[note 1] His reign began at the age of three, when his father Li Bingchang died.
He remained under the regency of the Empress Dowager Zhaojian[note 2] until she was poisoned in 1099 by a Liao envoy.
His reign saw incursions by the neighboring Liao and Northern Song dynasties, and a series of military defeats from 1114.
He established Confucianist-led administration for several political quarters including civil and military, centralising his power.
Buddhism was prevalent during his reign, and the scriptures were translated to the Tangut language.