Ren Dejing

Biography

Family Background and Early Life

Ren Dejing's origins are unknown, and historical sources do not record his family background. He originally served as assistant prefect of Xi'an Prefecture under the Northern Song, a subordinate regional office. Xi'an Prefecture lay on the Song-Western Xia frontier and was one of the Northern Song's major northwestern border strongholds, with its seat northwest of present-day Haiyuan County, Ningxia. In 1137, the seventh year of the Shaoxing era of Song, Emperor Chongzong of Western Xia, Li Qianshun, took advantage of Song weakness and the Jin advance southward to seize Xi'an Prefecture. Ren Dejing offered no resistance and surrendered with his forces. After Western Xia took the prefecture, he was still ordered to act as its administrator in order to pacify the local soldiers and population.

Ren Dejing understood that as a surrendered officer it would be difficult for him to establish himself in Western Xia, so he sought powerful connections. He presented his biological daughter to the palace as a consort and used large quantities of wealth to bribe influential court figures and promote her position. The vice chief censor Bali Zuren and others praised Lady Ren's talent and virtue before Emperor Chongzong. In 1138, the fourth year of the Dade era, Chongzong made Lady Ren empress. Ren Dejing thereby became an imperial in-law almost overnight. He was promoted to defense commissioner of Jingzhou, northeast of present-day Yongning County, Ningxia, and soon afterward was made military commander of Jingzhou, giving him military authority in the region.

Rise Through Military Achievement and Enfeoffment

In 1139, the fifth year of the Dade era, Emperor Chongzong Li Qianshun died and his son Li Renxiao succeeded him as Emperor Renzong of Western Xia. Although Empress Ren was not Renzong's biological mother, she was nevertheless honored as Empress Dowager. Ren Dejing's position as an imperial in-law was thereby further strengthened.

In 1140, the first year of the Daqing era, Xiao Heda, military commander of Xiazhou, north of present-day Jingbian County, Shaanxi, occupied the city in rebellion and linked up with remnants of the Liao regime. The movement became formidable. Ren Dejing volunteered to lead troops against it, hoping to gain merit. He attacked Xiazhou, recovered the city in a single campaign, and eliminated Xiao Heda's rebellion. Because of his conspicuous military achievement, Emperor Renzong enfeoffed him as Duke of Xiping and appointed him military commander of the Xiangqing Army. This marked an important turning point in Ren Dejing's political career, as he rose from imperial in-law to a member of the military aristocracy.

In 1143, the fourth year of the Daqing era, tribal uprisings broke out in Weizhou, Dingzhou, and other regions. Ren Dejing again led troops to suppress them and carried out extensive killings. His use of force helped stabilize the situation for Emperor Renzong while also giving Ren further political capital.

Entry into the Central Government and Monopoly of Power

In 1149, the first year of the Tiansheng era, Ren Dejing entered the central government as an imperial in-law and served as Shangshu Ling and Secretariat Director, participating in state affairs. Earlier, in 1147, he had submitted a memorial requesting permission to come to court, but Censor-in-chief Wodao Chong and other officials blocked the move on the ground that imperial in-laws should not intervene in government. Ren Dejing did not abandon the effort. Relying on his daughter's position as Empress Dowager and on his military achievements, he eventually entered the highest ranks of government in 1149.

Ren Dejing's power then steadily increased. In 1156, the eighth year of Tiansheng, he became state chancellor and took charge of government. His younger brother Ren Decong became Defender-in-chief of the Palace and controlled the imperial guard. Another brother, Ren Degong, became governor of Xingqing Prefecture and controlled civil administration in the capital region. A clansman, Ren Deren, became Southern Court Commissioner of Proclamations, while his nephew Ren Chunzhong became deputy assistant director of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Ren brothers, nephews, and clansmen occupied key positions throughout the government, and Western Xia's military and political affairs effectively fell into the hands of the Ren family.

