早期

根据《新五代史》，石敬瑭的祖先是沙陀人，他称帝后自称本是卫国大夫石碏、汉丞相石奋之后，祖先在汉末的战乱中流居甘州。近代发挖出土的石重贵墓志铭则自称他们家是后赵石勒之后裔。

石敬瑭的高祖父石璟在元和年间与李克用的祖先一同从甘州入附，被任命为为河东阴山府裨校，以战功累官至朔州刺史。曾祖父石郴早死，祖父石翌曾任振武防御使，父亲石绍雍沙陀名臬捩鸡，善骑射，在李克用父子麾下屡立战功，曾任平、洺二州刺史，追赠太傅，景福元年二月二十八日夫人何氏生石敬瑭于太原汾阳里，为石绍雍次子。

石敬瑭自少便弓马，寡言笑，喜读兵书，作战时身先士卒，勇猛异常，深得李嗣源（日后的唐明宗）赏识，为其亲兵将领，号三讨军（或作左射军），被招为女婿。随岳父征战，积功屡任大镇节帅。后唐庄宗同光四年（926年），邺都之变，石敬瑭力劝李嗣源入汴京，转攻洛阳。李嗣源即位后，石敬瑭任光禄大夫、检校司徒，充陕州保义军节度使。天成二年，任宣武军节度使，进封开国公。天成三年，出任同中书门下平章事，兴唐尹、邺都留守、天雄军节度使。长兴二年（931年），担任河阳节度使，次年，改任河东节度使，镇守太原。

石敬瑭早年在地方任官时，为官清廉而勤政，不好声色犬马，而是喜欢与幕僚探讨当地的行政与法律问题。其断案经常亲历亲为，以矫正诬告之风和推广孝道为本，使案件不会被积压，但处罚亦较为严苛。其矫枉过正的严苛手段一定程度上刹住了诬告的歪风，并且在其陕州、邺都、河东和常山之任的民政方面取得了相对积极的效果。

应顺元年（934年），闵帝李从厚徙石敬瑭为成德节度使，移镇常山（镇州）。讨伐潞王李从珂失败，逃到卫州向石敬瑭求援，可是石敬瑭的部下把闵帝随从杀尽，石敬瑭把闵帝安置在卫州，最后闵帝被李从珂派人杀死。

建国

末帝李从珂继位后，任石敬瑭为河东节度使，后来开始对石敬瑭起疑，石敬瑭也暗中谋自保。石敬瑭以多病为理由，上表请求朝廷调他往其它藩镇，藉此试探朝廷对他的态度。末帝在清泰三年（936年）五月改授石敬瑭为郓州天平节度使，进封赵国公，并降旨催促赴任。石敬瑭怀疑末帝对他起疑心，便举兵叛变，据晋阳反唐。后唐派兵讨伐，石敬瑭被围，向契丹求援。九月契丹军南下，石敬瑭与耶律德光相约，以割地岁贡为代价，借兵反后唐。契丹军于是击败唐军。

石敬瑭的岳父是唐明宗李嗣源。李嗣源的义父是李克用。李克用曾和辽太祖耶律阿保机结为兄弟。据此，石敬瑭与耶律德光约为父子，并在国书中称自己为「儿皇帝」，耶律德光为「父皇帝」。

石敬瑭在十一月受契丹册封为大晋皇帝，于晋阳即位，改元天福，史称后晋。然后向洛阳进军，后唐末帝在闰十一月（937年1月）自焚，后唐遂亡。石敬瑭灭后唐后，按约定将燕云十六州献给契丹，其结果使中原地区丧失了北方屏障。另外晋国向辽国每岁奉绢三十万匹（但事实上这一承诺在石敬瑭在位期间从未真正兑现过）。

统治时期

石敬瑭在位期间，天福元年的安州节度使卢文进、天福二年到三年的魏博节度使范延光与西京留守张从宾、天福五年的安州节度使李金全和天福七年的成德节度使安重荣与山南东道节度使安从进等引发的叛变事件不断，他的儿子石重信和石重乂亦遭张从宾叛军杀害。在平叛的同时，为制衡和安抚藩镇势力，石敬瑭对藩镇多采取姑息政策的同时，尽力谋求将各对中央威胁较大的藩镇（如杨光远和安重荣）平调、孤立、拆散、降格。天福二年初，为牵制早已准备造反的范延光，石敬瑭在桑维翰的建议下决定迁都水陆交通都更为发达的汴梁(大梁，今河南开封市）。第二年末，汴梁正式成为了后晋王朝的国都。自此，汴梁（又称汴京）一直是后晋以降的历代中原王朝的首都，直到北宋灭亡。

