Xin Qiji
2 min readXin Qiji(28 May,1140-1207)was a Chinese poet and military leader during the Southern Song dynasty.
At the time of his life,northern China was occupied by the Jurchens,a people from what is now north-east China then regarded as barbarians but later to become the Manchus.Only southern China was ruled by the Han Chinese Southern Song dynasty.
Xin Qiji was born in the north,and in his childhood his grandfather told him about the time when the Han Chinese ruled the north and told him to be a honorable man and reverage againsts the barbarian for the nation.It was then when he developed his patriotic feelings.
Xin Qiji start his rebel against Jurchens at age 20.With merely 50 men,he fought the way into Jurchens’camp and killed the traitor.He then led his men to the South Song.He then was given the position as a governor.He had many victories but was forced to give up his plan when the South negotiated a peace treaty in 1164.
Despite of his great ability and experience in military and politics,he was soon forced to resign by the Consul.
In his late years,the war between the North and South intensified.The Consul had no choice but to use him again,but without trust.Xin Qiji retired in 1194 and built a retreat in the Shang-jao countryside.There he studied and perfected his famous ci form of poetry.He died in 1207,at the same time that war was restarted again between Song China and the Jurchens.