In 1160, the twelfth year of Tiansheng, Ren Dejing forced Emperor Renzong to enfeoff him as Prince of Chu. His ceremonial guards, attendants, and display were almost equal to those of the emperor; historical sources say that his retinue on entering and leaving nearly matched the emperor's. In 1165, the seventeenth year of Tiansheng, Ren carried out large-scale building works at Xiping Prefecture, present-day Lingwu in Ningxia, constructing palatial buildings and intending to make the Xiping Prefecture and Lingzhou region his hereditary domain. His ambition had advanced from monopolizing government to dividing the state territorially.

Partition Scheme and Destruction

In 1170, the first year of the Qianyou era, Empress Dowager Ren died, depriving Ren Dejing of his strongest supporter inside the palace. Rather than becoming more cautious, he accelerated his plan to divide the state. He forced Emperor Renzong to assign him half the territory of Western Xia, including the Southwestern Circuit, Xiping Prefecture, Lingzhou, Luopangling in the area of present-day Wuwei, Gansu, and other lands, with the intention of establishing a Chu state under his own rule. Emperor Renzong was compelled to agree.

Ren Dejing then forced Renzong to submit a memorial to the Jin dynasty requesting that Emperor Shizong of Jin formally invest the new Chu state. Emperor Shizong, Wanyan Yong, recognized the separatist design, refused the investiture, and issued an edict questioning Renzong. After antagonizing Jin, Ren secretly contacted the Southern Song and arranged to attack Jin from two directions. The plot was exposed, however. With Jin support, Emperor Renzong arranged the execution of Ren Dejing, his brothers, and his followers in the eighth month of 1170, and the Ren family's partition scheme completely failed.

Major Activities

Political Activities

Ren Dejing's political career began with presenting his daughter in pursuit of status. As a surrendered officer, he used the offering of his daughter to the palace and bribery of court officials to help her become empress, while he advanced step by step as an imperial in-law. After becoming Shangshu Ling and Secretariat Director in 1149, he gradually excluded opponents, placed his own supporters in office, and concentrated government authority in his hands. Once he became state chancellor in 1156, he monopolized power to such an extent that he treated even the emperor with disregard.

During Ren Dejing's dominance, the Ren family's influence expanded rapidly. His younger brother Ren Decong held the palace Defender-in-chief post and controlled the imperial guard; Ren Degong governed Xingqing Prefecture and controlled the capital region; the clansman Ren Deren served as Southern Court Commissioner of Proclamations; and his nephew Ren Chunzhong became deputy assistant director of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Members of the family occupied strategic posts across generations, and the Western Xia court came close to becoming a government dominated by the Ren clan.

Military Activities

Ren Dejing built his rise on military achievements. His suppression of Xiao Heda's rebellion and recovery of Xiazhou in 1140 was his most important military success. In 1143 he suppressed tribal uprisings in Weizhou and Dingzhou, further strengthening his standing in the military. These two operations won him the title Duke of Xiping and command of the Xiangqing Army and laid the foundation for his later monopoly of political power.

Ren Dejing's military ability, however, increasingly served his personal ambitions. He volunteered to fight Xiao Heda in order to gain merit and reward, and his suppression of the tribal uprisings was harsh, with sources describing extensive killing. His military successes were therefore used not only for the stabilization of Western Xia but also to accumulate personal political capital.

Partition Scheme

The greatest political gamble of Ren Dejing's life came in 1170, when he forced Emperor Renzong to divide the state. He compelled Renzong to assign him half of Western Xia's territory, intended to establish a Chu state, and then sought investiture from Jin. Emperor Shizong of Jin refused, which became the decisive external blow to his position. Ren then contacted the Southern Song and hoped to use outside support against both Jin and Emperor Renzong. The conspiracy was exposed, and Renzong, backed by Jin, had him executed.