在中央政策上，石敬瑭任用桑维翰、赵莹及和凝等幕僚人才，力图缩小开支和减轻对民间的剥削力度，在位时期多次颁布减税和减少对民间经济活动过度干预的政令，如在位初期解禁私盐贩卖并重新将盐税总共按低到高厘定为200文到一贯（约1000文）五个等级（效果立竿见影）和天福六年的解禁私铁铸造及买卖等。在桑维翰的建议之下，石敬瑭于天福四年免除了旧时处罚盗贼本人的同时抄没其家产的不成文传统。同时，石敬瑭亦在登基之初便开创了沿用至后世的地方税收公示政策，规定地方政府必须张榜公示税收并不准随意加新税。据此，他在天福四年再度对田租制度进行改革，除了重申官吏不得在公示的田租之外再自行添加新税之外，还将计算田租的权利赋予田地所有人。在此之外，他还在天福二年下诏对监狱环境进行改革，要求由官府出钱给患病的囚犯诊察、治疗。

石敬瑭登基之后，后晋在修订历法和编篡史籍方面也都有重大贡献。历法方面，司天监马重绩参照唐代《长庆宣明历》和《景福崇元历》修订了新历上呈皇帝，而后石敬瑭命令其他历法官员将之与二历对照再度修正，并将修正后的历法赐名《调元历》颁行。修史方面，石敬瑭在天福六年二月下旨命令户部侍郎张昭远等人编篡前唐正史，于三年后的出帝开运二年完成，总计二百一十三卷并一卷目录，最初避石敬瑭名讳而命名为《李氏书》，现在通称为《旧唐书》。

后因成德节度使安重荣及河东节度使刘知远先后接受吐谷浑部族投降，石敬瑭屡遭契丹责问，乃忧愤而死。

轶事

• 杀马断案：后唐闵帝在位时期，石敬瑭正主政河东。有一次，一位小店的老板娘和一位军士争执著来到官府。老板娘投诉到：「我本来把谷子放在门口晾晒，未承想却被这位路过的军士的马给吃了！」而军士也连连大呼自己是冤枉的。负责审问的官吏无法判断谁对谁错，十分为难。这时，石敬瑭亲自来处理这个案子。他对那个官吏说：「原告与被告各执一词，该以什么方式来判断呢？我认为应当剖开那匹马的肠子，看看有没有残留的谷子。如果剖开了发现有谷子，那么就处死军士；反之，则处死老板娘。」于是众人杀死了军马，发现它的肠子里没有残留的谷子，石敬瑭遂按先前所言处死了老板娘。自此，河东境内风气为之一变，再也没有人敢于诬告别人。

• 石敬瑭主政常州时，本来在常州下属的九门邑官府审理的一场兄诉弟的案子，竟然闹到了常州官府。石敬瑭得知了之后，览过卷宗一看，发现是一桩买卖纷争：弟弟想卖地给哥哥，但哥哥不满意价格，于是双方争执不下。但弟弟急于脱手，就找到了其他愿意买地的人卖了出去。而哥哥等到这个买地的人要找他写证明文件的时候，才知道弟弟已经把地转手了，于是一方面拒绝写证明，而另一方面又把弟弟起诉到了九门令那里。九门令却在做出了兄弟都「不义」的各打五十大板的初步判断之后，又把案件提交给了常州官府，就这么兜兜转转来到了石敬瑭手上。看完了卷宗，他亲自来审理这桩案子，下判决到：「百姓做出了不义的行为，很惭愧地说，是由于我这个地方长官初来乍到，来不及推行教化的缘故。但是此刻我要用符合的法规来判断这桩案子的话，这桩买卖于哥哥而言是希望购买好田地，而于弟弟来说则是想卖个好价钱。既然是由弟弟发起的买卖，那么兄长应该服从弟弟作为买方所做的决定，而不是阻挠他。由此可见，哥哥才是真正理屈的那一方，作为处罚要严厉地鞭打他。而弟弟想要脱手的土地则应该卖给让出高价的人。」裁决做出之后，地方从上到下都佩服他的公正。

• 退还黄金：后晋天福四年六月，有一位陈州的农民王武在家里挖地挖出了好几饼黄金。州牧听说了这件事之后，就派人没收了黄金，并将其上贡给已经当皇帝的石敬瑭。岂料石敬瑭听说了黄金的来龙去脉之后，却说：「这黄金本就是私人所有的东西，而且规格上也不符合官府通用凭证的级别，不该充公。」于是命人把黄金退还给了王家。

