488 hsia
On Dec.23, 1032, envoys from Hsia to the Liao court congratulated
[on the enthronement of Hsing-tsung] (Liao shih 18:3b; 115:7b).
In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 1033) of the Liao year 1032, Hsing-
tsung recognized the duke of Hsia, Yüan-hao, as king of the Hsia State
(Liao shih 18:3b; 115:7b).^12
On Feb.20, 1033, Hsia envoys to the Liao court offered gifts (Liao
shih 18:4a; 115:7b).
In 1034, Yüan-hao raided Sung border areas and defeated Sung
forces. The same year, his mother died. He sent envoys to the Sung
court to announce the death. Jen-tsung sent an Audience Usher to
sacrifice and an Imperial Diarist to condole and inquire about the
well-being of Yüan-hao (Sung shih 485:14a).
In 1035, Jen-tsung appointed Yüan-hao as Concurrent Prefect of
the Palace Writers (Sung shih 485:15b).
On Apr.21, 1038, Hsia envoys to the Liao court offered gifts (Liao
shih 18:8a; 70:16b; 115:7b).
At some time during 1038, Yüan-hao informed the Sung court that
he wished to send envoys to the Wu-t’ai Mountain in order to make
offerings to the Buddha (Sung shih 485:15b)
Meanwhile, Hsing-tsung of Liao had ordered an inquiry into the
death of the Princess of Hsing-p’ing. She had not been on good terms
with her husband Yüan-hao, and her death had apparently raised
questions. Hsing-tsung on May 9, 1038, sent the Recepient of Edicts
of the Northern Establishment to question Yüan-hao, but he found
no evidence of wrongdoing (Liao shih 18:8a; 115:7b-8a).
On Dec.10, 1038, Yüan-hao proclaimed himself emperor of the
Great Hsia State, which title was also adopted by his successors. He
was 30 years old. In the following year, he sent a communication
to Jen-tsung of Sung, informing him of this step.^13 War broke out
immediately, and Jen-tsung stripped Yüan-hao of his Chinese titles
(Sung shih 485:15b, 17a-17b; Chin shih 134:1a).
(^12) The passage could be read: “The king of the Hsia State, Li Te-ming, died
in the 11th month of 1032. [Hsing-tsung] recognized his son, the duke of the Hsia
State Yüan-hao, as king of the Hsia State”. However, according to Sung shih 485:
12b, Te-wen had died in 1031. The passage should therefore be read: “The king of
the Hsia State, Li Te-ming, having died, [Hsing-tsung] in the 11th month of 1032
recognized his son, the Duke of the Hsia State Yüan-hao, as king of the Hsia State”.
Li Te-ming’s relations to Liao had been cooler than those to Sung, which might
explain the delay in the recognition.
(^13) He would not have referred to himself a “subject” as claimed by Sung shih.