| 网笔号： | 圣文章武明德孝皇帝 | |||||||||
| 庙号： | 高祖 | |||||||||
| 籍贯： | 太原 | |||||||||
| 陵墓： | 显陵 | |||||||||
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石敬瑭年轻时朴实稳重，寡言笑，喜兵书，重李牧、周亚夫之行事，隶属李克用义子李嗣源帐下。当时正值后梁朱温与李克用、李存勖父子争雄，石敬瑭冲锋陷阵，战功卓著。后梁贞明元年（915年），李存勖得魏州，梁将刘寻急攻清平（今山东清县），李存勖急往驰援，为刘寻所围。石敬瑭率十余骑击败刘寻，救李存勖于危难之中。李存勖拊其背而壮之，由此声威大振，在军中名噪一时。他还数次解救李嗣源于危急之中，从而得到器重，逐渐成为李嗣源之心腹。李嗣源遂把女儿永宁公主嫁给他，并让他统率“左射军”的亲兵。
后唐同光四年（公元926年），效节指挥使赵在礼于魏州发生兵变。李存勖命李嗣源率军平叛，石敬瑭也一同出征。在魏州城下，李嗣源的部队也发生兵变，与魏州的叛军合兵一处，拥李嗣源为主。李嗣源本想回朝请罪，石敬瑭则劝他夺取开封，以成就大事。李嗣源无奈，只得接受了这个意见。于是，石敬瑭便自告奋勇，亲统骁骑300为前锋，抢占开封，又回兵渡汜水，直取洛阳。后唐庄宗李存勖被乱兵所杀，李嗣源入洛阳称帝，即后唐明宗。由于石敬瑭在这次军事政变中立功颇大，后唐明宗任他为保义军节度使，赐号“竭忠建策兴复功臣”兼六军诸卫副使。当时，许多官将都不奉公守法，而石敬瑭以廉政闻名，颇受明宗李嗣源褒奖。从此以后，石敬瑭以驸马兼功臣，逐年升迁，历任侍卫条军马步都指挥使，河东节度使，大同、彰国、振武、威塞等军藩汉马步军总管等职，负责抵御契丹南下，后又赐封为“耀忠匡定保节功臣”。随职务和势力的增长，石敬瑭开始拥兵自重，大有取后唐而自立之势。
后唐长兴四年（933年），明宗李嗣源死，李从厚继位，为后唐闵帝。当时凤翔节度使李从珂（李嗣源的养子）和河东节度使石敬瑭都拥兵自重，后唐闵帝对他俩不放心。为削弱他们的势力，遂下令二人对调。潞王李从珂不服，在凤翔起兵反叛。闵帝大败，仅率数骑出逃，路遇石敬瑭，石敬瑭杀其随从并囚他于卫州。
不久，李从珂杀后唐闵帝，改元清泰，自立为皇帝，即后唐末帝。后唐末帝对石敬瑭猜疑颇大，石敬瑭亦疑心重重，二人矛盾日益尖锐。为试探后唐末帝，早有预谋的石敬瑭于后唐清泰三年（936年）四月，以身体羸弱，乞解兵权，调往他镇。这正合后唐末帝之意，便顺准石敬瑭之请，徙其为天平节度使。群臣得知，相顾失色，均感乱之将至。
石敬瑭认为我不兴乱，朝廷发之，安能束手于道路？遂决意谋反。大将刘知远，掌书记桑维翰也有此意。于是，石敬瑭上表指责后唐末帝是明宗养子，不应承祀，要求让位于许王（明宗四子）。后唐末帝撕裂其表，削其官爵，并以建雄节度使张敬达为太原四面招讨使，将兵三万筑长围以攻太原。石敬瑭一面于朝廷内部从事策反活动，一面由掌书记桑维翰起草奏章，向契丹求援：请称臣，以父事契丹，约事捷之后，割卢龙一道及雁门关以北诸州与契丹。
对此种认贼作父、卖国求荣的行径，连其亲信都押牙刘知远也表示反对说：称臣可矣，以父事之太过，厚以金帛赂之，自足致兵，不必许其土田，恐异日大为中国之患，悔之无及。然石敬瑭不从，仍一意孤行。契丹主耶律德光得表大喜，以兵援之，大败后唐张敬达。
同年（936年）十一月，契丹主作册书封石敬瑭为大晋皇帝，改元天福，国号晋，契丹主自解衣冠授之。石敬瑭遂即位于柳林（今山西太原市东南）。
石敬瑭称帝后，很守“信用”，割燕云十六州给契丹，承诺每年给契丹布帛30万匹。燕云十六州乃北部天然屏障，至此中原完全暴露在契丹铁蹄之下。以后燕云十六州成为辽南下掠夺中原的基地，使北方社会经济遭到严重破坏，贻害长达400年。石敬瑭称帝伊始，卢龙节度使北平王赵德钧，厚以金帛贿赂契丹，亦欲倚仗契丹以取中原，仍许石敬瑭镇河东。契丹主因当时困难重重，欲许赵德钧之请。石敬瑭闻讯大为惊惧，急令掌书记官桑维翰见契丹主。桑维翰跪于契丹主帐前，自旦至暮，涕泣不立，苦苦哀求契丹放弃赵德钧之请。契丹主从之，并说桑维翰对石敬瑭忠心不二，应该做宰相。石敬瑭遂以桑维翰为中书侍郎，同平章事。
同月，石敬瑭攻入洛阳，后唐亡。后晋天福二年（937年），后晋迁都汴梁，翌年（938年），升汴梁为东京开封府。时后晋新得天下，藩镇多未服从，兵火甚多，府库空虚，民间贫穷，但契丹仍贪求无厌。为解决财政危机、巩固政权，石敬瑭采纳了桑维翰的建议，推诚弃怨，以抚藩镇；训卒缮兵，以修武备；务农桑，以实仓库；通商贾，以事货财；卑辞厚礼，以事契丹。
石敬瑭对于契丹百依百顺，非常谨慎，每次书信皆用表，以此表示君臣有别，称太宗为“父皇帝”，自称“臣”，为“儿皇帝”。每当契丹使臣至，便拜受诏敕，除岁输30万布帛外，每逢吉凶庆吊之事便不时赠送好奇之物，以致赠送玩好奇异的车队相继以道。
石敬瑭虽推诚以抚藩镇，但藩镇仍不服，尤耻臣于契丹。大同节度使判官吴峦，闭城不受契丹命。应州指挥使郭崇威，挺身南归。后普天福二年（937），天雄节度使范廷光反于魏州，石敬瑭令东都巡检张从宾讨伐，但张从宾与之同反。继而渭州也发生兵变。是年，契丹改国号“辽”。侍卫将军杨光远自恃重兵，干预朝政，屡有抗奏。石敬瑭常屈意服从之。后晋天福四年（940），杨光远擅杀范廷光，石敬瑭因畏惧杨光远，以致不敢法问。