后世评价

石敬瑭为了向辽朝借兵，不惜割让燕云十六州，甚至向契丹人称「儿」，直接导致中原失去长城屏障，因此自两宋以后，后世多以负评为主：

• 刘知远：「称臣可矣，以父事之太过。厚以金帛赂之，自足致其兵，不必许以土田，恐异日大为中国之患，悔之无及。」

• 《旧五代史》高祖本纪：「晋祖潜跃之前沈毅而已。及其为君也，旰食宵衣，礼贤从谏，慕黄、老之教，乐清净之风，以絁为衣，以麻为履，故能保其社稷，高朗令终。然而图事之初，召戎来援，猃狁自兹而孔炽，黔黎由是以罹殃。迨至嗣君，兵连祸结，卒使都城失守，举族为俘。亦犹决鲸海以救焚，何逃没溺；饮鸩浆而止渴，终取丧亡。谋之不臧，何至于是！倘使非由外援之力，自副皇天之命，以兹睿德，惠彼蒸民，虽未足以方驾前王，亦可谓仁慈恭俭之主也。」

• 《新五代史》晋本纪第八：「（三年春二月戊戌，诸镇皆进物以助国。）残民以献其上，君臣同欲，贿赂公行，至此而不胜其多矣！......（三月，除民二年至四年以前税。）见时敛重而民不堪。」

• 《资治通鉴》卷二百八十一：「时晋新得天下，籓镇多未服从；或虽服从，反仄不安。兵火之馀，府库殚竭，民间困穷，而契丹徵求无厌。维翰劝帝推诚弃怨以抚籓镇，卑辞厚礼以奉契丹，训卒缮兵以修武备，务农桑以实仓廪，通商贾以丰货财。数年之间，中国稍安。」

• 郝经：「称臣呼父古所无，石郎至今有遗臭。」

家室

皇后

• 李皇后

子女

• 剡王石重胤

• 虢王石重英

• 楚王石重信，母李皇后

• 寿王石重乂

• 夔王石重进

• 陈王石重杲

• 石重睿

• 石曦

影视形象

电视剧

延伸阅读

Background and early life

The official history Old History of the Five Dynasties stated that his family was originally descended from Shi Que (石碏), an official of the Spring and Autumn period state Wey, through the Han prime minister Shi Fen (石奋), and further stated that Shi Fen's descendants fled west when Han fell, settling in what would eventually become Gan Prefecture (甘州, in modern Zhangye, Gansu), apparently in an attempt to try to link Shi with a Han Chinese ancestry despite the Shatuo origin. Under the Old History of the Five Dynasties account, his great-great-grandfather, whose name was given as Shi Jing (石璟), followed the Shatuo chieftain Zhuye Zhiyi (朱邪执宜) in submitting to Tang, and was settled, along with the rest of the Shatuo people under Zhuye, in Tang territory. Shi Jingtang's father Nieliji (臬捩鸡), who was referred to by the Han Chinese name Shi Shaoyong (石绍雍), was said to be a successful general under Zhuye Zhiyi's grandson Li Keyong, who was an important late-Tang warlord, and Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, who ruled the independent state of Jin after Tang's fall. The other official history for the period, the New History of the Five Dynasties, apparently was skeptical of this account of Shi Jingtang's ancestry, and instead merely gave Nieliji's name, further stating that it was unclear when or how he received the surname of Shi. Most likely, Shi Jingtang descended from the Shatuo sub-tribe Anqing (安庆), specifically, from the Shi clan (石) of ultimately Sogdian origin.

Shi Jingtang was born in 892, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, in Taiyuan. His mother was stated to be a Lady He, and it was not stated whether she was Shi Shaoyong's wife or concubine. (However, after he later became emperor, Shi Jingtang honored Shi Shaoyong's concubine Lady Liu, first as consort dowager, and then as empress dowager, suggesting the possibility that Lady He was Shi Shaoyong's wife and Shi Jingtang's "legal" mother, but that Lady Liu was his birth mother.) In his youth, Shi Jingtang was said to be quiet and stern. He studied the military strategies and particularly tried to take after Li Mu and Zhou Yafu.

When he grew up, he was known as one of the strongest warriors in the region due to his valor and martial prowess.

