生平

早年经历

大观元年（1107年）五月乙巳（20日），生于东京大内宫中，为徽宗第九子。八月，赐名构，拜定武军节度使、检校太尉、封蜀国公。二年（1108年）正月，迁镇海军节度使、开府仪同三司、进封广平郡王。政和三年（1113年）正月，授检校太保。宣和三年（1121年）十二月，拜太保、改遂安庆源军两镇节度使、进封康王。靖康元年（1126年）二月，拜太傅、改静江奉宁军两镇节度使、桂州牧兼郑州牧。三月，改集庆建雄军两镇节度使、亳州牧兼平阳府牧。十一月，特授安国安武军两镇节度使、信德府牧兼冀州牧。

出使金营与招兵勤王

靖康元年春（1126年），金兵围困汴京，并要求宋以亲王、宰相各一人为人质，才肯与宋和谈，宋钦宗派赵构以亲王身份在金营中为人质，后因金人怀疑其宗室身份，要求更换，故得以回宋。正当赵构获释返汴京途中，金兵再次南侵，最初宋钦宗命他往河北召集兵马勤王，后来金人发现赵构原来是真正亲王，忿怒不已，要求宋朝安排赵构为使，才肯再议和，钦宗于是改派他出使金营求和。赵构前往金营时途经河北磁州（今属河北），被守将宗泽劝阻留下，得以免遭金兵俘虏。此时金兵已跟踪到康王所在，知相州汪伯彦请康王入相州。

靖康元年闰十一月，钦宗命康王为河北兵马大元帅。闰十一月丙辰日（1127年1月9日），金兵攻破汴京开封府，造成「靖康之难」。北宋灭亡。十二月初一壬戌日（1127年1月15日）康王赵构在河北相州开河北兵马大元帅幕府。赵构自己为河北兵马大元帅，陈亨伯为元帅，汪伯彦、宗泽为副元帅。有兵万人，分为五军南下。渡河，次大名府。宗泽请直取汴梁。康王从耿南仲及伯彦意见，欲移军东平。十二月乙亥，康王到魏博，庚寅至东平府。

靖康二年（1127年）二月庚辰，康王入济州。时兵已八万。黄潜善时归之。四月庚辰，康王发济州，趣应天（今河南商丘），刘光世以所部来会。癸未至南京。

此间有过一段插曲：赵构在磁州时，曾由宗泽陪同拜谒了城北崔府君庙，当地称之为「应王祠」。该庙位于通往邢、洺州的驿道侧旁，当时此处「民如山拥」，众多百姓因为担心康王取道继续北行，而聚集在庙宇周围，号呼劝谏。进入祠庙后，康王抽签诗，卜得「吉」之签，庙吏抬应王神舆、拥庙中神马，请康王乘归馆舍。纷乱中，力主使金的王云被杀，赵构则留了下来，并于次日返回相州。此事件后却成为南宋官私记载中极力渲染的「崔府君显圣」、「泥马渡康王」故事的缘起；此亦为赵构将来引作为应天登基即位正统性之证明。）

靖康二年三、四月间，徽、钦二帝被金军虏掠北去，赵构的妻妾女儿也被俘，但怀孕的潘氏得以幸免，后来生子赵旉。

登基称帝

靖康二年五月初一庚寅日（1127年6月12日），赵构在南京应天府（今河南商丘）登基为帝，改元「建炎」。建炎改元后，宋高宗遥尊被掳到金国的其母亲韦氏为「宣和皇后」，封自己的外祖父韦安道为郡王，亲属三十人均任官职。并且从此不断派遣使者到金国求和要迎韦氏回南宋。

建炎元年十月丁巳初一日，宋高宗离南京南下扬州。癸未到达扬州；金人听闻后，决计大举南伐。建炎三年一月韩世忠在沭阳溃军，金军快速南下。至金数百骑兵到扬州西北之天长。壬子，金人破天长军。赵构得内侍探报，即穿盔甲乘马出门，出走扬州，而百官宰相不知。高宗渡江至京口。再次镇江；至甲寅再次长州；乙卯次无锡；丙辰次平江府；壬戌至杭州。而次月金兵并未过江。

建炎三年三月，因禁军将领对人事安排等不满，发生苗刘兵变，宋高宗被迫禅让皇位于皇子赵旉。四月，高宗在勤王大军的进发下，复辟。复辟后举行仁宗法度，录用元佑党人，多所改易政策。四月，丁卯，赵构发杭州前往江宁（建康），以谋恢复。