后晋天福六年（942年），成德节度使安重荣上表指斥石敬瑭父事契丹，困耗中原，并表示与契丹决一死战。石敬瑭发兵斩安重荣，并将其头送与契丹。
石敬瑭为人辩察，多权术，好自矜大，所聚珍异，穷奢极丽，宫殿悉以金玉珠翠为饰。他对契丹百依百顺，但对百姓却如虎狼一般，凶恶狠毒，用刑十分残酷。石敬瑭晚年尤为猜忌，不喜士入，专任宦官。由是宦官大盛。由于吏治腐败，朝纲紊乱，以至民怨四起。游牧在雁门以北的吐谷浑部，因不愿降服契丹，酋长白承福带人逃到了河东，归刘知远。后晋天福七年（公元942年），契丹遣使来问吐谷浑之鼎，石敬瑭既不敢得罪手握重兵的刘知远，更不敢得罪“父皇帝”，由此，忧郁成疾，于六月在屈辱中死去，时年51岁，谥圣文章武明德孝皇帝，庙号高祖，葬于显陵（河南宜阳县西北）。
纵观石敬瑭之一生，初以骁勇善战发迹，继因廉政而闻名。在战乱频繁之际，他借重契丹援助得以问鼎、建立后晋王朝。由于割让燕云十六州以及岁输布帛30万给契丹，并甘当百依百顺的“儿皇帝”以换取契丹对自己的支持，将北方百姓置于契丹铁蹄之下，民心尽失。
Later Tang Dynasty with the light four years (AD 926), the effective section of the command to Zhao Wei Zhou took place in the ceremony at the mutiny. Li Cunxu life Mingzong of Later Tang led his army counter-insurgency, Shi Jingtang also set off together. Wei fuzhoucheng in under Mingzong of Later Tang's troops mutiny occurred, together with Wei Zhou soldier a rebel, mainly owned Mingzong of Later Tang. Mingzong of Later Tang wanted troops to the capital confessing, Shi Jingtang then advised him to capture Kaifeng, in order to accomplish great things. Mingzong of Later Tang no choice but to accept this view. As a result, Shi Jingtang volunteered to forward the pro-unification Xiao Ji 300 to occupy Kaifeng, he returned soldiers crossing sishui straight at Luoyang. Later Tang Zhuangzong of Latter Tang Li Cunxu was killed by rebellious troops, into the Luoyang Mingzong of Later Tang emperor, Tang Mingzong after that. As Shi Jingtang meritorious service in the military coup in a significant, either for his security after the Tang Mingzong Jiedushi volunteer army, giving No. drain "policy Xing Fu Zhong-hero" and six military Zhuweifushi. At that time, many officials will not abide by the law, and Shi Jingtang to the Independent Commission Against famous cases Mingzong of Later Tang Ming popular praise. Since then, Shi Jingtang to Fuma and meritorious promotion year after year, successive military stances Duzhihuishi article guards, Dong Jiedushi, Tatung, Akira States, Zhenwu, Weser and other military-fan Han Ma Bujun Explorer and other staff in charge against Khitan south, then Conferring for "Yiu Festival Marina will ensure hero." With the growth of functions and forces, Shi Jingtang began soldier dead weight, a great tendency to take the Later Tang and self-reliance.
