生平

早年

天辅三年（己亥年）出生，本名合剌，母亲是蒲察氏，父亲是完颜阿骨打的嫡长子。

天会八年，谙班勃极烈完颜杲薨逝，金太宗意久未决。天会十年，左副元帅完颜宗翰、右副元帅完颜宗辅、左监军完颜希尹等大臣进入朝廷与完颜宗干讨论国事，称：「谙班勃极烈虚位已久，今不早定，恐授非其人。合剌，先帝嫡孙，当立。」相与请于太宗者再三，乃从之。

天会十三年正月己巳，金太宗驾崩。

登基即位

1135年2月10日，即皇帝位。不久，对外公布、并下令公私部门皆禁止饮酒与相关娱乐，并向伪齐、高丽、夏等国派遣使节称金朝皇帝已经即位；并诏令刘齐今后称自己为臣，不能称子。

金宋和战

天会十五年十一月丙午（1138年1月1日），为巩固政权，金熙宗下诏废除伪齐，降封刘豫为蜀王，并与南宋议和。十二月戊辰，刘豫上表感谢封爵。不久，发布诏令改明年为天眷元年，并大赦，命韩昉、耶律绍文等人编修国史。之后命令蜀王刘豫迁徙至临潢府。

天眷二年（1139年）正月，金、宋议和成立，南宋代替伪齐政权成为金的属国，宋对金称臣，金朝归还河南、陕西。但是主战派很快占了上风。天眷三年（1140年）五月，金熙宗诏令兀术收复河南、陕西等地。

皇统元年（1141年），完颜宗弼再次带兵南侵，被岳飞、韩世忠等击退，但宋高宗急于求和，再次达成绍兴和议，金朝至此控制淮河以北。

皇统五年（1145年），取消辽东汉人、渤海猛安谋克世袭的制度，逐渐将兵权转移到女真人手中，分猛安谋克为上中下三等，宗室为上等，其馀次之。

汉化巩固政权

熙宗废除了太祖、太宗传下来的勃极烈制度。完颜阿骨打庶长子完颜宗干（同时也是熙宗的养父）崇尚汉化，在开国之初太宗任命宗干辅助朝政制定各种制度，为女真汉化及巩固金在华北统治打下基础。

熙宗自幼接受汉化教育，加上养父的影响，登基后开始了汉制改革、重用汉人。太祖四子完颜宗弼（又名金兀术）是推动汉制的重臣，熙宗授以军政大权。天会十四年（1136年），宗磐、宗干和宗翰三人共同总管政府机构，「并领三省事」。金朝官制此时基本汉化，建立了以尚书省为中心的三省制，以三师（太师、太傅、太保）以及三公（太尉、司徒、司空）领三省事。

勃极烈制度废除前，女真的传统一般是同代相传，比如景祖乌古乃将权力传给世祖劾里钵，然后是劾里钵的四弟肃宗颇剌淑和五弟穆宗盈歌（长子劾者和三子劾孙因为柔善而被景祖跳过），这一轮过后才是最有势力家族的下一代，世祖劾里钵之子康宗乌雅束、太祖阿骨打、太宗吴乞买和辽王斜也。斜也一死，太宗把皇储谙班勃极烈的位置空闲了两年，在大家的催促下才选了一个太祖阿骨打家族的嫡长孙作皇储。

等到熙宗继位后，汉化的结果就是废除了谙班勃极烈这种旧的皇储制度，皇帝立自己的儿子作太子。这引起了本来能在太宗朝成为太子的太宗长子完颜宗磐的不满。为免出现宋朝太祖太宗朝纷争局面，熙宗因此对太宗子孙比较忍让。后来宗磐还是发动了叛乱，但被平息。

宋金议和以后，宗翰、宗干、宗弼等太祖太宗朝的老功臣相继秉政，熙宗临朝一般不说话。等到皇统（1148年）十月，宗弼去世，熙宗才有机会亲政。但悼平皇后裴满氏又很泼辣，干预政事，无所忌惮。加上熙宗的两个年幼儿子，太子济安、魏王道济相继在皇统三、四年去世，帝位失嗣。熙宗便彻底崩溃，开始嗜酒如命，不理朝政，滥杀无辜，更杀死了蒙古族的俺巴孩汗，朝野人心惶惶。皇统九年（1149）十月，熙宗弟族完颜元、完颜阿愣等人因受海陵王完颜亮诬告而被熙宗全数杀害，熙宗因此被孤立，也给完颜亮日后的篡位埋下了祸根。

