Reign

As the young emperor's regent, Grand Empress Dowager Gao appointed conservatives such as Sima Guang as Chancellor, who halted the New Policies set forth by Wang Anshi before dying in 1086. Emperor Zhezong was powerless and it was not until Grand Empress Dowager Gao's death in 1093 that the emperor was able to reinstate Wang Anshi's reforms and reduce the late Sima Guang's influence.

Emperor Zhezong lowered taxes, stopped negotiations with the Tangut-led Western Xia state, and resumed armed conflict which eventually forced Western Xia to enter a more peaceful stance with the Song Empire. However, Emperor Zhezong was unable to stop fighting between conservative members of his government and the more liberal members who supported Wang Anshi's reforms and in fact, the fighting intensified during Emperor Zhezong's reign. This split would eventually contribute to the Northern Song dynasty's demise in the 12th century.

On May 18, 1099, Zhezong became ill in which the symptoms were constant coughing and constipation. Zhezong did not get any better, even though he had taken many medications and so Zhezong asked his councilors to recommend physicians. Geng Yu, an physician who was recommended advised Zhezong and even though Zhezong followed his directions, there were no signs of him getting better.

On July, his constipation was replaced by severe diarrhea and Zhezong could not get up from his bed to receive medicine. Geng recommended spleen-warming pills, an action Zhezong's mother supported.

The coolness of the weather improved Zhezong's health; making him well enough to attend the celebration of his son Zhao Mao on August 8. But his illness returned so Zhezong cancelled his audiences for two days. When he saw his councillors on August 14, he told them that Geng gave him medicine to induce vomiting. He was slightly better but his appetite was gone and his belly constantly ached. Zhezong attended the banquet in honor of his son, in which he was in a very good mood and that his younger brother Zhao Ji also attended. However, Zhao Mao became sick. Zhezong, now in a bad mood due to his son's illness told his councillors that the royal doctors were treating Zhao Mao. On September 26, Zhao Mao was getting better but soon died making Zhezong cancelling his audiences for three days. His birthday was a great celebration but was cut short when after the birthday party, he fell ill and was vomiting all day long. He also contracted laryngitis and could only speak with great effort. By December 21, Zhezong was close to death; he had a weak pulse.

Emperor Zhezong died on February 23, 1100 in Kaifeng at the age of 23 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Emperor Huizong.

Family

Consorts and issue:

• Empress Zhaoci, of the Meng clan (昭慈皇后 孟氏; 1073–1131)

　• Princess Xunmei (洵美帝姬; 1094–1096), first daughter

• Empress Zhaohuai, of the Liu clan (昭懷皇后 劉氏; 1078–1113), personal name Qingjing (清菁)

　• Princess Shushen (淑慎帝姬; 1096–1164), third daughter

　　• Married Pan Zhengfu (潘正夫; d. 1153) in 1112, and had issue (three sons)

　• Princess Chunmei (純美帝姬; 1097–1099), fourth daughter

　• Zhao Mao, Crown Prince Xianmin (獻愍皇太子 趙茂; 1099), first son

• Unknown

　• Princess Shuhe (淑和帝姬; d. 1117), second daughter

　　• Married Shi Duanli (石端禮) in 1110

Ancestry

生平經歷

早年

宋哲宗生于熙寧九年（1076年）十二月七日，初名傭。十年（1077年）十二月，授特進、檢校太尉、天平軍節度使、封均國公。元豐五年（1081年），遷開府儀同三司、彰武軍節度使，進封延安郡王。元豐七年（1084年）三月，逢神宗於集英殿宴請群臣，延安郡王陪同，因舉止有度，宰相於是恭賀神宗。元豐八年（1085年）二月，神宗病重，銀青光祿大夫、尚書左僕射兼門下侍郎王珪請建儲君，並建議由皇太后暫時垂簾聽政。神宗同意後，當年三月，皇太后在福寧殿垂簾，將延安郡王為神宗祈福的手抄佛經出示給宰相等人。於是，奉制立延安郡王為皇太子，改名煦。最初，太子宮中常有紅光。此後，紅光更如火光一般。

登基

元豐八年（1085年）三月初五日，神宗駕崩，皇太子即皇帝位。次日，大赦天下，並遣使告喪於遼國。初七，尊高太后為太皇太后，向皇后為皇太后，生母德妃朱氏為皇太妃。並由宰相王珪為山陵使，營建神宗陵寢。三月二十一日，由于群臣再三請求，哲宗才正式與太皇太后一同聽政。

哲宗登基時，只有9歲，由高太皇太后執政。高太皇太后執政後，任用保守派大臣司馬光為宰相，「凡熙寧以來政事弗便者，次第罷之」。司馬光上台後，不顧一切盡罷新法（熙寧變法），「舉而仰聽于太皇太后」。宋哲宗對此感到不滿。