宋高宗被金兵追杀，一度在海上飘泊，至绍兴八年（1138年）正式定都于临安（今浙江杭州），建炎南渡完成。

绍兴七年（1137年），高宗生父宋徽宗的死讯传到南宋。『帝号恸，谕辅臣曰：「宣和皇后春秋高，朕思之不遑甯处，屈己请和，正为此耳。」（高宗号哭，对大臣说：「我母亲宣和皇后年岁已经大了，我思念她到了坐不安的地步，我委屈自己向金国求和，正是为了这事。」）翰林学士朱震引用唐德宗李适的事，请高宗遥尊韦氏为皇太后，宋高宗听从。

宋金议和

绍兴八年（1138年），在宋使王伦的成功外交下，金朝撤销伪齐，把包含东京开封等三京（东京、西京、南京）之地的河南、陕西归还给南宋，但高宗生母韦太后尚未归还。

绍兴十年（1140年），金朝撕毁协约，重新攻占陕西、河南之地。金军主帅完颜宗弼（兀术）先在开封正南的顺昌败于刘锜所部的「八字军」，再于开封西南的郾城和颖昌，在女真精锐部队所拿手的骑兵对阵中两次败于岳飞的岳家军，只在开封东南面的淮西亳州、宿州一带战胜了宋军中最弱的张俊一军，在宋高宗以「十二道金牌」召回岳家军前，金军已被压缩到开封东部和北部。

绍兴十一年（1141年）二月，金熙宗对南宋示好，将死去的宋徽宗追封为天水郡王，将在押的宋钦宗封为天水郡公。第一提高了级别，原来封徽宗为二品昏德公，追封郡王升为一品，原来封钦宗为三品重昏侯，现封公爵升为二品。第二是去掉了原封号中的污侮含义。第三是以赵姓天水族望之郡作为封号，以示尊重。同时，在宋军中最强大的岳家军根本未参战的情况下，完颜宗弼的金国最精锐的部队又在淮西柘皋先败于张俊部下杨沂中和刘锜的联军，后来虽然因为张俊抢功调走刘锜，完颜宗弼在濠州胜宋军中最弱的张俊一军，但由于韩世忠军和岳家军赶到，完颜宗弼不得不退军北上。

四月下旬，宋高宗解除了岳飞、韩世忠、刘锜、杨沂中、张俊等大将的兵权，为《绍兴和议》做好了准备。十月，南宋派魏良臣赴金，提出要议和。

十一月，金国派萧毅、邢具瞻为审议使，随魏良臣回南宋，提出议和条件。此时高宗生母韦氏托人将一封信送到赵构手里。「洪皓在燕，求得（韦）后书，遣李微持归。帝大喜曰：「遣使百辈，不如一书。」遂加（李）微官。金人遣萧毅、邢具瞻来议和，帝曰：『朕有天下，而养不及亲。徽宗无及矣！今立誓信，当明言归我（韦）太后，朕不耻和。不然，朕不惮用兵！』（『我拥有天下，但却不能赡养亲人，我父亲徽宗已经死了！现在我发誓，我要公开要求金国归还我母亲韦太后，我不以议和为耻。不然的话，我不怕向金国用兵！』），萧毅等还，帝又语之曰：『（韦）太后果还，自当谨守誓约。如其未也，虽有誓约，徒为虚文。』」（「如果我母亲韦太后果然能回南宋，自当谨守我们订的和议誓约。如果回不来，有和议誓约也是一纸空文。」）当月，《绍兴和议》最后的书面内容即达成。

十二月末除夕夜（1142年1月27日），宋高宗杀害岳飞与其子岳云、部将张宪于临安（今杭州），据《宋史》载这是为了满足完颜宗弼为《绍兴和议》所设的前提以防止岳飞的十万岳家军攻入黄河以北。

至此，高宗以称臣赔款，割让从前被岳飞收复的唐州、邓州以及商州、秦州的大半为代价，签定绍兴和议。宋金东以淮河，西以大散关为界，南宋正式放弃上次和约所获得的陕西、河南领土。宋高宗也立刻成功地迎回生母韦氏。《宋史·高宗本纪》记载：绍兴十二年（1142年）夏四月丁卯（5月1日），「（韦）皇太后偕梓宫（徽宗灵柩）发五国城，金遣完颜宗贤护送梓宫，高居安护送皇太后」。按照当时信息的传递方式，岳飞于绍兴十一年除夕夜（1142年1月27日）被杀，南宋使节立刻于绍兴十二年（1142年）正月带著正式照函从岳飞被杀的临安（今杭州）去金国禁锢宋钦宗和韦氏的五国城（今黑龙江省哈尔滨市依兰县依兰镇五国城村）接人，韦氏四月丁卯（5月1日）即启程回宋，八月壬午（9月13日），韦氏到达宋都临安。从正月初一到八月壬午，除了用时在行程脚力上，没有丝毫拖延。韦氏离开五国城前，曾答应钦宗回南方后努力营救钦宗回去；高宗也提出让钦宗和母后及徽宗梓宫一同南归，并让临安府修为钦宗修宫殿，但金朝在政局变动后反悔了，于是钦宗南归作罢。