The failure of the partition scheme reflected both external intervention by Jin and internal weakness in Ren Dejing's political base. Although he had dominated the government for nearly twenty years, substantial elements among the Western Xia imperial house and both Tangut and Han officials remained loyal to Emperor Renzong. Once Jin made its position clear, Renzong moved quickly and the Ren faction collapsed almost immediately.

Personal Relations

• Empress Ren: Ren Dejing's daughter, empress of Emperor Chongzong of Western Xia, and principal mother of Emperor Renzong. She was the key figure in Ren Dejing's rise.
• Ren Decong: younger brother of Ren Dejing; rose to Defender-in-chief of the Palace and controlled the imperial guard. Executed together with Ren Dejing.
• Ren Degong: younger brother of Ren Dejing; became governor of Xingqing Prefecture. Executed together with Ren Dejing.
• Ren Deren: clansman of Ren Dejing; served as Southern Court Commissioner of Proclamations.
• Ren Chunzhong: nephew of Ren Dejing; served as deputy assistant director of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
• Li Qianshun (Emperor Chongzong of Western Xia): Ren Dejing's ruler and relative by marriage. Ren presented his daughter to seek advancement, and Chongzong made her empress.
• Li Renxiao (Emperor Renzong of Western Xia): Ren Dejing's ruler. Ren monopolized power and forced Renzong to partition the state before being executed by him.
• Emperor Shizong of Jin, Wanyan Yong: refused to recognize Ren Dejing's Chu state, indirectly contributing to Ren's downfall.
• Wodao Chong: Censor-in-chief of Western Xia. In 1147 he blocked Ren Dejing's attempt to enter court politics.
• Bali Zuren: vice chief censor of Western Xia. Praised Empress Ren's talent and virtue before Chongzong and helped Ren Dejing's daughter rise to the position of empress.

Historical Assessment

Song Dynasty / Contemporary Views

• The History of Song includes Ren Dejing in the biography attached to its account of the Western Xia state and says that he “won favor through flattery and sycophancy,” taking a negative view of his use of his daughter for advancement and his monopolization of power.
• The Jin court refused Ren Dejing's request for recognition of the partition. Emperor Shizong of Jin condemned him in an edict as harboring treacherous intentions and characterized the division of the state as contrary to Heaven and principle.
• Within Western Xia, Emperor Renzong eliminated Ren Dejing's followers after executing him, and officials at court regarded him as a rebellious minister and traitor.

Yuan and Ming Periods

• Yuan historians compiling the History of Song attached Ren Dejing's story to the account of Western Xia and described him as one who “relied on the power of imperial kinship and secretly manipulated state authority,” treating him as partly responsible for Western Xia's decline.
• Ming scholars commenting on Western Xia history often compared Ren Dejing to powerful figures such as Liang Ji of the Eastern Han and Li Linfu of the Tang, treating him as a representative example of domination by imperial in-laws.

Qing Dynasty

• The Qing scholar Wu Guangcheng gave a detailed account of Ren Dejing in Xixia Shushi, describing him as advancing through flattery and securing favor through political manipulation and severely criticizing his plan to divide the state.
• Zhou Chun of the Qing also discussed Ren Dejing in Xixia Shu, describing him as harboring treacherous intentions and plotting against the state, and treating him as an important driver of political instability in middle-period Western Xia.

Modern Period

• Modern Western Xia historian Li Fanwen, in A General History of Western Xia, describes the Ren Dejing partition episode as the high point of the mid-Xia political crisis, reflecting intensified conflict within the Tangut and Han ruling groups of Western Xia.
• Shi Jinbo, in Western Xia Society, argues that Ren Dejing's monopoly of power and downfall exposed the problems of political intervention by imperial in-laws and also demonstrated Jin's capacity to intervene in Western Xia internal affairs.
• In the documentary The Mysterious Western Xia, Ren Dejing is presented as an ambitious powerful minister, and his partition scheme is treated as a major political event in Western Xia history.