親政

元祐八年（1093年）九月，高太皇太后去世。十月，哲宗親政。哲宗親政後表明紹述，追貶司馬光，並貶謫蘇軾、蘇轍等舊黨黨人于嶺南（今廣西、廣東、海南），接著重用革新派如章惇、曾布等，恢復王安石變法中的保甲法、免役法、青苗法等，減輕農民負擔，使國勢有所起色。次年改元「紹聖」，並停止與西夏談判，多次出兵討伐西夏，迫使西夏向宋朝乞和。

病逝

宋哲宗自幼時有嚴重的肺結核，在當時已形成不治之症。元符二年（1099年）九月至十月時，其子女連續夭折，哲宗十分悲傷。元符三年正月，哲宗開始病重，無法上朝。同月十二日（1100年2月23日），崩于福寧殿。

廢后爭議

紹聖三年（1096年）章惇以巫蠱詛咒的罪名，要求宋哲宗廢宣仁太后所立的孟皇后，改立劉皇后，連宋哲宗都大嘆：「章惇壞我名節！」。《宋史》的記載方式令後人感覺孟皇后沒有行巫蠱，是被誣害，宮人口供也是被梁從政屈打成招的。但《續資治通鑑長編拾補》卻有整段關于孟皇后及親屬行巫蠱的細節。

評價

正面評價

• 以章惇為相，主持恢復熙豐新法，史稱「紹述」，北宋國力因而得以恢復發展，更取得對西夏的多次戰略性軍事勝利。

• 元朝官修正史《宋史》脫脫等的評價是：「哲宗以衝幼踐阼，宣仁同政。初年召用馬、呂諸賢，罷青苗，複常平，登俊良，闢言路，天下人心，翕然向治。而元祐之政，庶幾仁宗。奈何熙、豐舊奸枿去未盡，已而媒蘗複用，卒假紹述之言，務反前政，報複善良，馴致黨籍禍興，君子盡斥，而宋政益敝矣。籲，可惜哉！」

負面評價

• 哲宗是北宋較有作為的皇帝。不過在新黨與舊黨之間的黨爭始終未能獲得解決，反而在宋哲宗當政期間激化，多少造成朝廷的動盪。

• 哲宗親政後，絕大部分支持司馬光的舊黨黨人都被放逐，甚至於貶到嶺南等蠻荒地區；宰相章惇也進行言論控制，設立元祐提制局等單位對於反對新法的言論加以控制，甚至於在宮廷內部興獄。

身後之事

1100年正月，宋哲宗患病，不數日死去，二月十日開工建陵，限五月十日完工。宋哲宗停喪七個月，于八月下葬永泰陵。陵台今日尚有17米高，底邊每邊長約50米，陵台正北有一段神牆殘存，高約4米，是現今宋陵僅存的神牆遺蹟。陵前石刻雕像還有11件保存完好，僅缺「象奴」一件（完整的為12件），以「象」的刻制最為生動完美，有「東陵獅子、西陵象」的說法。「西陵」就是指的永泰陵與東邊的永裕陵相對。皇后劉氏陪葬在陵台西北，相距不足20米。永泰陵正西四五十米處，有哲宗第四女楊國公主墓。

僅石材一項，石匠就有4600多人，採用的各種石材達3萬多塊，調用民工、役兵超過1萬人，山陵使章淳等官員督工急，民工們不堪虐待，紛紛逃亡，工地上飢餓、病、累而死的日日不斷，死者多被棄尸荒野亂石之中。《採石場碑記》記載說：「居山土人皆云，至久積陰晦，常聞山中有若聲役之歌者，意其不幸橫夭者，沉魂未得解脫逍遙而然乎」。

1130年，劉齊政府盜掘北宋陵寢，陵上建築被破壞殆盡，陵內洗劫一空。永泰陵的水晶注子賣到杭州。元朝初年，此陵再次遭劫。

家庭

祖先

妻

• 昭慈聖獻皇后孟氏，紹聖三年廢

• 昭懷皇后劉氏

妃嬪

• 婕妤張氏

• 婕妤胡氏

• 美人韓氏

• 美人慕容氏

• 美人魏氏

• 美人高氏

• 才人劉氏

子女

子

• 獻愍太子趙茂，母昭懷皇后劉氏，出生二個月後夭折。

女

• 鄧國公主，母昭慈聖獻皇后孟氏，三歲而薨。

• 陳國公主，母不詳，大觀四年，下嫁石端禮，政和七年亡。

• 秦國康懿長公主，母昭懷皇后劉氏，隆興二年亡。

• 揚國公主，母昭懷皇后劉氏，三歲而薨。

授予官職

宰相

• 王珪

• 蔡確

• 韓縝

• 司馬光

• 呂公著

• 文彥博

• 呂大防

• 范純仁

• 劉摯

• 蘇頌

• 章惇

副相

• 李清臣

• 韓維

• 王存

• 孫固

• 胡宗愈

• 韓忠彥

• 傅堯俞

• 許將

• 蘇轍

• 鄭雍

• 梁燾

• 鄧潤甫

• 安燾

• 蔡卞

• 黃履