《绍兴和议》约定南宋「不得以无罪去辅弼」，导致秦桧专权弄政长达十五年，高宗一方面对秦桧放任，另一方面，处处对秦桧提防。秦桧将死时，秦桧嗣子秦熺请求继任宰相，高宗拒绝，并将秦桧一族调为闲职，秦桧死后，高宗始打击秦桧馀党，任用曾被秦桧打击的大臣，但其中仍然不乏与秦桧持相近主张的投降派。

晚年生活

绍兴三十一年（1161年），《绍兴和议》被金朝皇帝完颜亮撕毁，金兵再次南侵，是为采石之战，宋军以少胜多击退金兵。

绍兴三十二年六月十一日（1162年7月24日），高宗以「倦勤」想多休养为由，禅让于养子建王赵眘，是为宋孝宗，终结了宋太宗一脉自976年起长达186年的统治，回归宋太祖一脉，直至南宋灭亡。

宋高宗本有一子赵旉，但因苗刘兵变受到惊吓而病逝，得年仅两岁。而据说高宗建炎南渡后也因为兵乱而惊吓过度，患有阳痿，不能人道，之后未能再生下任何子女，故须在宋室子侄中选出皇位继任人。身为宋太宗后裔的宋高宗，之所以立宋太祖的后裔赵眘为继承人，一来宋太宗的近支后裔大多在靖康之难被金人虏去，如钦宗父子都可能被金人拥立挑战高宗皇统，而南渡的太宗远支后裔仍然很多（齐安郡王赵士㒟曾以「阖门百口」保岳飞没有二心），高宗幻想自己将来还能生子，也基于宋英宗追尊生父之争濮议的教训，不愿选择本生家族势力太大的储君；另外根据《宋史》的记载，传说是因为宋太祖显灵托梦给高宗，野史记载高宗被宋太祖托梦称「自从你的祖先摄用计谋，占据我的位置很久了，以至于如今天下寥落的局面，是时候把位置还给我了。」故宋高宗过继已经沦为平民的太祖八世孙作为养子，并立为太子；宋史中也有相似的记载，但称孟太后被托梦。虽然是禅让，主要决定权还是在高宗，尤其在议和问题上。宋孝宗赵眘登基后马上为岳飞平反和肃清秦桧馀党，身为太上皇的高宗并未阻挠，而且退位后的高宗，与君临天下的孝宗关系相当好，父慈子孝。但宋高宗也有干政，如反对孝宗北伐。一次孝宗去问安，高宗问最近大臣有何议论，孝宗说在议论郑藻娶寡嫂，高宗发怒了，说这些大臣不看媒人面子，并说自己就是媒人，孝宗无言以对，并将议论郑藻的官员贬职。

淳熙十四年十月初八日（1187年11月9日），宋高宗去世，享寿八十岁（虚龄八十一），孝宗悲痛不已，持续守丧三年后，也自行退位。

特长

宋高宗同其父宋徽宗一样，颇有艺术天份，是杰出的书法家；自言「……凡五十年间，非大利害相仿，未始一日舍笔墨」，初学黄庭坚，后改学米芾，至终以追摹魏晋法度和王羲之、王献之父子，流传有《赐岳飞手敕》及《真草嵇康养生论书卷》。元朝书法家赵孟俯早年即以宋高宗书法为榜样。

评价

正面评价

宋高宗与金朝议和，稳固南宋对中国南方的统治，议和一说在于经济因素，所谓三军未动，粮草先行；野蛮民族是以烧杀掳掠为钱粮来源，文明国家却是打仗烧钱。宋高宗若不先安内，只怕民变四起，连半壁江山都没了；岁币议和，可缓和两国关系，让国家有喘息的机会；另一方面，宋高宗可以掌握军权，压制将领对军队的影响力。

《续资治通鉴》中：「康王入，毅然请行，曰：「敌必欲亲王出质，臣为宗社大计，岂应辞避！」钦宗立，改元靖康，人拆其字，谓「十二月立康王」也。资性郎悟，好学强记，日诵千馀言，挽弓至一石五斗。」其他含有关于宋高宗节俭、不迷信祥瑞、不好女色、潜心治国、文才武德具备等描述。

负面评价

宋高宗为保住皇位，在位初期不惜创造传说，使天下人相信其正当正统地位，以掩饰自己「衔命出和，已作潜身之计；提师入卫，反为护己之资。忍视父兄甘为俘虏」。因金兵追击而贪生怕死地逃命，故被后世戏称为「逃跑皇帝」。及后他定都临安后，为求偏安，保持半壁江山的统治，不惜把岳飞等主战派大臣杀害，以与金朝达成和议，成为后世评价的重要污点。