Service during Jin

The region that Li Keyong ruled subsequently became the state of Jin after Tang's fall in 907 (as Li Keyong carried the Tang-bestowed title of Prince of Jin), and after Li Keyong's death in 908, Li Cunxu succeeded him as the Prince of Jin, in rivalry with Tang's main successor state Later Liang. Li Cunxu subsequently made his adoptive brother (Li Keyong's adoptive son) Li Siyuan, a major general, the prefect of Dai Prefecture (代州 in modern Shuozhou, Shanxi). While Li Siyuan served as the prefect of Dai, he became impressed with Shi Jingtang and gave his Empress Li to Shi in marriage. Shi subsequently served under Li Siyuan in campaigns, becoming one of the two prominent officers under Li Siyuan (along with Li Siyuan's adoptive son Li Congke) due to his battlefield accomplishments.

Despite the familial relationship between Shi and Li Congke and their serving together under Li Siyuan, the two did not like each other and had a rivalry, although not overtly.

Service during Later Tang

During Li Cunxus reign

In 923, Li Cunxu declared himself emperor of a new state called the Later Tang. He subsequently carried out a campaign that destroyed Later Liang later in the year—a campaign in wherein Li Siyuan played a prominent role. Shi Jingtang and Li Congke both had battlefield accomplishments during the campaign, but Shi did not receive prominent honors as his contributions were not well-known. According to traditional accounts, it was because he did not like to brag about them. However, Li Siyuan was aware of his contributions.

However, by 926, Li Cunxu's state, which had annexed Former Shu, was thrown into chaos due to his misrule. While a fierce general, he was not a capable ruler, and he had alienated the army by killing two prominent generals, Guo Chongtao and Zhu Youqian. A subsequent mutiny at Yedu (邺都 in modern Handan, Hebei) was not quickly suppressed. Li Cunxu sent Li Siyuan to suppress it, but Li Siyuan's own soldiers mutinied and forced Li Siyuan to join the Yedu mutineers. While Li Siyuan was subsequently able to escape from Yedu, Shi persuaded him that he could never, after this point, convince Li Cunxu that he was not part of the mutiny from the beginning. With Shi and the others persuading him to act against Li Cunxu, Li Siyuan finally decided to gather his troops and head south, first toward the secondary capital Daliang (Later Liang's former capital) and then the imperial capital Luoyang. During this campaign, both Shi and Li Congke continued to play prominent roles. Before Li Siyuan's and Li Cunxu's armies could engage each other, however, Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at Luoyang itself. Li Siyuan subsequently entered the city and claimed the title of regent.

During Li Siyuans reign

Li Siyuan appeared to be initially hesitant to take the throne himself, as at that time, Li Cunxu's son Li Jiji the Prince of Wei, who had been the commander of the army that destroyed Former Shu, was returning from the Shu lands and heading toward Luoyang with his army, and he initially signaled support for Li Jiji. However, after apparently concluding that he would not be tolerated if Li Jiji became emperor, he sent Shi Jingtang and Li Congke to take up defensive positions at Shan Prefecture (陕州, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan) and Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) respectively, to block Li Jiji. Li Jiji's own soldiers began to desert, and he committed suicide. Li Jiji's subordinate Ren Huan took over command of the remaining army and rendezvoused with Shi, signaling support for Li Siyuan. With Li Jiji dead, Li Siyuan claimed the throne.

Li Siyuan commissioned Shi as the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保义, headquartered at Shan Prefecture) and created him a count. In 927, he recalled Shi to Luoyang to serve the deputy commander of the imperial guards (with Li Siyuan's biological son Li Conghou serving as the commander). Later in 927, when the general Zhu Shouyin the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) rebelled against Li Siyuan's rule, Li Siyuan initially sent a small dispatch of soldiers under Fan Yanguang to attack Xuanwu's capital Daliang, but then followed that dispatch by sending Shi, and then followed Shi there himself. Zhu, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide. LI Siyuan subsequently made Shi the military governor of Xuanwu. In 928, Li Siyuan made him the defender of Yedu and the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered at Yedu), and gave him the honorary chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi.

In 930, the two main military governors of the Shu lands, both commissioned by Li Cunxu before his death—Meng Zhixiang the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川 headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and Dong Zhang the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (东川 headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan)—fearing that Li Siyuan's powerful chief of staff An Chonghui was intending to act against them, rebelled together. Li Siyuan sent Shi to command the army against the two circuits—a commission that Shi accepted despite his misgivings about the campaign. Shi quickly advanced to Jianmen Pass, but, after capturing it, could not advance further easily against the Dongchuan and Xichuan armies. When Li Siyuan subsequently sent An to the front to monitor the campaign, Shi took the opportunity to write to Li Siyuan, explaining his misgivings from the campaign, and Li Siyuan began to be convinced. Li Siyuan subsequently forced An into retirement and then killed An, and then recalled Shi's army (although Shi already began to retreat before receiving the retreat orders). Li Siyuan subsequently again made him the deputy commander of the imperial guards (by this point, serving as the deputy to another biological son of Li Siyuan's, Li Congrong the Prince of Qin). He was also given the military governorship of Heyang Circuit (河阳, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan).

