Cao Zongshou (

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

: 曹宗寿)(unknown - d. 1014) was the seventh governor (

jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

- 曹宗寿) of the

Guiyi Circuit The Guiyi Circuit, also known as the Guiyi Army ( zh, t=歸義軍, w=Kui1-i4 Chün1, p=Guīyì Jūn, l=Returning-to-Righteousness Army, 848–1036 AD), Golden Mountain Kingdom of Western Han ( zh, t=西漢金山國, w=Hsi-han Chin-shan kuo, p=X� ...

, whose jurisdiction famously included

Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Sachu (Dunhuang) was ...

, during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

.『宋史』「真宗紀」 His earliest recorded presence was in a banner depicting Guanyin, currently held by the Harvard Art Museum created in 985. There, he is dedicating the work to the late monk Yuanman, who resided over in the

Mogao Caves The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu p ...

. According to the History of Song, he is the nephew of his predecessor, Cao Yanlu (曹延祿), where at the time, he held the position of ''quanzhi liuhou'' (deputy commander). In the year 1002, he rebelled against his uncle, resulting in Cao Yuanlu and Yuanlu's brother, Cao Yanrui (曹延瑞) committing suicide. With approval of

Emperor Zhenzong Emperor Zhenzong of Song (23 December 968 – 23 March 1022), personal name Zhao Heng, was the third emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to his death in 1022. His personal name was originally Zhao Dechang, but was change ...

, he inherited the title of ''jiedushi'' of the Guiyi Circuit, with his younger brother, Cao Zongyun occupying his previous position as ''quanzhi liuhou.'' Meanwhile his son, Cao Xianshun (曹賢順) took on the post of ''yanei duzhihuishi'' (Commander-in-Chief of Palace Guards). In the same year, he and his wife, Lady Fan, was documented donating a large batch and last dated set of sutras to Mogao Caves, in a document now held at the

Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences The Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (IOM) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ), formerly the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is a research institute in Saint Petersburg, Russi ...

. He died in the year 1014, and his son Cao Xianshun took his place as the eighth ''jiedushi'' of Guiyi. His brother, Cao Yanhui, became ''jianjiao xingbushangshu'' (Acting Ministry of the Department of State Affairs), which included jurisdiction of

Guazhou County Guazhou County (), formerly (until 2006) Anxi County (), is a county in the northwest of Gansu province, China. It is under the administration of Jiuquan City. History Emperor Wudi (140-87 BCE) had the Great Wall extended northwestward all ...

References

{{reflist People from Dunhuang 1014 deaths Song dynasty jiedushi Politicians from Gansu