• 当时诗人林升在宿新住宿徐公店，在墙上提诗《题临安邸》讽刺当朝的统治者曰：

:: 山外青山楼外楼，西湖歌舞几时休？

:: 暖风熏得游人醉，直把杭州作汴州！

• 元朝官修正史《宋史》脱脱等的评价是：「昔夏后氏传五世而后羿篡，少康复立而祀夏；周传九世而厉王死于彘，宣王复立而继周；汉传十有一世而新莽窃位，光武复立而兴汉；晋传四世有怀、愍之祸，元帝正位于建邺；唐传六世有安、史之难，肃宗即位于灵武；宋传九世而徽、钦陷于金，高宗缵图于南京：六君者，史皆称为中兴，而有异同焉。夏经羿、浞，周历共和，汉间新室、更始，晋、唐、宋则岁月相续者也。萧王、琅琊皆出疏属，少康、宣王、肃宗、高宗则父子相承者也。至于克复旧物，则晋元与宋高宗视四君者有馀责焉。高宗恭俭仁厚，以之继体守文则有馀，以之拨乱反正则非其才也。况时危势逼，兵弱财匮，而事之难处又有甚于数君者乎？君子于此，盖亦有悯高宗之心，而重伤其所遭之不幸也。然当其初立，因四方勤王之师，内相李纲，外任宗泽，天下之事宜无不可为者。顾乃播迁穷僻，重以苗、刘群盗之乱，权宜立国，确宓艰哉。其始惑于汪、黄，其终制于奸桧，恬堕猥懦，坐失事机。甚而赵鼎、张浚相继窜斥，岳飞父子竟死于大功垂成之秋。一时有志之士，为之扼腕切齿。帝方偷安忍耻，匿怨忘亲，卒不免于来世之诮，悲夫！」

• 明末清初儒者王夫之在《宋论》一书中如此评价高宗：「高宗之畏女真也，窜身而不耻，屈膝而无惭，直不可谓有生人之气矣。乃考其言动，察其志趣，固非周赧、晋惠之比也。何以如是其馁也？李纲之言，非不知信也；宗泽之忠，非不知任也；韩世忠、岳飞之功，非不知赏也；吴敏、李棁、耿南仲、李邦彦主和以误钦宗之罪，非不知贬也。而忘亲释怨，包羞丧节，乃至陈东、欧阳澈拂众怒而骈诛于市，视李纲如仇仇，以释女直之恨。是岂汪、黄二竖子之能取必于高宗哉？且高宗亦终见其奸而斥之矣。抑主张屈辱者，非但汪、黄也。张浚、赵鼎力主战者，而首施两端，前却无定，抑不敢昌言和议之非。则自李纲、宗泽而外，能不以避寇求和为必不可者，一二冗散敢言之士而止。以时势度之，于斯时也，诚有旦夕不保之势，迟回葸畏，固有不足深责者焉。苟非汉光武之识量，足以屡败而不挠，则外竞者中必枵，况其不足以竞者乎？高宗为质于虏廷，熏灼于剽悍凶疾之气，俯身自顾，固非其敌。已而追帝者，滨海而至明州，追隆佑太后者，薄岭而至皂口，去之不速，则相胥为俘而已。君不自保，臣不能保其君，震慑无聊，中人之恒也。亢言者恶足以振之哉？ 」

• 清高宗乾隆帝于乾隆五十五年得玄孙载锡，为庆贺五代同堂，特地御制诗一首：「八旬开袤春秋永，五代同堂今古稀。古稀六帝三登八，所鄙宋梁所慕元。惟至元称一代杰，逊乾隆看五世孙。」，意即自古以来年过古稀（70岁）的皇帝只有6个（包括汉武帝、唐玄宗、明太祖），其中只有三个活过了80岁(即梁武帝、宋高宗、元世祖)，但这之中我只敬仰元世祖忽必烈，而鄙夷梁武帝和宋高宗。虽然元世祖也是一代豪杰，但也比不上我五代同堂的乾隆皇。梁武帝和宋高宗皆是只求偏安南方的开国皇帝，乾隆皇认为这两人不值得与任内在边疆地区建立的十大武功的自己相提并论。

• 现代王曾瑜批评宋高宗，违反宋太祖「不诛大臣、言官」之誓约，杀上书言事之陈东与欧阳澈，以钳制天下异议之口，却窃取了「中兴之主」之美誉，另外也将岳飞等主战派大臣杀害，是宋朝历代皇帝中，唯一一位违反宋太祖祖训的皇帝，为后人所唾骂。

