hsia 523of Hsing-tsung and Tao-tsung’s mother to Hsia. There is no mention
of testamentary gifts to or from Chin.
The Sung, with the possible exception of Chi-yün, routinely con-
ferred posthumous titles to the Hsia rulers from Yi-yin to Te-ming. But
it granted no life or posthumous titles after Yüan-hao had proclaimed
himself emperor in 1038. Liao and Chin did not confer posthumous
titles to any of the Hsia rulers.
Hsia is recorded to have congratulated Sung after the enthronements
of Ying-tsung, Che-tsung, and Hui-tsung, Liao after the enthrone-
ments of Hsing-tsung, Tao-tsung, and T’ien-tso, and Chin after the
enthronements of T’ai-tsung, the Dismissed Emperor, Shih-tsung, and
Chang-tsung. No congratulations from Sung to Hsia are recorded.
New Year congratulations from Hsia to Sung are recorded for 1045,
1065, 1066, 1087, 1090, 1091, and 1100.^54 New Year congratulations
from Hsia to Liao are recorded only for 1049. On the other hand,
New Year congratulations from Hsia to Chin became routine, and
the only ones not recorded from 1125 to 1227 are for 1128, 1135,
1150, 1162, 1165, 1185, 1209, and 1213-1226. No congratulations
from Sung to Hsia are recorded.
Finally, Hsia is recorded to have congratulated in Sung on the
birthdays of Jen-tsung in 1045, of Che-tsung’s grandmother, the Grand
Empress Dowager, in 1086, 1089, 1090, and 1091, of Che-tsung in
1086 and 1089, and of Hui-tsung in 1100. Hsia did not congratulate
on the imperial birthdays of Liao. But birthday congratulations to
the Chin emperors again became routine. Hsia is recorded to have
congratulated T’ai-tsung every year from 1124 to 1134, Hsi-tsung
every year from 1136 to 1149, except 1143, the Dismissed Emperor
every year from 1151 to 1161 except 1154, Shih-tsung every year
from 1162 to 1188 except 1185, and Chang-tsung every year from
1189 to 1208 except 1200.^55
Sung is recorded to have congratulated the Hsia ruler Ch’ien-shun
on his birthday in 1089.The Liao is recorded to have congratulated
Te-ming on his birthday once. The Chin is recorded to have con-
(^54) There is also the general statement that Te-ming’s envoys annually congratu-
lated in Sung on the New Year Days ( 55 Sung shih 485:12a).
In 1176, the birthday of Shih-tsung fell on Apr.11. Because of a solar eclipse that
day, it was celebrated on Apr.12. Similarly, the New Year Day of 1198 fell on Feb.8.
Because of a solar eclipse that day, it was celebrated on Feb.10. As remarked before,
this was because of a superstition no longer supported by astronomical knowledge.