Imperial Scions: A History of the Song Dynasty’s Royal Clan

In 1127, the Jin army captured Kaifeng, the Song capital, and took away the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong, along with more than three thousand close relatives of the imperial family. Zhao Gou, a son of Huizong, rebuilt the Song Dynasty in Hangzhou. After his death, the throne returned to the descendants of Zhao Kuangyin. The imperial relatives who had fled south continued to receive government privileges and support, but they were also granted the freedom to take the civil service examinations and enter officialdom. They gradually became part of the scholar-official class, and some of the most outstanding among them even rose to the post of chancellor. In 1279, the Song Dynasty fell. The history of the Zhao brothers' descendants as imperial relatives came to an end, while their history as a clan turned a new page.

The bond between family and state is nowhere closer or more direct than among the imperial clan. This book offers readers a sweeping, ever-changing and often legendary history of the Song imperial clan, combining engaging accounts of historical events with in-depth examinations of its institutions.