轶事

建炎二年（1128年）冬，宋高宗为躲避金军的追击，自建康府南渡，逃到浙东一带。刚渡过钱塘江，来到萧山，就有人在路旁依次叩拜迎驾，并告知队伍的前锋说：「宗室赵不衰以下起居。」宋高宗听闻后，甚是高兴，对身旁的侍从说：「符兆如是，吾无虑焉。」随后下诏升赵不衰官三等。并认为此行虽然乘船渡海往返，然而国家从现在起就安定了。赵不衰即是后来的龙图阁直学士赵善俊之父。此事与宋太宗征讨河东时，宋军大捷的祥瑞之兆是一样的。当时，宋太宗所挑选驾船的船工里，有两位船工分别名叫赵立跟毕胜，正好应验了此战赵家存活，宋朝必胜。

家庭

祖先

父

• 宋徽宗

兄

• 宋钦宗

妻妾

• 宪节皇后邢秉懿，康王妃，封嘉国夫人，靖康之难时北迁，金太宗封为「建炎宋国夫人」。高宗遥册为皇后，绍兴九年崩，后韦太后归国，方知皇后早崩，时中宫已虚位达十六年。

• 宪圣慈烈皇后吴氏，自和义郡夫人、才人、婉仪、进贵妃。绍兴十三年，立为皇后。高宗内禅，手诏后称太上皇后，迁居德寿宫。孝宗即位，上尊号寿圣太上皇后，光宗即位更号寿圣皇太后。孝宗崩，始正太皇太后之号，庆元三年崩，年八十三。

• 潘贤妃，侍奉高宗于康王府，生元懿太子赵旉，绍兴十八年薨。

• 张贤妃，初为才人，后晋婕妤、婉仪。死后追为贤妃。孝宗养母。

• 刘贤妃，入宫为红霞帔，迁才人，累迁婕妤、婉容，绍兴二十四年进贤妃。

• 刘婉仪，初入宫，封宜春郡夫人。寻进才人，与刘贤妃俱被宠，进婉仪。

• 张贵妃，开封祥符人。初入宫，封永嘉郡夫人。乾道六年，进婉容。淳熙七年，封太上皇淑妃。十六年，进贵妃。绍熙元年薨。

• 冯美人

• 韩才人，和美人冯氏，才人吴氏、李氏、王氏都被高宗宠幸，后都被废。

• 吴才人，吴皇后族人

• 李才人，相貌明艳，淳熙末年，被太上皇宠爱。高宗驾崩，宪圣皇后见到二才人就生气，宋孝宗即追回告命，许其自便。这并非常制。

• 王才人，相貌明艳，淳熙末年，被太上皇宠爱。高宗驾崩，宪圣皇后见到二才人就生气，宋孝宗即追回告命，许其自便。这并非常制。

• 郡君田春罗，高宗为康王时侧室，靖康之难时死于北迁途中。

• 郡君姜醉媚，高宗为康王时侧室，靖康之难时北迁，金太宗封为「绍兴郡夫人」。

子

• 元懿太子赵旉，生母潘贤妃，宋高宗唯一亲生之子，早夭。

• 养子赵伯琮，即宋孝宗，养母张贤妃。

• 养子赵伯玖，更名赵璩，养母吴皇后。

女

高宗为康王时，曾育有五女，后皆被掳。

• 康大宗姬赵佛佑，北迁时四岁，死于途中。

• 康二宗姬赵神佑，北迁时四岁，后入洗衣院。

• 康三宗姬，北迁时三岁。

• 康四宗姬，北迁时二岁。

• 康五宗姬，北迁时二岁

正史中宋高宗三、四、五女皆死于北迁途中，但根据一些地方记载，有三名被视为宋高宗女儿的女性流落民间并长大成人，并以民女身份嫁人，后来才恢复皇族身份。

《新安县志》载高宗其中一女于建炎三年被江西县令邓元亮于起兵勤王时于道上收养，长大后嫁给邓元亮之子邓自明。其女儿名赵玉女 (1159-1242年)，至宋光宗即位，赵氏带长子面见光宗，光宗称赵氏为皇姑，封为郡主，并把邓自明追赠为「税院郡马」，并赐地于东莞。后人散居到香港龙跃头、锦田、厦村、大埔头及东莞等地。

宋高宗可能还有一女赵氏嫁南海人程原甫，程原甫，程明道之曾孙，程昂之子，其妻赵氏五十郡主，程原甫被封为季院郡马，封号又和税院郡马相似。由于当地人称，赵氏五十郡主的父亲是当朝皇帝，南海的确有赵氏五十郡主之墓，而她嫁人时皇帝父亲去世。当地人说，赵氏称郡主又称公主，郡主儿子思妙等三子称宋国甥，因此这赵氏五十郡主可能是宋高宗女儿，这还有待考证。

