or T'ai-tsu
born 927, Luoyang, China
died Nov. 14, 976, Kaifeng
First emperor of the Song dynasty, who began the unification of China, which his brother would complete.
Initially a general for the founder of the Later Zhou dynasty (951960), he was induced by his troops to take over when the dynasty was left in the hands of a child successor. An upright man, Taizu forgave minor faults while holding his officials accountable in important matters. He had his ministers submit rough drafts of papers for his review, and he frequently traveled about incognito to observe conditions among his people. He reformed the Chinese examination system to prevent favouritism and began to award larger numbers of degrees. He gradually moved the administration of the prefectures from the military to civil officials. At his death, a solid foundation had been laid for the future development of the dynasty.