Tang Changxing after four years (933 years), were Mingzong of Later Tang Ming death, Lee from the thick to the throne, as the Later Tang Dynasty Min. Then from Ke Li Fung Cheung Jiedushi (Mingzong of Later Tang's son) and east of the river Jiedushi Shi Jingtang all soldier dead weight, Later Tang Dynasty on They do not trust Min. To weaken their power, then ordered the two reversed. Lu Wang Li Ke refuses to accept from, in Fengxiang rebelled. Min Tai defeat, only the rate of Shu Qi fled, Lu-yu Shi Jingtang, Shi Jingtang kill his followers and his health state prisoners.
Of such Renzeizuofu, traitorous acts of glory, even his close associates are dental charges against Liu Zhi said that: vassal without regret, to Fushi for too thick to Jinbo bribes of, self-sufficient cause soldiers, do not promise the earth field, fear of China suffered greatly different day, Huizhiwuji. However, Shi Jingtang refused, and still insisted. Khitan may form the main Yelv Deguang overjoyed to military aid for, debacle Tang Zhangjing up.
That same month, Shi Jingtang scored Luoyang, Later Tang death. Years after the Jin Tianfu (937 years), moved the capital Houjin Bianliang, the following year (938 years) or Bianliang for the tokyo Kaifeng. Get the world when Houjin new, more is not subject to military governors, Binghuo many, treasuries empty, non-governmental poverty, Khitan is still insatiable. To solve the financial crisis, consolidation of political power, Shi Jingtang sandvig John adopted the recommendation and sincere abandon resentment, to ask military governors; Training Death Calligraphists soldiers to Xiuwu equipment; farming Sang in real storage; through merchants, to do goods Finance; humble words gift to do Khitan.
Jin Tianfu after six years (942 years), into the German military commissioner Ann Jung table denounce Shi Jingtang Fushi Khitan, trapped consumption of the Central Plains, and said that with the Khitan fight to the death. Shi Jingtang his troops beheaded An Jung and his first delivery and Khitan.