宋高宗时尚有一位名叫叶荂的驸马，乃南海叶顒之子，他居住在广东，但这赵氏宗室女到底是宋高宗的女儿，还是一般宗室女儿但被破例封为公主，就不得而知了。

任用官员

宰相

• 李纲

• 黄潜善

• 汪伯彦

• 吕颐浩

• 朱胜非

• 杜充

• 范宗尹

• 秦桧

• 赵鼎

• 张浚

• 沈该

• 汤思退

• 陈康伯

• 朱倬

• 权邦彦

• 韩肖胄

• 王伦

名将

• 李纲

• 宗泽

• 韩世忠

• 岳飞

• 岳云

• 梁红玉

• 张浚

• 张俊

• 曲端

• 吴玠

• 吴璘

• 刘光世

• 刘锜

女官

• 刘娘子 (尚食)

影视形象

• 1986年《盗日英雄传》，新加坡制作30集电视剧（黄世南饰）

• 1988年《八千里路云和月》，台湾中华电视公司制作40集电视剧 （范鸿轩饰）

• 1989年《决战皇城》，香港无綫电视制作20集电视剧( 李国麟饰)

• 1989年《泥马渡康王》，台湾台视电视歌仔戏( 杨丽花饰)

• 1994年《岳飞传》，香港亚洲电视制作20集电视剧（黄允材饰）

• 2013年《精忠岳飞》，中国电影集团公司制作69集电视剧（丁子峻饰）

• 2015年《惊天岳雷》，山东影视有限公司制作48集电视剧 (马浚伟饰)

Early life

Emperor Gaozong was the ninth son of Emperor Huizong and a younger half-brother of Emperor Qinzong. His mother, whose maiden family name was Wei (韦), was a concubine of Emperor Huizong. She was honoured as Empress Xianren (显仁皇后; 1080–1159) after his ascension to the throne.

Emperor Gaozong was originally a prince named Zhao Gou during the reigns of his father and brother. After Emperor Huizong abdicated, his older brother Emperor Qinzong became emperor. During this time, the capital of Bianjing was under siege by the Jurchens. He was ordered to the Jurchen camp to negotiate peace by Qinzong in an effort to end the siege early but Zhao Gou was held for ransom. He later came back after being ransomed due to the Jurchens' doubts of his identity. After his brother and father and the capital of Bianjing were captured by forces of the Jurchen-led Jin Empire in the Jingkang Incident in 1127 along with majority of the imperial clan members due to his predecessors' incompetence and the imperial court's corruption, he escaped to Southern China due to being in Cizhou for a diplomatic mission and therefore, not in Bianjing. In order to escape, Zhao Gou had to move province to province in order to escape the Jin troops. The Jurchens tried to lure him back to Bianjing where they could finally capture him, but did not succeed. Zhao Gou finally arrived in the Song Southern Capital at Jiankang, the first of many temporary capitals.

Reign

Enthronement

After proving himself to be a more competent administrator than his predecessors, he won support from imperial court's remnants of his ascension to the throne; he reestablished the Song Empire (historically known as the Southern Song dynasty) and was proclaimed as Emperor Gaozong with the era name Jianyan in Jiankang (present Nanjing) which at the time was a temporary residence for the remnants of the Song. He would later move to Yingtianfu (; modern Shangqiu) due to the historical significance to Emperor Taizu of Song.

From 1127 to 1129, the Song sent thirteen embassies to the Jin to discuss peace terms and to negotiate the release of Gaozong's mother and Huizong, but the Jin court ignored them. The Da Chu, a puppet state established by the Jin Empire, was abolished in 1127 when Zhang Bangchang and the regent of Da Chu, the former Empress Meng, submitted to Emperor Gaozong, who then ordered Zhang's execution under pressure from Li Gang.

Emperor Gaozong's early reign was filled with Jurchen raids and attacks on his realm. This can be traced to Zhang's execution and the submission of Da Chuto Song, which ultimately caused the Jin to renew their attacks and quickly conquer Northern China. Initially, he employed military leaders such as Li Gang, Zong Ze, Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Yu Yunwen to lead the Song forces to hold off the Jurchens, as well as to improve his public image through his declaration to restore the Song Empire to its former glory. However, when one of Li Gang's guerrilla forces, the Red Scarf Army, scored a major victory against the Jin troops and almost captured their commander-in-chief, the emperor dismissed the minister on a trumped-up charge, implying that he did not want to win this battle, because if Song won, Emperor Qinzong might be restored.

Owing to the vulnerability of Yingtianfu, Emperor Gaozong moved to Yangzhou in late 1127 or early 1128. However, Yangzhou proved to be no safe haven for the Song either, as barely a year later the Jurchens advanced to the point were they were threatening to capture Yangzhou. When the Jurchens advanced to the Huai River, the court was partially evacuated to Lin'an (modern Hangzhou) in 1129. Days later, Gaozong narrowly escaped on horseback, just a few hours ahead of Jurchen vanguard troops.

