生平

紹興十七年（1147年）九月乙丑生于藩邸，孝宗與郭皇后三子。二十年（1150年）二月，賜名惇，授右監門衛率府副率。三十年（1160年）五月，轉榮州刺史。三十二年（1162年）六月，高宗內禪，孝宗即位。九月，拜鎮洮軍節度使、開府儀同三司、封恭王。

乾道七年（1171年）二月，立為皇太子。四月，領臨安府尹。當時孝宗因趙惇性格與自己相似，故立為太子，與此同時，孝宗也擔憂太子的政治能力，但是淳熙十六年（1189年）二月，孝宗依然禪位予光宗，自稱「壽皇」，以明年為紹熙元年。

光宗是宋朝皇帝中比較平庸的一位。他登基時42歲，並不算年老，卻體弱多病。心理上，也沒有安邦治國之才，聽取奸臣讒言，罷免辛棄疾等主戰派大臣，又讓當時著名的妒婦、心狠手辣的皇后李鳳娘幹政，自己對朝政的掌握力不斷下降。

紹熙四年，光宗將兩浙東路馬步軍副都總管姜特立召至杭州行在，遭到丞相留正的強烈反對，留正隨後出走，直到當年十一月，光宗將姜特立遣回本官，留正方才回朝。但光宗在位的五年時間，基本延續了高宗、孝宗兩朝賑濟災民的政策，也能對一些官吏瀆職的現象予以打擊，如文思院監常良孫因貪污，不僅自身受到貶黜，薦舉其人的宰相周必大也遭到了降爵處分。經濟方面，淮河一帶在光宗朝繼續嚴格實行紙鈔第一政策，一切銀錢都不得進入兩淮地區。湖北一部份地區在紹熙後期開放了鐵錢。

光宗由於皇后李鳳娘的挑撥，素來與孝宗不和，宋孝宗退位後，自稱「壽皇」，閒居宮中，皇后李鳳娘教唆光宗，光宗長期不去探望。李皇后謀殺了有孕在身的黃貴妃，光宗知道之後，又生病了，壽皇送來了藥丸，但李皇后卻造謠說那是毒藥，離間光宗與壽皇父子關係。有一次，光宗宴請大臣，大臣請光宗探望壽皇，李皇后知道了以後立即阻止。紹熙五年（1194年），壽皇得病，宋光宗不去探望壽皇，也不讓他人探望，最終朝臣拒絕見光宗，集體前往朝見壽皇，光宗才被迫妥協。

壽皇病逝時，光宗不服喪。壽皇的喪禮需要身為長子的宋光宗主持，光宗也不主持，大臣們都極為不滿。樞密使趙汝愚則聯合趙彥逾、葉適、徐誼、郭杲、韓仛冑等人策畫政變，由隆慈太皇太后（憲聖慈烈皇后）的外甥韓仛冑請隆慈太皇太后垂簾聽政，又以防不測，命殿帥郭杲，步帥閻仲連夜帶兵控制南皇宮南北，傅昌朝暗中製造黃袍，趙汝愚兵諫逼迫光宗退位。使得尚未成為太子的趙擴，就受禪稱帝，是為宋寧宗，光宗閒居臨安行在壽康宮，自稱「太上皇」。

慶元六年八月初八（1200年9月17日），憂鬱而崩于壽康宮壽康殿，年五十四。十一月，上謚號曰『憲仁聖哲慈孝皇帝』（聖能法天曰憲 施仁服義曰仁 通達先知曰聖 能官賢才曰哲 視民如子曰慈 繼先述事曰孝），廟號『光宗』。十一月，太廟酌獻樂名《大和》。十二月，葬于永崇陵（今浙江紹興東南35里處寶山）。嘉泰三年（1203年）七月，加謚號曰『循道憲仁明功茂德溫文順武聖哲慈孝皇帝』。

軼事

• 宋光宗在太子位已經很長時間，卻仍不見宋孝宗傳位給他。一次他前往重華宮侍奉孝宗，順便向孝宗試探道：「有人給兒臣送來了染鬍鬚的藥，兒臣卻不敢用。」孝宗清楚兒子的用意，就說：「我正要向天下顯示你的老成，要染鬍鬚的藥幹甚麼呢？」

• 一次，光宗的黃貴妃病了，御醫用了許多藥也不見效果。光宗無奈只好張榜求醫。一位江湖郎中揭榜進宮，建議以山楂和冰糖煎熬服用。貴妃按照郎中的方法服用，果然就如期痊癒了。此後，該方法傳入民間，逐漸演變成今天的冰糖葫蘆。