Shi's relationship with Li Congrong was a tense one, as Li Congrong, viewing himself as the natural heir (being older than Li Conghou), was arrogant and violent. Further, Li Congrong and Shi's wife, who at this point carried the title of Princess Yongning, were born of different mothers (Princess Yongning born of Empress Cao while Li Congrong born of Lady Xia, who was deceased by that point) and long despised each other. Shi thus did not want to remain under Li Congrong for long, and repeatedly requested to resign. In late 932, Li Siyuan agreed and sent him to Taiyuan to serve as the defender of Taiyuan and the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河东, headquartered at Taiyuan). He was also given the greater honorary chancellor designation of Shizhong (侍中). Shi entrusted much of the affairs of the circuit to two officers, Liu Zhiyuan and Zhou Gui (周瓌), putting Liu in charge of military matters and Zhou in charge of financial matters.

Li Siyuan became deathly ill in late 933. Li Congrong, believing that Li Siyuan's chiefs of staff Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun would try to divert the succession away from him, decided to try to forcibly take power, but his army was defeated by the imperial guards, and he was killed. In the aftermaths, Li Siyuan summoned Li Conghou back from Tianxiong (where Li Conghou was serving as military governor), but died before Li Conghou arrived at Luoyang. Li Conghou subsequently arrived and took the throne.

During Li Conghous reign

Upon Li Conghou's assumption of the throne, he gave Shi Jingtang the greater honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中书令).

As Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun considered themselves responsible for Li Conghou's succession to the throne, they retained power as chiefs of staff after he took the throne. As both Shi and Li Congke had great battlefield accomplishments under Li Siyuan, they were apprehensive of both Shi and Li Congke. In spring 934, Zhu and Feng, not wanting Shi to remain long as Hedong and wanting to recall their ally, the eunuch Meng Hanqiong, from Tianxiong (as Meng was left in charge of Tianxiong when Li Conghou was recalled from there), they issued a series of orders—from their Office of the Chiefs of Staff, rather than by imperial edicts—transferring Fan Yanguang, then the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), to Tianxiong; Shi from Hedong to Chengde; and Li Congke, then the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (凤翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), to Hedong.

Li Congke, believing that these moves were targeting him, rebelled. Li Conghou sent the imperial army against him, under the command of the general Wang Sitong, but Wang's army collapsed when the officer Yang Siquan (杨思权) led the soldiers under him and defected to Li Congke. Wang was captured, and Li Congke marched quickly toward Luoyang.

With Li Congke approaching Luoyang and the imperial general Kang Yicheng (康义诚), whom Li Conghou sent against Li Congke in a last-ditch attempt to resist Li Congke's advance, also having surrendered to Li Congke, Li Conghou fled the capital with just 50 cavalry soldiers. Meanwhile, Shi was on the way from Taiyuan to Luoyang to pay homage to Li Conghou. They rendezvoused at Wei Prefecture (卫州, in modern Anyang, Henan). Realizing that Li Conghou was now completely without his imperial army, Shi consulted the prefect of Wei, Wang Hongzhi (王弘贽), who advised Shi that Li Conghou's cause was hopeless. When Li Conghou's guards Sha Shourong (沙守荣) and Ben Hongjin (奔弘进) heard of this, they cursed Shi for being faithless, and Sha tried to assassinate Shi, but he and Shi's guard Chen Hui ended up killing each other in mutual combat. Ben committed suicide. Liu Zhiyuan then slaughtered all of Li Conghou's guards, leaving Li Conghou alone at the imperial messenger station at Wei, while Shi himself and his followers continued on to Luoyang (to offer their allegiance to Li Congke). Shi's mother-in-law Empress Dowager Cao issued an edict deposing Li Conghou and ordering Li Congke to take the throne, and Li Congke did. He then sent an emissary to force Li Conghou to commit suicide; when Li Conghou refused, he was strangled to death.

