Last Emperor of Western Xia (died 1227), personal name Li Xian (), was the tenth and last

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

of the Western Xia dynasty of China, ruling from 1226 to 1227. His reign ended with the collapse of the Western Xia as forces of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

under

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

overran and conquered it following the defiance of earlier emperors. The Mongols gave Li Xian the name Shidurghu ( Mongolian:, Chinese: 失都兒忽), meaning "simple, right, just", and in 18th century European sources he is referred to as Schidascou or Shidaskû from his Mongolian name.

Reign

He was a nephew of his predecessor Emperor Xianzong. Faced with the threat of the Mongols, Li Xian and his officials rallied around the capital Zhongxing, trying to use its large walls to hold off the Mongol cavalries. However, Zhongxing suffered from a massive earthquake, which resulted in pestilence and food shortage. In 1227, Li finally surrendered to the Mongol Empire. In August 1227, the Mongols killed Li Xian and his entire family out of fear that the Western Xia would rebel again over the death of

. His death marked the end of the Western Xia dynasty. After the fall of the Western Xia, the Mongol army discussed the massacre of the city, but finally, under the strong advice of the Mongol general Tsa Han (), who was from Tangut, the people of Zhongxingfu were prevented from being massacred, and Tsa Han then went into the city to pacify the people and soldiers therein, so that the people left behind by the Western Xia could be preserved.《元史》卷120《察罕传》，相关记载：“众方议降，会帝崩，诸将擒夏主杀之，复议屠中兴，察罕力谏止之，驰入，安集遗民。�
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References

Western Xia emperors 13th-century Chinese monarchs 13th-century Tangut rulers Murdered emperors of China Executed Western Xia people People executed by the Mongol Empire {{China-royal-stub