家庭

祖先

妻妾

皇后

• 慈懿皇后李鳳娘（1144－1200），父慶遠軍節度使李道，生趙挺、宋寧宗趙擴。李鳳娘17歲時，道士皇甫坦言其「面相大貴，當母儀天下。」宋高宗即命其皇孫趙惇聘李鳳娘為妻，封榮國夫人，後封定國夫人、恭王妃。立為太子妃後工於心計，刁蠻善妒，挑撥三宮是非。為皇后後，更加飛揚跋扈，逐步控制了光宗。李鳳娘性情妒悍，曾剁下宮女雙手、殺害有孕的黃貴妃、令光宗妃嬪出嫁民間，甚至逼迫光宗不去見父親孝宗臨終最後一面，並肆意加封家人官爵、呵斥朝臣引發不滿，直接引發了光宗被逼退位。光宗內禪，立寧宗，尊為太上皇后，上尊號曰壽仁。慶元六年崩，年五十六。

妃嬪

• 黃貴妃（？－1191），原宋孝宗後宮和義郡夫人，光宗為太子時別無姬妾，孝宗便將黃氏賜予兒子為妾，有專寵。孝宗即位後封貴妃。兩年後貴妃有孕，被皇后李鳳娘趁孝宗離宮郊祭時殺害，謊稱暴薨，光宗從此一病不起。

• 張貴妃，光宗為太子姬妾，被皇后李鳳娘出嫁民間。

• 符婕妤，被皇后李鳳娘出嫁民間。

子

• 長子：長保寧軍節度使趙挺（早亡），母慈懿皇后李鳳娘。

• 次子：宋寧宗趙擴，母慈懿皇后李鳳娘。

女

• 文安公主，長女。

• 和政公主，次女。

• 齊安公主，三女皆早亡，紹熙元年，並追贈公主。

宰相

• 周必大

• 留正

• 葛邲

• 趙汝愚

• 王藺

評價

• 元朝官修正史《宋史》脫脫等的評價是：「光宗幼有令聞，向用儒雅。逮其即位，總權綱，屏嬖倖，薄賦緩刑，見于紹熙初政，宜若可取。及夫宮闈妒悍，內不能制，驚憂致疾。自是政治日昏，孝養日怠，而乾、淳之業衰焉。」

註釋

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Early life

During his childhood, Guangzong either suffered from bipolar or severe neurosis. Despite this, Guangzong was reportedly filial to his father albeit his father kept on delaying the succession.

In 1194, was promoted from the ruler of a Zhou to Fu.

Emperor Xiaozong abdicated in favor of Emperor Guangzong in 1194 which Emperor Guangzong later described his crowning as king and then Emperor Guangzong as a "double celebration" which gave the city of Chongqing its present-day name in honour of Guangzong.

Reign

Upon the succession of Emperor Guangzong in 1189, it was actually suggested that Empress Dowager Wu would act as his regent, because of his bad health. However, during his reign, it was the spouse of Guangzong who de facto ruled the Song Empire.

Guangzong constantly accompanied his father in tours and banquets. This changed due to the enormous influence of his wife Empress Li Fengniang became notorious in Chinese history for being ruthless and shrewd, and for ruling the state through her husband, who became known a "henpecked weakling" dominated by his wife. Eventually, Guangzong made up excuses in order to avoid his father.

According to Xu Wei, the Nanxi style of theatre began in Emperor Guangzong's reign. Guangzong listened to some treacherous officials and dismissed the popular military leader Xin Qiji. Furthermore, Guangzong gave into drinking in his middle years which deteriorated his mental state.

When the Retired Emperor Xiaozong became sick, Guangzong refused to visit him upsetting Xiaozong and furthermore, making Xiaozong's illness worse.

He was forced to give up his throne to Zhao Kuo, his only surviving son and child in 1194 by his officials and his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Wu under the reason that he was "too ill" to perform the mourning rites. In reality, they had forced him to abdicate because he refused to attend the funeral procession of his father, Emperor Xiaozong due to the influence of his wife Empress Li Fengniang, and that he refused to wear mourning clothes making the officials angry about his lack of filial piety. He died in 1200 near Shaoxing, Zhejiang possibly from melancholy as he was mentally ill or he became sick and died.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Ciyi, of the Li clan (慈懿皇后 李氏; 1144–1200), personal name Fengniang (鳳娘)

　• Zhao Ting (趙挺), first son

　• Zhao Kuo, Ningzong (寧宗 趙擴; 1168–1224), second son

• Unknown

　• Princess Wen'an (文安公主), first daughter

　• Princess Hezheng (和政公主), second daughter

　• Princess Qi'an (齊安公主), third daughter

Ancestry