Emperor Yizong of Tang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emperor Tang Yizong (唐懿宗李漼 November 14, 833–873), born Li Cui, was the 17th emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Yizong was the eldest son of emperor Xuānzong.

After the death of emperor Xuanzong in 859, Yizong was placed on the throne by powerful corrupt eunuchs and officials. Yizong was a lazy emperor and did not pay much attention to governmental affairs but instead chose to live in opulence, became an alcoholic and surrounded himself with women while his government levied heavy taxes on its citizens. Yizong even exhausted the empire's treasury that had accumulated during his father's administration. Faced with insurmountable hardship, with stories of cannibalism due to starvation and famines, rebellions broke out throughout the country in 859 that would ravage China for the next 25 years. Although a successive series of rebellions broke out throughout the country, Emperor Yizong never did anything to remedy the situation. His reign marked the beginning of the end of the Tang dynasty.

Yizong died in 873 after reigning for 14 years. He was succeeded by his son.