The Great Qi Regime: A Puppet State and Political Maneuvering in the Early Southern Song

Brief Introduction

The Great Qi Regime (1130–1137) was a Han Chinese puppet state installed by the Jin Dynasty in the Central Plains after the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty. Established by Liu Yu and headquartered at Damingfu (present-day Daming County, Handan, Hebei), it served as a crucial component of the Jin Dynasty's strategy of "using the Chinese to control the Chinese." The existence of Great Qi not only altered the geopolitical landscape of the early Southern Song period but also profoundly influenced diplomatic and military interactions between the Song and Jin dynasties. According to the Xuzi Zhi Tongjian (Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Governance), the rise and fall of the Great Qi regime is a key thread for understanding the restructuring of power in the North following the Jingkang Incident.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Background of Establishment: Jin's Governance Dilemma

After the collapse of the Northern Song, the Jin Dynasty directly occupied the Central Plains but lacked experience in governing Han territories. Additionally, with warfare still unsettled on their home front, the Jin adopted a strategy of "ruling through puppets." In 1129, the Jin army forcibly relocated populations from Bianjing and parts of the Central Plains northward and established puppet regimes such as Qi, Chu, Zhao, and Wei to alleviate pressure on their rear.

2. Liu Yu's Coronation: Formalization of the "Qi" Identity

Liu Yu was originally of the Northern Song imperial clan (a son-in-law of Emperor Huizong). He gained the favor of the Jin for his relatively "cooperative" attitude during the Jin invasion. In 1130, under Jin control and with his family held as hostages, Liu Yu proclaimed himself "Emperor of Qi" in Jinan. Shortly thereafter, he moved the capital to Daming, formally establishing the Great Qi regime. His reign initially used the "Dingwei" era name, which was later changed to "Jiannian." While the regime retained parts of the Northern Song bureaucratic system, it was substantively under complete Jin control.

3. Political Characteristics: Military and Diplomatic Subordination

Diplomatically, the Great Qi regime was entirely dependent on the Jin Dynasty. It even assisted the Jin military in attacking the Southern Song, participating in multiple Jin offensives against Huai West and Jiang-Huai between 1130 and 1133. Militarily, although the Qi army was nominally independent, senior generals were often appointed or influenced by the Jin, and the regime was required to make tributes to Jin. This structure of "internal weakness and external subordination" left Great Qi with no capacity for independent survival.

4. Downfall and Historical Position

In 1136, to gain total control of the Central Plains, the Jin Dynasty stripped Liu Yu of his imperial title, and the Great Qi regime was directly annexed by Jin. Liu Yu was exiled to Shangjing (present-day Acheng, Heilongjiang). Although Great Qi lasted only seven years, its brief existence reflected the trial-and-error nature and limitations of the early Jin governance of Han lands. It also exacerbated the dilemma of "losing the North, defending the South" faced by the early Southern Song.

Connection to the Xuzi Zhi Tongjian

As an official chronological history compiled during the Song-Yuan transition period, the Xuzi Zhi Tongjian provides detailed records of major events in the early Southern Song (1127–1279). Within this text, the establishment, operation, and demise of the Great Qi regime are contextualized within the broader narrative of the Song-Jin Wars:

• Timeline Correspondence: Under the entry for "Year 4 of Jiannian" (1130), the book explicitly records Liu Yu proclaiming himself emperor with Jin military support, marking the founding of Great Qi. Under "Year 6 of Xiangning" (1136), it records the Jin deposing Liu Yu to the title of Prince of Shu, marking the end of Great Qi.
• Diplomatic and Military Records: The Xuzi Zhi Tongjian not only documents regime changes but also details the Southern Song court's stance toward Great Qi. The Southern Song regarded it as a "rebel state," repeatedly dispatching envoys to condemn the Jin for supporting this puppet regime and using the defeat of Liu Yu as a key banner for northern campaigns.
• Analysis of Political Impact: Through records of battles fought by generals such as Liu Guangshi and Yue Fei, the book reveals the strategic significance of Great Qi as a forward base for the Jin army. For instance, Yue Fei's "Qi army" defeats at Yancheng and Yingchang directly weakened Great Qi's military power, accelerating its demise.

The context provided by the Xuzi Zhi Tongjian shows that the Great Qi regime was not only a product of Jin strategy but also a critical "third force" node in the early phase of the Song-Jin confrontation. Its rise and fall deeply influenced the early Southern Song's northern campaign policies and ethnic relations.