遇弑

皇统九年十二月初九丁巳日（儒略历1150年1月9日），被右丞相海陵王完颜亮所杀，终年31岁。

封号

天德二年（1150年）二月庚戌，被海陵王降为东昏王，葬于皇后裴满氏墓中。贞元三年（1155年），改葬于大房山蓼香甸诸王墓群。海陵王死后，金世宗于大定元年（1161年）十一月恢复完颜亶帝号，追諡武灵皇帝，庙号闵宗，墓称思陵。大定十九年（1179年）四月，升祔于太庙，增諡弘基缵武庄靖孝成皇帝。大定二十七年（1187年）二月，改庙号熙宗。大定二十八年（1188年），以思陵狭小，改葬于峨眉谷，仍号思陵。

家庭

• 悼平皇后裴满氏

　• 英悼太子完颜济安

　• 代国公主

• 胙王完颜元之妃撒卯

• 贤妃

　• 魏王完颜道济

• 德妃乌古论氏，皇统九年（1149年）十一月癸巳，金熙宗在忽剌浑土温打猎，遣使杀害德妃乌古论氏及夹谷氏、张氏。

• 妃夹谷氏，金熙宗在杀害德妃乌古论氏同日杀死夹谷氏。

• 妃张氏，金熙宗在杀害德妃乌古论氏同日杀死张氏。

• 妃裴满氏，皇统九年十二月初八丙辰（1150年1月8日），金熙宗在寝殿杀害裴满氏，次日熙宗就被完颜秉德、唐括辩、仆散师恭等人杀害。

• 次妃赵金姑（宋庆福帝姬）

• 次妃赵赛月（宋华福帝姬）

• 次妃赵飞燕（宋宗姬、燕王赵俣女）

• 次妃赵玉嫱（宋宗姬、肃王赵枢次女）

• 夫人赵玉盘（宋嘉德帝姬）

• 夫人赵金奴（宋荣德帝姬）

• 夫人赵串珠（宋宁福帝姬）

• 夫人赵金印（宋令福帝姬）

• 夫人赵檀香（宋宗姬、越王赵偲三女）

;女

• 郑国公主，嫁蒲察鼎寿，女蒲察氏为金章宗钦怀皇后

• 冀国公主，金章宗钦怀皇后养母

• 代国公主，母悼平皇后，嫁唐括辩

• 徒单府君奴之妻，生徒单公弼（金世宗息国公主驸马）

• 梁国大长公主

• 沈国公主，第七女，嫁徒单绎（母鄂国公主）

评价

• 元朝官修正史《金史》脱脱等的评价是：「熙宗之时，四方无事，敬礼宗室大臣，委以国政，其继体守文之治，有足观者。末年酗酒妄杀，人怀危惧。所谓前有谗而不见，后有贼而不知。驯致其祸，非一朝一夕故也。」

Early life

Hela was the eldest son of Shengguo (绳果; also known as Wanyan Zongjun 完颜宗峻), the eldest son of Aguda (Emperor Taizu), the founder and first emperor of the Jin dynasty. His mother was Lady Pucha (蒲察氏), whom he posthumously honoured as "Empress Huizhao" (惠昭皇后). When Emperor Taizu died in 1123, the throne was passed on to his younger brother, Wuqimai (Emperor Taizong). Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Xiyin, who used to be Emperor Taizu's chief advisers, convinced Emperor Taizong to designate Hela as his heir apparent (anban bojilie; 谙班勃极烈) in 1132, so Hela became the new emperor in 1135 when Emperor Taizong died.

Wars against the Southern Song dynasty

In 1137, Emperor Xizong abolished the Qi kingdom, a vassal state of the Jin dynasty ruled by Liu Yu (刘豫), a former Song dynasty official. The Jin dynasty started peace negotiations with the Southern Song dynasty. In 1139, the Jin and Song dynasties arrived at a treaty, with the latter agreeing to be a tributary vassal state under the former. In return, the Jin dynasty returned control of Henan and Shaanxi provinces to the Song dynasty. However, in 1140, Emperor Xizong decided to wage war against the Song dynasty so he ordered the general Wanyan Zongbi to lead Jin forces to attack and seize back Henan and Shaanxi. In 1141, Wanyan Zongbi and his army were defeated by Song forces led by Yue Fei and Han Shizhong; the Jin dynasty agreed to negotiate for peace again with the Song dynasty.

