Zhao hangzhou biography of christopher

Royal family of Song China

For other uses, see Zhao family (disambiguation).

The House of Zhao (traditional Chinese: 趙; simplified Chinese: 赵; pinyin: Zhào; Wade–Giles: Chao) was the imperial clan of the Song dynasty (960–1279) of China.

Hangzhou population in 1235

Family history

Origin

The Zhao family originated from Zhuo Commandery (涿郡; Zhuó Jùn),^[1] located near present-day Zhuozhou, Hebei Province in China, and traced its roots back to the Spring and Autumn period (roughly 771–476 BCE).

The founder of the Song Empire, Zhao Kuangyin, was born to a military family. His father, Zhao Hongyin was a general in Zhuo Commandery who later moved to Luoyang with his family. Zhao Kuangyin also had an elder brother Zhao Guangji, two younger brothers Zhao Kuangyi and Zhao Guangmei, and two younger sisters.

Rise of the Zhao family

Zhao Kuangyin initially served in the Later Han military but he subsequently defected to serve under Ch