Mutiny & First Abdication

On March 26, 1129, Gaozong lost his throne to a mutiny that was instigated by the palace guards led by Miao Fu (苗傅) and Liu Zhengyan. They were unsatisfied with Gaozong's decision to appoint their adversary Wang Yuan to an important imperial post hence would outrank them. Banding together with at least ten thousand palace guards under the pretense that Wang and the court eunuchs were plotting, Miao and Liu mutinied and murdered Wang. They then forced Gaozong to abdicate in favor of his two-year-old son, Zhao Fu. The plot came to an abrupt end less than a month later on April 20, 1129, when Miao and Liu were defeated by Gaozong's loyal army, led by Han Shizhong, and were both executed for treason. Gaozong's son later died from illness after an unofficial reign of three months. After being restored to the throne, Gaozong himself was pursued by Jin forces and was not in full control of southern China until the late 1130s. The mutiny would cause Emperor Gaozong to move his capital to Jiankang.

In 1130, Wuzhu, a Jurchen general, crossed the Yangtze southwest of Jiankang and then captured the city. Wuzhu set out from Jiankang and advanced rapidly to try to capture Gaozong. The Jin seized Hangzhou on January 22 and then Shaoxing further south on February 4 where Emperor Gaozong was almost captured by Wuzhu at Mingzhou near Lin'an but Zhang Jun, another general who briefly halted the Jin advance, giving Emperor Gaozong the chance to flee the city by ship. Soon, the Jurchens gave up the pursuit and retreated north. After they plundered the undefended cities of Hangzhou and Suzhou, they finally started to face resistance from Song armies led by Yue Fei and Han Shizhong.

In 1130, during the Battle of Huangtiandang, when fleeing to the south, he had the newly appointed commander-in-chief, Yue Fei, who was only 27 years old at the time, to help with the defense, and Yue scored a major victory against the Jin armies neared Nanjing. After the Song forces defeated the Jin, they stayed north of the Yangzi River, and Emperor Gaozong declared the city of Lin'an as the dynasty's new temporary capital, replacing Kaifeng in 1133.

Having no surviving sons of his own, he adopted two boys in 1133: one of them became the foster son of the future Empress Wu in 1140, and the other one in 1142.

Invasion from Da Qi

Reluctant to let the war drag on, the Jin decided to create Da Qi (the "Great Qi") in 1130, their second attempt at a puppet state in Northern China. The Jurchens believed that this state, nominally ruled by someone of Han Chinese descent, would be able to attract the allegiance of disaffected members of the insurgency. The Jurchens also suffered from a shortage of skilled manpower, and controlling the entirety of northern China was not administratively feasible. In the final months of 1129, Liu Yu (; 1073–1143) won the favor of the Jin Emperor Taizong. Da Qi had more autonomy than the previous Da Chu although Liu Yu was obligated to obey the orders of the Jurchen generals. With Jin support, Da Qi invaded the Song in November 1133. Li Cheng, a Song turncoat who had joined the Qi, led the campaign. They initially had success as Xiangyang and nearby prefectures fell to his army. The capture of Xiangyang on the Han River gave the Jurchens a passage into the central valley of the Yangtze River. However, their southward push was halted by the general Yue Fei. In 1134, Yue Fei defeated Li and retook Xiangyang and its surrounding prefectures. But later that year, Qi and Jin initiated a new offensive further east along the Huai River. For the first time, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict officially condemning Da Qi. The armies of Qi and Jin won a series of victories in the Huai Valley, but were repelled by Han Shizhong near Yangzhou and by Yue Fei at Luzhou (, modern Hefei). In 1135, the Jin Emperor Taizong died. This caused the Da Qi to suddenly withdraw, giving the Song time to regroup. The Da Qi lost a battle at Outang, in modern Anhui, against a Song army led by Yang Qizhong. The victory boosted Song morale, and the military commissioner Zhang Jun convinced Emperor Gaozong to begin plans for a counterattack. Emperor Gaozong initially agreed, but he quickly abandoned the counteroffensive when an officer named Li Qiong killed his superior official and defected to the Jin with tens of thousands of soldiers.

Steps towards Peace

Meanwhile, Emperor Xizong inherited the Jin throne from Taizong, and pushed for peace. He and his generals were disappointed with Liu Yu's military failures and believed that Liu was secretly conspiring with Yue Fei. These conditions caused the Jin to officially abolish Da Qi in late 1137 and the Jin and Song began negotiations towards peace.

When Emperor Gaozong was eventually told of the death of Huizong and Empress Zheng in 1137, he reportedly reacted quite severely, ordering an extended period of mourning.

In 1138, Gaozong officially declared Lin'an the capital of the dynasty, but the label of temporary capital would still be in place. Despite this, Lin'an would remain the capital of the Southern Song for the next 150 years, growing into a major commercial and cultural center.

Gaozong promoted Qin Hui in 1138 and put him in charge of deliberations with the Jin. Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and a large number of officials at court criticized the peace overtures. Aided by his control of the Censorate, Qin purged his enemies and continued negotiations.

