to complete their tasks, and even the little girl of twelve or thirteen years old was not spared. They were forcibly taken and delivered to the enemy, and many eventually perished. The occurrence of this kind of tragedy made the people in Kaifeng City feel heartbroken and complained. The Northern Song Dynasty was prosperous, but it ended up in such a field.
In this context, the fate of Song Huizong and Song Qinzong's father and son also became precarious. They were captured by the Jin State and reduced to prisoners, a humiliating situation that contrasted sharply with their former imperial dignity. Even after being captured, they were forced to perform penances that lasted for hundreds of miles in the Jin Kingdom, which were displayed to the people of the Jin Kingdom to demonstrate their military victories and absolute rule over the Northern Song Dynasty.
The impact of Jingkang's shame was far beyond the royal family, and the entire Song Dynasty suffered a devastating blow in all aspects of politics, economy, and culture. Many cultural relics and works of art have been looted, and countless precious books, paintings and handicrafts have been left in other countries. The glory of the Northern Song Dynasty seems to have been completely buried overnight.
This period of history is not only a disaster for the Northern Song Dynasty, but also a pain for the entire Chinese nation. Every time I think about it, I can't help but make people feel broken. History always moves forward. After this tragedy, although the Southern Song Dynasty was established immediately, it was never able to restore the heyday of the Northern Song Dynasty with the shadow of Jingkang.
Looking back on this history is not just to lament, but to learn from it. The rise and fall of a country is closely related to the wisdom and courage of its leaders. The inaction of Song Huizong, the weakness of Song Qinzong, and the strife and corruption within the imperial court all directly led to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty.
"The shame of Jingkang", these four words not only represent the demise of a dynasty, but also a profound national self-examination. From Song Huizong's artistic fascination to Song Qinzong's inability to return to heaven, to the widespread corruption of officials, this series of factors accumulated and eventually led to irreparable results.