T'AI-TSU

born 927, Lo-yang, China died Nov. 14, 976, K'ai-feng Pinyin Taizu (temple name), personal name (Wade-Giles romanization) Chao K'uang-yin Chinese emperor (960976), military leader, and statesman who founded the Sung dynasty (9601279). He began the reunification of China, a project largely completed by his younger brother and successor, T'ai-tsung. born 1069, Manchuria, China died 1123, China Pinyin Taizu (temple name, or miao-hao), personal name (hsing-ming) A-ku-ta, also called Wan-yen Min leader of the nomadic Juchen tribes who occupied north and east Manchuria. He founded the Chin, or Juchen, dynasty (11151234) and conquered all of North China. The Juchen were originally vassals of the Mongol-speaking Khitan tribes who had occupied part of North China and had taken the dynastic name of Liao (9071125). Dissatisfied with this relationship, A-ku-ta's father had been preparing a revolt when he died in 1100. In 1112, when the last emperor of the Liao visited the Juchen homeland and ordered the tribal chiefs to dance for him, A-ku-ta refused to comply. He threw off his allegiance to the Liao and in 1115 declared himself emperor. The Sung rulers (9601279), hoping to gain back Chinese territory occupied by the Liao, made an alliance with A-ku-ta. Aided by this union, A-ku-ta overran the entire Liao empire within a few years. When the Sung objected to their share of the spoils, A-ku-ta's troops continued south, occupying the Sung capital and forcing the dynasty to reestablish itself farther south in what is usually referred to as the Southern Sung (11271279). The Juchen were beset by internal dissensions after A-ku-ta's death and eventually contented themselves with control of the north for the next 108 years, while the Sung ruled in the south. A-ku-ta, who had adopted the Chinese personal name Wan-yen Min, was given the posthumous title of T'ai-tsu (Grand Progenitor).