During Li Congkes reign

Li Congke's quick victory over Li Conghou left Shi Jingtang in a precarious spot – because it was obvious that he was initially intending on supporting Li Conghou and because of the long-standing, if latent, rivalry between him and Li Congke while both served under Li Siyuan. He remained at Luoyang for the funeral of his father-in-law Li Siyuan, and after the funeral, did not dare to personally bring up the idea of returning to Hedong. Empress Dowager Cao and her daughter, Shi's wife, who by this point was carrying the greater title of Princess of Wei (and soon would receive the even greater title of Grand Princess of Jin), repeatedly begged on his behalf, however, but Li Congke's close associates, who accompanied Li Congke from Fengxiang, mostly suggested that Li Congke detain Shi and not allow him to return to Hedong. Li Congke's chief of staff Han Zhaoyin and imperial scholar Li Zhuanmei (李专美), however, believed that keeping Shi at Luoyang would cause apprehension in the minds of another brother-in-law of Li Congke's, Zhao Yanshou the military governor of Xuanwu, and Zhao's father Zhao Dejun the military governor of Lulong Circuit (卢龙, headquartered in modern Beijing). As Shi had recently been ill and appeared frail, Li Congke decided that he needed not be concerned with Shi as a potential threat, and therefore thereafter agreed to let him return to Hedong, stating, "Master Shi is not only a close relative, but had also shared all difficulties of mine when we grew up. Now I am the Son of Heaven; who else can I depend on but Master Shi?" (Shi, and his supporters, would later claim that at this time, Li Congke also made a personal promise to him that he would never be moved away from Hedong for the rest of his life, although historical records, besides Shi's later claim, do not state the such.)

After Shi's return to Hedong, there were repeated incursions of Later Tang's northern circuits by Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire. Both Shi and Zhao Dejun repeatedly requested reinforcements, and they were allowed to amass troops and supplies at their circuits. As Shi was still apprehensive that Li Congke might be suspicious of him, Shi maintained an information network at Luoyang to keep himself informed of the emperor's actions—the network included two of Shi's own sons, who served in the imperial guards (whose names were variously recorded, and one of whom might have been a brother whom he adopted as a son), and the servants of Empress Dowager Cao. (The two sons were recorded in the New History of the Five Dynasties as Shi Chongying (石重英) and Shi Chongyin (石重胤), and in the Zizhi Tongjian as Shi Chongyin (石重殷) and Shi Chongyi (石重裔).) In 935, there was an incident in which, when the imperial envoy was at the front to review Shi's army and to deliver the imperially-bestowed supplies to the army, the soldiers began to chant, "May you live 10,000 years!" at Shi—a chant that should be reserved for the emperor. Shi became fearful, and under the advice of his staff member Duan Xiyao (段希尧), had Liu Zhiyuan behead 36 of the soldiers leading the chant, to try to alleviate the suspicion might be cast on him, but that did not stop Li Congke from suspecting him of having greater ambitions upon receiving the report from the imperial envoy. As Shi was formally the commander of the army to the north, Li Congke commissioned the general Zhang Jingda to serve as his deputy to divide his command.

Rebellion against Li Congke

By spring 936, the tension between Li Congke and Shi had become very strong—as Shi was gathering up his wealth and consolidating them at Hedong, and it was commonly believed that Shi would rebel. Li Congke aggravated the situation when Shi's wife—whose title had by that point had become the greater title of Grand Princess of Jin—came to Luoyang to celebrate Li Congke's birthday. After she offered Li Congke wine to wish him long life, she asked to take leave of him and return to Hedong. Li Congke was already drunk, and he made the comment, "Why do you not stay longer? You wanted to return so quickly. Is it that you are about to rebel with Master Shi?" When she returned to Taiyuan and informed Shi, Shi became even more apprehensive.

The imperial scholars Li Song and Lü Qi believed that the solution was to ally with the Khitan Empire. They suggested that certain previously captured Khitan officers be released back to the Khitan; and that a certain amount of money be given to the Khitan each year. The chancellor Zhang Yanlang supported their proposal. However, another imperial scholar, Xue Wenyu (薛文遇) opposed, believing that it was likely to lead to the Khitans' asking for Li Congke's daughter in marriage, which Xue considered humiliating. Li Congke therefore put a stop to the proposal and demoted Lü.

In summer 936, at Xue's suggestion, Li Congke issued an edict moving Shi from Hedong to Tianping. Shi, in fear, convened his staff members and considered what to do next. Zhao Ying advocated reporting to Tianping, but Liu Zhiyuan and Sang Weihan advocated resistance. Accepting Liu and Sang's suggestion, Shi issued a declaration calling for Li Congke, whom he claimed to be an inappropriate person to be emperor as merely an adoptive son, to abdicate the throne and pass it to Li Siyuan's youngest biological son Li Congyi the Prince of Xu. Li Congke, in anger, stripped Shi of his titles and declared a general campaign against Shi. He also arrested Shi's sons, as well as his younger brother Shi Jingde (石敬德), and put them to death. Shi's cousin Shi Jingwei (石敬威) committed suicide.