Internal politics

Emperor Xizong was very fond of Han Chinese culture because of the influence of his adoptive father, Wanyan Zonggan (完颜宗干), so he reformed the political institutions and modelled them after Han Chinese ones, while at the same time encouraging talented Han Chinese to serve in his government. In 1136, Emperor Xizong ordered Wanyan Zonggan, Wanyan Zongpan (完颜宗磐) and Wanyan Zonghan to take charge of reforming the government and creating the Three Departments system.

Emperor Xizong abolished the traditional bojilie (勃极烈) system that he inherited from his predecessors. The bojilie system allowed the Jurchen ruler to choose an heir apparent from among male relatives in the same generation as him, usually his brothers. However, Emperor Taizong, who succeeded his brother Emperor Taizu, made an exception when he chose Emperor Xizong (Emperor Taizu's grandson) as his heir apparent instead of choosing from among his sons. Wanyan Zongpan, the eldest son of Emperor Taizong, was very unhappy when the bojilie system was abolished because this meant that he would have no chance to become emperor.

Between 1138 and 1139, Wanyan Zongpan tried to seize power and start a rebellion but was defeated and executed. Since then, the political arena was dominated by Wanyan Zonghan, Wanyan Zonggan and Wanyan Zongbi; Emperor Xizong had little or no say in politics. After Wanyan Zongbi died in 1148, Emperor Xizong gained an opportunity to participate in politics, but his wife, Empress Daoping, started to interfere in politics and she wielded significant influence. Emperor Xizong's two sons, Wanyan Ji'an (完颜济安) and Wanyan Daoji (完颜道济), died in 1143 and 1144 respectively. Emperor Xizong felt depressed by the loss of his sons that he developed an addiction to alcohol and started neglecting state affairs. He also became more violent and ruthless, and started killing people indiscriminately. One of his victims was Ambaghai, a Mongol chieftain and great-granduncle of Genghis Khan.

Emperor Xizong was overthrown and murdered by his chancellor, Digunai, and other court officials in a coup d'état on 9 January 1150.

Family

• Father: Shengguo (绳果), sinicised name Wanyan Zongjun (完颜宗峻), posthumously honoured as Emperor Huizong (金徽宗)

• Mother: Lady Pucha (蒲察氏), posthumously honoured as Empress Huizhao 惠昭皇后)

• Spouse: Lady Peiman (裴满氏), posthumously honoured as Empress Daoping (悼平皇后), bore Wanyan Ji'an

• Concubines:

　• Samao (撒卯), widow of Emperor Xizong's younger brother Wanyan Yuan (完颜元)

　• Consort Xian (贤妃), bore Wanyan Daoji

　• Consort De (德妃), also known as Lady Wugulun (乌古论氏)

　• Lady Jiagu (夹谷氏)

　• Lady Zhang (张氏)

　• Lady Peiman (裴满氏)

　• Zhao Jingu (赵金姑), Lady Qingfu (庆福帝姬), 12th daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Saiyue (赵赛月), Lady Huafu (华福帝姬), 19th daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Feiyan (赵飞燕), daughter of Zhao Yu (赵俣)

　• Zhao Yuqiang (赵玉嫱), daughter of Zhao Shu (赵枢)

　• Zhao Yupan (赵玉盘), Lady Jiade (嘉德帝姬), eldest daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Jinnu (赵金奴), Lady Rongde (荣德帝姬), second daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Chuanzhu (赵串珠), Lady Ningfu (宁福帝姬), 16th daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Jinyin (赵金印), Lady Lingfu (令福帝姬), 18th daughter of Zhao Ji

　• Zhao Tanxiang (赵檀香), third daughter of Zhao Cai (赵偲)

• Sons:

　• Wanyan Ji'an (完颜济安), posthumously honoured as Crown Prince Yingdao (英悼太子)

　• Wanyan Daoji (完颜道济), Prince of Wei (魏王)

• Daughters:

　• Princess of Zheng (郑国公主), married Pucha Dingshou (蒲察鼎寿), mother of Empress Qinhuai (钦怀皇后; Emperor Zhangzong's empress consort)

　• Princess of Ji (冀国公主), adoptive mother of Empress Qinhuai

　• Princess of Dai (代国公主), married Tangkuo Bian (唐括辩)

　• Daughter, name unknown, mother of Tushan Gongbi (徒单公弼)

　• Princess Supreme of Liang (梁国大长公主)

　• Princess of Shen (沈国公主), married Tushan Yi (徒单绎)