Jia Sidao 賈似道

Jia Sidao 賈似道 (1213-1275), courtesy name Shixian 師憲, was a Counsellor-in-chief of the late Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) and was variously blamed for the downfall of the dynasty.

Jia hailed from Tiantai 天臺 in the prefecture of Taizhou 臺州 (in today's Zhejiang province). His father Jia She 賈涉 was a military commissioner (zhizhishi 制置使), but his rise was due to his sister, Lady Jia 賈貴妃, who was a favourite of Emperor Lizong 宋理宗 (r. 1224-1264). Jia occupied the offices of Vice Military Commissioner of the Yangtze (yanjiang zhizhi fushi 沿江制置副使), Grand Military Affairs and Pacification Commissioner of Jing-Hu (Jing-Hu anfu zhizhi dashi 京湖安撫制置大使), Grand Military Affairs Commissioner of Liang-Huai (Liang-Huai zhizhi dashi 兩淮制置大使), and in addition Vice Grand Cousnellor (canzheng shishi 參知政事) and Head of the Military Affairs Commission (zhi shumiyuan shi 知樞密院事).

In 1259, when the Mongols advanced southwards with a huge army, threatening central China and the prefecture of Ezhou 鄂州 (today's Wuchang 武昌, Hubei), Jia was appointed Counsellor to the Right (you chengxiang 右丞相) and entrusted with the campaign to liberate central China. Endowed with extraordinary power, Jia decided to conclude peace with Qubilai's (r. 1260-1294) army, accepted the Yangtze River as the border between the Southern Song and the Mongol empire, and accepted to deliver annual tributes of 200,000 bolts of silk. Yet peace was only achieved after the battle of Diaoyucheng 釣魚城, when Qubilai had to leave for the qurultai (federal assembly), which convened after the death of Great Khan Möngke (1251-1259). After the Mongol army's retreat, Jia Sidao concealed the truth about the peace negotiations and falsely reported a great victory. He was then appointed as the Right Chancellor (you chengxiang 右丞相) and concurrently as Military Affairs Commissioner (shumishi 樞密使), and from that point on, he dominated the government for nearly seventeen years.

In 1263, Jia made some changes in the financial and monetary policy to solve the fiscal problems of the Song state – also caused by the continuous military campaigns. The idea was a "public land law" (gongtianfa 公田法). He took one-third of the land holdings exceeding the limit from the official and civilian households in western Zhejiang, purchasing it to increase the amount of public land (gongtian 公田). The price of land was forced down, and additional funds were raised through the distribution of paper money (huizi 會子), office certificates (guangao 官告), and tax-exemption certificates for clerics (dudie 度牒). A total of over 3.5 million mu 畝 of public land was forcibly purchased across six prefectures and rented out to tenant farmers.

When Emperor Duzong 宋度宗 (r. 1264-1274) ascended the throne, he praised Jia Sidao for his contributions in stabilizing the country, calling him a "leader-minister" (shichen 師臣) and promoting him to the position of Grand Preceptor (taishi 太師). Jia Sidao was also given the special authority to oversee the important military and state affairs. However, Jia disregarded the nation's safety and well-being, indulging in extravagant luxury and desires. He built pavilions, towers, and gardens on Ge Ridge 葛嶺 near West Lake 西湖, constructed the Half Leisure Hall (Banxian Tang 半閑堂), and created the Multi-Treasure Pavilion (Duobao Ge 多寶閣), where he spent his days in indulgence and pleasure. Both large and small state affairs were left to be decided by his retainers 館客, Liao Yingzhong 廖瑩中 and the office clerk, Weng Yinglong 翁應龍.

At that time, the Mongols were besieging Xiangfan 襄樊 in central China, yet Jia Sidao kept this a secret and failed to report it. Those who spoke about the border situation were immediately demoted and criticised. In 1273, Xiangfan fell. The following year, Emperor Duzong passed away, and the young Emperor Gong 宋恭帝 (r. 1274-1275) ascended to the throne at a mere four years of age. The loss of Ezhou was also reported, placing the national situation in grave danger. Under pressure from public opinion, Jia Sidao, in 1275, mobilised 130,000 elite troops from various provinces to march against the Mongols. In the second month, at Dingjiazhu 丁家洲 (northeast of modern Tongling 銅陵, Anhui), the Song forces encountered the Yuan army and suffered a crushing defeat. Jia Sidao fled to Yangzhou 揚州 in a small boat.

The court officials petitioned to execute Jia Sidao, and he was instead demoted to the position of Vice Commissioner of the Military Training (tuanlian fushi 團練副使) in Gaozhou 高州 (in today's Guangdong) and was sent to a remote prefecture. In the eight month, having reached the Mumian Monastery 木綿庵 in Zhangzhou 漳州, he was killed by Zheng Huchen 鄭虎臣 (1219-1276).