Duan Zhixing
Duan Zhixing (Chinese: 段智興; temple name Xuanzong; posthumous name Gongji) was the 18th[1] ruler of the Kingdom of Dali (present-day Yunnan, China) between 1172 and 1200. Duan's reign was marred by the power struggles within the influential Gao family, whose power had long eclipsed the ruling Duan family.
| Duan Zhixing | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of Dali | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 1172–1200 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Duan Zhengxing | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Duan Zhilian | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1200 | ||||||||||||||||
| Issue | Duan Zhilian | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | Dali | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Duan Zhengxing | ||||||||||||||||
Reign
In 1173, Duan sent a party of 23 envoys, led by Li Guanyinde (李觀音得), to trade with the Song dynasty in Hengshan Fort (橫山砦; in present-day Nanning, Guangxi). Li later removed Gao Shouchang (高壽昌), the Duke of Zhong (中國公), from power and replaced him with Gao Zhenming (高貞明; Gao Shouchang's nephew).
Aji (阿機) rebelled and ousted Gao Zhenming, restoring Gao Shouchang back in his duke position. Gao Zhenming then occupied Heqing (鶴慶) and proclaimed himself the Duke of Ming (明國公) and gave himself a temple name, effectively declaring independence from the Kingdom of Dali. Another member of the Gao clan, Gao Miaoyin (高妙音), also rebelled in Baiya (白崖) and occupied Shanchan (鄯闡).
He made a pact with his nephews, Gao Chengxian (高成賢) and Gao Chengzheng (高成正), to prevent them from taking over Shanchan. However, Gao's nephews betrayed him later and started a war with their uncle. It is unknown if these developments had any long term consequences.
Duan initiated several construction projects in Dali. Being a devout Buddhist like his predecessors, he repaired 16 Buddhist temples in 1190. In 1195, he ordered the building of defensive infrastructure at crucial entry points into Dali. Five years later, he died and was succeeded by his son, Duan Zhilian (段智廉).
Era names
Duan Zhixing had five era names in the twenty-eight years of his reign.
- Lizhen (利貞; 1172–1175)
- Shengde (盛德; 1176–1180)
- Jiahui (嘉會; 1181–1184)
- Yuanheng (元亨; 1185–1196?)
- Anding (安定; 1197–1200)
In fiction
Duan is fictionalised as a character in the wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel, The Return of the Condor Heroes, by Jin Yong. In the condor series, Duan, known as "Reverend Yideng" after his abdication, is a formidable martial artist.
Notes
References
- Yang Zhen and Hu Wei, Zengding Nanzhao Yeshi vol. 1 (『増訂南詔野史』（明・楊愼輯，清・胡蔚訂正）)
| Preceded by Duan Zhengxing |
Emperor of Dali 1172 AD–1200 AD |
Succeeded by Duan Zhilian |