生平

早年

趙曙是前任第四代皇帝仁宗的堂兄濮王趙允讓的第十三子，是太宗第四子商王趙元份的後裔，生母為仙遊縣君任氏。天聖十年（明道元年）壬申年正月三日甲戌（1032年2月15日）生於宣平坊宅第〔嘉祐八年（1063年），英宗把這天定為「壽聖節」〕，最初，濮王夢兩龍與太陽一起掉落下來，用衣服裝住了它們，到英宗出生時，赤光滿室，有黃龍在赤光中遊走。景佑二年（1035年），被仁宗接入皇宮撫養。三年（1036年），授太子左監門率府副率，賜名宗實。四年（1037年）六月，特遷太子右內率府率。累遷至左千牛衛將軍。寶元元年（1038年）十月，遷左領軍衛將軍。二年（1039年）六月，遷右千牛衛大將軍，出居睦親宅，還第。慶曆元年（1041年）十二月，為右羽林軍大將軍。皇佑二年（1050年），遷左衛大將軍、岳州團練使。嘉佑四年（1059年）十一月，父喪。六年（1061年）十月，起復，為秦州防禦使、知宗正寺，固辭不拜。十一月，上表請終喪，許之。七年（1062年）三月，乞還泰州防禦使、知宗正寺告敕，不許。五月，繳還泰州防禦使、知宗正事敕告，詔不許。八月，辭泰州防禦使、知宗正寺，許之。

登基

仁宗所生的三名兒子皆幼年夭折，而仁宗的兄弟也早逝（早於仁宗登基時逝世），故在嘉祐七年（1062年）八月，立為皇子，賜名曙，賜襲衣、金帶、銀絹各一千。九月，遷齊州防禦使、進封鉅鹿郡公。八年（1063年）三月，仁宗崩于福寧殿。四月，即皇帝位。

朝政

濮議之爭

宋英宗時代對生父尊禮濮安懿王趙允讓的討論，引起了一系列政治事件。

宋英宗趙曙原是濮王趙允讓的兒子，過繼給宋仁宗為皇子。宋英宗即位後，討論崇奉濮王的典禮。治平元年（1064年），韓琦、歐陽修等奏請尊禮濮安懿王為皇考。尊禮之事引起與王珪、司馬光、呂誨、范純仁、呂大防等台諫大臣的不滿，主張稱濮王為皇伯。史稱濮議。呂誨、范純仁、呂大防等人被貶黜，治平三年（1066年），由於宋英宗強烈意願，使曹太后認可尊濮安懿王為皇考濮安懿皇。但是，趙允讓始終沒有獲得明確的皇帝尊號，隨著英宗的去世，事情不了了之。

執政經歷

英宗即位不久即病，無法處理朝政，由曹太后於內東門小殿垂簾聽政，待英宗病情好轉後，曹太后即撤簾歸政。

英宗雖然多病，行事甚至有些荒唐，但剛即位時，還是表現出了一個有為之君的風範。仁宗暴亡，醫官應當負有責任，主要的兩名醫官便被英宗逐出皇宮，送邊遠州縣編管。其他一些醫官，唯恐也遭貶謫。顯然，英宗行事很有些雷厲風行的風格，與濫施仁政的仁宗有著很大的不同。不僅如此，英宗也是一個很勤勉的皇帝。當時，輔臣奏事，英宗每每詳細詢問事情始末，方才裁決，處理政務非常認真。

英宗繼續任用仁宗時的改革派重臣韓琦、歐陽修、富弼等人，面對積弱積貧的國勢，力圖進行一些改革。

宋英宗治平三年任命司馬光設局專修《資治通鑑》，經費由政府資助，更准借閱秘閣藏書，並自選助手（劉恕、范祖禹、劉攽、司馬康），並提供筆硯文具、撥款、水果、糕點等，讓司馬光無後顧之憂的從事史書撰述。於神宗元豐七年成書，神宗並親自為此書作序。司馬光為了報答英宗的知遇之恩，在此後漫長的19年裡，將全部精力都耗在《資治通鑑》這部巨著的編纂上。應該說，史學巨著《資治通鑑》的最後編成也有英宗的一份功勞。

去世

治平四年正月八日丁巳（1067年1月25日）英宗崩，享年36歲，殯於殿西階，廟號英宗，群臣上諡憲文肅武宣孝皇帝，八月二十七日癸酉，葬英宗於永厚陵（今河南鞏義孝義堡）。

歷史評價

• 英宗本人對於北宋中興抱有極大期望，相對其子神宗，政治手段也更為成熟。無奈壽短，使得北宋過早進入神宗朝，從而失掉了可能的中興計劃，為神宗朝王安石的變法提供了機會。

• 元朝官修正史《宋史》脫脫等的評價是：「昔人有言，天之所命，人不能違。信哉！英宗以明哲之資，膺繼統之命，執心固讓，若將終身，而卒踐帝位，豈非天命乎？及其臨政，臣下有奏，必問朝廷故事與古治所宜，每有裁決，皆出群臣意表。雖以疾疹不克大有所為，然使百世之下，欽仰高風，詠嘆至德，何其盛也！彼隋晉王廣、唐魏王泰窺覦神器，矯揉奪嫡，遂啟禍原，誠何心哉！誠何心哉！」