Li Congke commissioned Zhang Jingda to lead the imperial troops against Shi, and Zhang quickly put Taiyuan under siege, but was unable to capture it quickly, with Liu defending the city capably. Shi had Sang write a letter requesting aid from Khitan's Emperor Taizong, promising that if Emperor Taizong agreed to support him as emperor, he would cede 16 prefectures to the north (the entire Lulong Circuit and the northern prefectures of Hedong Circuit) to Khitan—despite Liu's misgivings. Emperor Taizong agreed, arriving in Hedong territory in fall 936. He quickly engaged Zhang's Later Tang imperial army, defeating Zhang. The remnants of Zhang's army was subsequently surrounded by the Khitan/Hedong troops at Jin'an Base (晋安寨, near Taiyuan).

While Jin'an was still under siege, Emperor Taizong declared Shi the emperor of a new state of Later Jin. Still, Emperor Taizong was ambivalent on how much further support to give to Shi at this point, with a Later Tang relief army, commanded by Zhao Dejun, approaching. Zhao, however, was himself not devoted to Li Congke's cause, and stopped short of Jin'an. He secretly negotiated with Emperor Taizong, offering that, if Emperor Taizong would support him as the emperor of China, he would allow Shi to retain Hedong. Emperor Taizong was enticed, believing that Zhao's army would be difficult to defeat, but was persuaded by Sang (who argued that Zhao could be defeated and that Emperor Taizong, having already committed to Shi, should not support Zhao) to reject Zhao's proposal.

Meanwhile, while Zhao was in negotiations with the Khitan, the situation at Jin'an became desperate for the Later Tang remnants there. Eventually, Zhang's deputy Yang Guangyuan assassinated him and surrendered to Khitan/Later Jin. Emperor Taizong gave the Later Tang army to Shi, and they jointly prepared to head south toward Luoyang. They engaged Zhao's army at Tuanbo Valley (团柏谷, in modern Taiyuan), crushing it. Zhao fled to Lu Prefecture (潞州, in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) and, believing he could not hold it against the coming torrent of Khitan/Later Jin forces, surrendered, leaving Shi's path toward Luoyang clear. Emperor Taizong, citing the fact that the Han Chinese may be fearful of Khitan soldiers, stopped at Lu himself and had Shi advance toward Luoyang by himself. Believing the situation to be hopeless, Li Congke gathered his family (including Empress Dowager Cao, who decided to die with her stepson's family rather than to live) and a number of officers still loyal to him, and committed suicide by immolation on Xuanwu Tower (玄武楼) inside the palace. Shi subsequently entered Luoyang and assumed control over the Later Tang realm.

Reign as Later Jin emperor

Early reign

The local military governors throughout the Later Tang realm initially all formally submitted to Shi Jingtang. Among them was Fan Yanguang, who, however, felt insecure in his position as the military governor of Tianxiong, and who also had ambitions to be emperor, and therefore was considering rebelling. Realizing that Fan was considering doing so, in spring 937, under Sang Weihan's advice, Shi moved the capital from Luoyang to Daliang, as Daliang was closer to Tianxiong's capital (which Shi had renamed Guangjin) and, upon the expected revolt by Fan, he would be able to react much more quickly.

Fan rebelled in summer 937. Shi mobilized his army against Fan, with the main armies under Yang Guangyuan and Shi's brother-in-law Du Chongwei. The central Later Jin realm was, for a time, thrown into disarray, after Fan was able to persuade another Later Jin general, Zhang Congbin, into rebelling at Luoyang, and Zhang was even able to kill Shi's son Shi Chongxin (石重信) and Shi Chong'ai (石重乂), during his revolt. Yang's soldiers also tried to persuade him to rebel against Later Jin as well, offering to support him as emperor, but Yang refused their overture. Du was soon thereafter able to defeat Zhang, who drowned as he was retreating, ending his part of the rebellion. Fan, believing that he was nearing defeat, offered to surrender. Shi initially refused to accept his surrender. Yang could not capture Guangjin quickly, however. In fall 938, Shi agreed to accept Fan's surrender, and Fan subsequently did, ending the rebellion.

Meanwhile, Shi sent the senior chancellors Liu Xu and Feng Dao to Khitan—whose state name had been changed to Liao by this point—to offer honorary titles to both Emperor Taizong and his mother Empress Dowager Shulü. He referred to Emperor Taizong as "father emperor" while referring to himself as "son emperor." He also fostered relationships with high level Khitan generals and officials by giving them gifts and using humble words toward them. This caused the Later Jin officials and commoners to both feel humiliated, but was also credited by historians as what preserved the peace between Later Jin and Liao during his reign.

