Shinso - Shinso

The sixth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty of China (reigned 1067-85). His given name was Zhao Xu. His temple title was Shenzong. When he ascended to the throne, the Song Dynasty was approaching its 100th anniversary, the civil government had been consolidated, Song learning had emerged, famous ministers had been produced, and the country was at the peak of its rise, boasting 20,000 bureaucrats, 1.5 million standing troops, and nearly 5 million minted coins. At the same time, the reality was that the realist policies that had been in place since the beginning of the Song Dynasty had resulted in an excessive military, administrative burdens, administrative complexity, uneven distribution of wealth, collusion with big merchants, weak diplomacy, military inferiority, and a lack of leadership seen in the fourth emperor, Renzong, and the fifth emperor, Yingzong. Upon ascending to the throne, Shenzong appointed Wang Anshi and rapidly implemented new laws, rebuilding finances, improving distribution systems, streamlining administration, improving the military, reviewing schools and training of officials, land development, and other measures all at once, and was somewhat successful in reclamation of the northwestern border. In the long term, the reforms showed good insight into the problems that had been building up, but within the already established bureaucracy, these changes sparked a power struggle, distorting the essence of the country, and Shenzong died in despair at the age of 38.

[Yoshinobu Shiba]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、北宋(ほくそう)第6代の皇帝（在位1067～85）。姓名は趙頊(ちょうぎょく)。廟(びょう)号で神宗という。彼が即位したとき、宋は開国100年にさしかかり、文治主義の政権が固まり、宋学がおこり、名臣が輩出し、2万の官僚、150万の常備軍、500万貫に近い鋳銭を誇る上昇のピークにあった。同時に内実では、宋初以来の現実主義政策の結果として、過大な軍事、行政負担、行政の複雑化、富の不均等な分配、巨商との癒着、軟弱外交、軍事劣勢、4代仁宗(じんそう)、5代英宗(えいそう)にみられる指導力の欠如が痛感されていた。神宗は即位とともに王安石を起用して新法(しんぽう)を急進的に進め、財政の再建、流通機構の整備、行政の効率化、軍隊の整備、学校や官吏養成の見直し、土地開発などを一挙に断行し、西北辺の拓境でもいちおうは成功した。改革は長期にみれば積弊をよく洞察していたが、すでに確立した官僚制のなかでこの変革は権力闘争の口火となり、本質をゆがめられ、失意のうちに神宗は38歳で没した。

［斯波義信］

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