家庭

祖先

• 嗣父（堂伯父）：仁宗明孝皇帝趙禎

妻

• 宣仁皇后高氏

妃嬪

• 昭儀鮑氏

• 修容張氏

• 貴儀張氏

• 才人楊氏，1100年，宋哲宗逝世後，楊才人被宋徽宗晉封婕妤

子女

子

• 母皆宣仁皇后高氏

• 宋神宗趙頊

• 吳榮王趙顥

• 潤王趙顏

• 益端獻王趙頵

女

• 德寧公主

• 寶安公主，母宣仁皇后

• 壽康公主，母宣仁皇后

• 舒國公主

授予官職

宰相

• 韓琦

• 曾公亮

Family Background

Emperor Yingzong was the 13th son of Zhao Yunrang (趙允讓; 969–1059), who was a first cousin of Emperor Renzong and was posthumously known as "Prince Anyi of Pu" (濮安懿王). Emperor Yingzong's grandfather, Zhao Yuanfen (趙元份; 966–1005), was a younger brother of Emperor Renzong's father, Emperor Zhenzong, and was posthumously known as "Prince Gongjing of Shang" (商恭靖王). Emperor Yingzong's mother, whose maiden family name was Ren (任), was the concubine of Zhao Yunrang. She held the title "Xianjun of Xianyou".

Early life

In 1055, Emperor Yingzong's predecessor, Emperor Renzong, became critically ill and started to worry about having no successor because his sons all died prematurely. Acting on the advice of his ministers, Emperor Renzong agreed to bring two of his younger male relatives into his palace. One of them was the future Emperor Yingzong, who was eventually chosen and designated as the Crown Prince. Yingzong had his name changed to "Zhao Shu" in 1062 when he was officially designated as the Crown Prince. This name became his official name when he ascended the throne in the following year after his adoptive father Emperor Renzong died in 1063.

Reign

Emperor Yingzong's empress consort was Empress Gao, a niece of Empress Dowager Cao who was the widow of Emperor Renzong. As Emperor Yingzong was severely sickly shortly after his coronation, Empress Dowager Cao served as his regent. However, Empress Dowager Cao held onto power even when Yingzong recovered until the Prime Minister Han Qi removed the screen from the audience hall making it impossible for Empress Dowager Cao to attend. She was forced to give power back to Yingzong.

Emperor Yingzong's reign is known for controversy over the correct rituals to be performed by the emperor for his father. Emperor Yingzong had been adopted by Emperor Renzong, so Emperor Renzong was nominally Emperor Yingzong's father. However, biologically, Zhao Yunrang was Emperor Yingzong's father. Some officials suggested that Emperor Yingzong honour his biological father with the title "Imperial Uncle", but the emperor agreed with Ouyang Xiu and others and decided to honour his biological father as his parent. This was not only an early sign of more conflict during Emperor Xiaozong's reign but also the Great Rites Controversy of the Ming dynasty.

On April 7, 1063, Yingzong sent gifts including calligraphy made by Emperor Renzong to the Vietnamese King Ly Thanh Tong. Later, Than Thieu Thai raided Guangnan West Circuit prompting local officials to seek help from Yingzong but he ignored them leaving defences up to them although he branded Than Thieu Thai as "reckless and mad.」

In 1065 AD, Emperor Yingzong ordered the great historian Sima Guang (1019–1086 AD) to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the compilation of a universal history of China.

He died in 1067, caused by an illness that Yingzong contracted in 1066. He was succeeded by his son Zhao Xu who took the throne name Emperor Shenzong.

Emperor Yingzong had always been mentally ill, often distracted, physically weak, and depressed causing him to have health problems which contributed to his death at a young age.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Xuanren, of the Gao clan (宣仁皇后 高氏; 1032–1093)

　• Zhao Xu, Shenzong (神宗 趙頊; 1048–1085), first son

　• Zhao Hao, Prince Wurong (吳榮王 趙顥; 1050–1096), second son

　• Princess Xianhui (賢惠帝姬; 1051–1080), second daughter

　　• Married Wang Shen (1036–1093), and had issue (one son)

　• Princess Xiande (賢德帝姬; 1051–1123), third daughter

　　• Married Zhang Dunli (張敦禮; d. 1107) in 1068, and had issue (one son, one daughter)

　• Zhao Yan, Prince Run (潤王 趙顏), third son

　• Zhao Yun, Prince Yiduanxian (益端獻王 趙頵; 1056–1088), fourth son

• Unknown

　• Princess Hehui (惠和帝姬; d. 1085), first daughter

　　• Married Wang Shiyue (王師約) in 1066

　• Princess Zhenjing (貞靜帝姬)

　　• Married Xu Jue (許珏), and had issue (two sons)

Ancestry