Treaty of Shaoxing

After years of fighting and significant military success, Emperor Gaozong settled on a pacifist stance. One of the major reasons behind this was that Emperor Gaozong and the chancellor Qin Hui did not want the Song army to defeat the Jurchens and destroy the Jin Dynasty, as this might result in Gaozong's half-brother - the last emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Qinzong, who was living in Jin-imposed exile in Manchuria - being recalled to the throne. If this happened, Gaozong would lose power. At the time, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong were preparing to attack Kaifeng and recapture it. Fearing that a victory at Kaifeng might cause the Jurchens to release Emperor Qinzong, Emperor Gaozong followed their advice, sending 12 orders back in the form of 12 gold plaques to Yue Fei, recalling him to the capital. There, Yue Fei said, in tears, "Thirty years of effort now is wasted." Emperor Gaozong also recalled every soldier under threats to kill their families. After Yue Fei's return to the capital, Emperor Gaozong and Qin Hui imprisoned him on a trumped-up charge under "groundless" (莫须有 mò xū yǒu) and had him put to death. Han Shizhong was also dismissed from his military duties. On October 11, 1142, the Song and Jin empires signed the Treaty of Shaoxing, which recognised the Jurchens' claims to the former Song territories they had already conquered. This meant that Emperor Gaozong had to give up all land north of the Huai River, in exchange for peace between the two empires. Aside from two incidents, this peace would last for seventy years. The Song also had to pay a yearly tribute of 250,000 taels of silver and 250,000 packs of silk to the Jin.

The negotiation allowed the emperor's mother and other selected members of the imperial clan (including a woman claimed to be his half-sister Princess Roufu (Zhao Duofu), whom he later sentenced to death under suspicion of impersonating an imperial princess) to return to Song; Empress Wei was then named Empress Dowager in Southern Song. However, the treaty designated the Song as the "insignificant state", while the Jin was recognized as the "superior state". People would later blame the emperor for Yue Fei's death and vilify him as a hypocritical tyrant. However, although the treaty's terms resulted in Song becoming a vassal state to the Jin, it saved Song's economy: since the dynasty's founding, the regime had lost more capital on military defenses than on annual payments to their neighbors, about three-quarters of state revenue. Thus, even if Gaozong wanted to recover the lost territories, he couldn't afford it financially; the cost of rebuilding the Song's northern territories would have risked bankrupting the south. In addition, with the southern part of China remaining under Song control, the transport of goods became more cost-effective by boat via the streams and canels criss-crossing the region. It also eliminated obstacles to trades, allowing traders to import goods between Song and Jin territories. Qin Hui, in a reply to Gaozong's gratitude for the success of the peace negotiations, told the emperor that "the decision to make peace was entirely Your Majesty's. Your servant only carried it out; what achievement was there in this for me?"

Emperor Gaozong was also a notable poet and had significant influence on other Chinese poets. Among his surviving works is the Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain.

In 1161, the ruler of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Liang, wishing to unify China under his regime, declared war on the Song in the Battle of Tangdao and the Battle of Caishi. The Jin lost the war. An important consequence of this was to remove Song's status as a vassal state, although it still had to pay tribute. Wanyan Liang was assassinated shortly afterwards, when many Jin officers rebelled as a result of the Jin defeat.

Second Abdication

In 1162, after reigning for more than 35 years, Emperor Gaozong abdicated. Because his only son, Zhao Fu, had died of illness around the age of two, Emperor Gaozong passed the throne to his adopted son and distant cousin Zhao Shen, who then became Emperor Xiaozong. Emperor Gaozong's handling of the Battle of Caishi with Wanyan Liang may also have contributed to his decision to retire. In retirement he assumed the title of Taishang Huang ("Retired Emperor") and retained some power until his death in 1187.

His death saddened Emperor Xiaozong and caused him to abdicate only two years after Gaozong's death.

One of his era names, Shaoxing is a name for a city, Shaoxing.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Xianjie, of the Xing clan (宪节皇后 邢氏; 1106–1139), personal name Bingyi (秉懿)

• Empress Xiansheng, of the Wu clan (宪圣皇后 吴氏; 1115–1197)

• Xianfei, of the Pan clan (贤妃 潘氏; d. 1148)

　• Zhao Fu, Crown Prince Yuanyi (元懿皇太子 赵旉; 1127–1129), first son

• Unknown

　• First Princess Kang (康大宗姬; 1124–1127), personal name Fuyou (佛佑), first daughter

　• Second Princess Kang (康二宗姬; b. 1124), personal name Shenyou (神佑), second daughter

　• Third Princess Kang (康三宗姬; b. 1125)

　• Fourth Princess Kang (康四宗姬; b. 1126)

　• Fifth Princess Kang (康五宗姬; b. 1126)

Ancestry