Emperor Wen of Song

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Emperor Wen of Song 宋文帝
Portrait of Emperor Wen from Sancai Tuhui
Emperor of the Liu Song Dynasty
Reign	17 September 424[1] – 16 March 453
Predecessor	Liu Yifu
Successor	Liu Shao
Born	Liu Che'er (劉車兒) 407 Jingkou, Eastern Jin
Died	16 March 453(453-03-16) (aged 45–46) Jiankang, Liu Song
Burial	Changning Mausoleum (長寧陵)
Consorts	Empress Wenyuan Empress Dowager Zhao Empress Dowager Xuan
Issue	See § Family
Names Family name: Liú (劉) Given name: Yìlóng (義隆) childhood name: Che'er (車兒) Era name and dates Yuánjiā (元嘉): 424–453 Posthumous name initially Emperor Jǐng (景皇帝, lit. "decisive"), later Emperor Wén (文皇帝, lit. "civil") Temple name initially Zhongzong (中宗), later Taizu (太祖)
Father	Emperor Wu
Mother	Empress Dowager Zhang

Emperor Wen of Liu Song ((劉)宋文帝, (Liu) Song Wen-di; 407 – 16 March 453^[2]), personal name Liu Yilong (劉義隆), childhood name Che'er (車兒), was an emperor of the Liu Song dynasty of China. He was the third son of the dynastic founder Emperor Wu (Liu Yu). After his father's death in 422, Liu Yilong's eldest brother Liu Yifu took the throne as Emperor Shao. In 424, a group of officials, believing Emperor Shao to be unfit to be emperor, deposed Emperor Shao and placed Liu Yilong on the throne as Emperor Wen.

In his 29 years of rule, Emperor Wen largely continued the grand plan of his father and some of the land policies of the Jin Dynasty. The period, called the "Yuanjia administration" (元嘉之治), is seen as a period of prosperity and strength, because of the emperor's diligence and ability to find capable and honest officials to serve in his administration. However, Emperor Wen was faulted for making repeated failed attempts to attack rival Northern Wei and using the wrong strategies in doing so, weakening his state toward the end of his rule. In 453, angry that his crown prince Liu Shao was using witchcraft to curse him, he planned to depose Liu Shao; when this plan was leaked, Liu Shao staged a coup and assassinated him, replacing him on the throne, although less than a year later Liu Shao's younger brother Liu Jun defeated him and took the throne as Emperor Xiaowu.