Late reign

In summer 940, when Shi Jingtang tried to have Li Jinquan the military governor of Anyuan Circuit (安远 headquartered in modern Xiaogan, Hubei) replaced by the general Ma Quanjie, Li rebelled and submitted to Later Jin's southeastern neighbor Southern Tang. Southern Tang's emperor Li Bian commissioned his general Li Chengyu (李承裕) to aid Li Jinquan—but with instructions not to try to retain possession of Anyuan; rather, Li Chengyu was to rendezvous with Li Jinquan and escort him safely back to Southern Tang, leaving Anyuan in Later Jin control. Li Chengyu, however, disobeyed Li Bian's orders and tried to defend Anyuan's capital An Prefecture (安州). Ma defeated, captured, and executed him. Li Bian subsequently wrote Shi, explaining that Li Chengyu had disobeyed orders. There was subsequent peace between the two states.

Meanwhile, An Chongrong the military governor of Chengde, who had viewed Shi's submissive attitude toward Liao as a sign of weakness, was himself considering rebelling against Later Jin. He entered into an alliance with An Congjin the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南东道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang, Hubei), who was similarly considering to rebel. He also continuously provoked Liao by intercepting its emissaries and killing them. In summer 941, he issued a declaration in which he called on Shi to renounce the peace agreement with Liao and attack it to recapture the territories and peoples that Liao had previously captured, but was not yet openly breaking with Shi. In response, Shi, under Sang Weihan's advice, headed to Guangjin—since then renamed back to Yedu—to prepare for a potential campaign against An Chongrong. Anticipating that An Congjin might rebel when he left Daliang, Shi, under the advice of He Ning, left his nephew Shi Chonggui in charge of Daliang with authority to immediately commission generals to act against An Congjin.

In winter 941, hearing that Shi Jingtang had left Daliang for Yedu, An Congjin rebelled. Shi Conggui immediately, under authority previously given to him by Shi Jingtang, commissioned the general Gao Xingzhou to assume overall command against An Congjin. Upon hearing of An Congjin's rebellion, An Chongrong also rebelled, and Shi sent Du Chongwei against him. Gao quickly defeated An Congjin's advance army, forcing An Congjin into returning to Shannan East's capital Xiang Prefecture (襄州) to try to defend it. Meanwhile, Du engaged An Chongrong, and An Chongrong was initially successful in the engagement. At this time, though, An Chongrong's officer Zhao Yanzhi tried to surrender to the imperial forces—and while the imperial forces killed him, Zhao's attempted surrender caused a general panic in An Chongrong's army, causing a collapse and forcing An Chongrong to flee back to Chengde's capital Zhen Prefecture. In spring 942, an officer of An Chongrong's opened up the city and surrendered; the imperial forces then entered and put An Chongrong to death. (An Congjin, however, would not be defeated until after Shi Jingtang's death.)

Meanwhile, Shi fell ill. He entrusted his young and only surviving son Shi Chongrui to Feng Dao, wanting Feng to support Shi Chongrui in succeeding to the throne. After Shi Jingtang's death in summer 942, Feng, in consultation with the imperial general Jing Yanguang, came to the conclusion that the state, in disarray at the time, needed an older emperor. They thus supported Shi Chonggui to succeed Shi Jingtang.

Family

• Father

　• Shi Shaoyong (石绍雍), né Nieleiji (臬捩鸡), posthumously honored Emperor Xiaoyuan with the temple name of Xianzu

• Mother

　• Lady He, posthumously honored Empress Xiaoyuan

• Wife

　• Empress Li, daughter of Li Siyuan and Empress Cao, mother of Shi Chongxin

• Children

　• Shi Chongying (石重英) (killed by Li Congke 936), posthumously created the Prince of Guo (created 939)

　• Shi Chongxin (石重信) (born 918, killed by Zhang Congbin 937), posthumously created the Prince of Yi (created 942) and then the Prince of Chu (created 943)

　• Shi Chongyi (石重乂) (born 919, killed by Zhang Congbin 937), posthumously created the Prince of Shou

　• Shi Chongjin (石重进), posthumously created the Prince of Kui (created 942)

　• Shi Chonggao (石重杲), name posthumously bestowed, né Fengliu, posthumously created the Prince of Chen

　• Shi Chongrui

　• Shi Chonchi (施春池) (Born 915, killed by Zhang Congbin 937)

Ancestry