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Chongzhen Emperor
Chongzhen Emperor
	Emperor of the Ming Dynasty
Reign	2 October 1627–25 April 1644; (16 years, 206 days)
Predecessor	Tianqi Emperor
Successor	Hongguang Emperor
	Emperor of China
Reign	2 October, 1627–25 April, 1644; (16 years, 206 days)
Predecessor	Tianqi Emperor
Successor	Shunzhi Emperor
Chancellors	See list
Spouse	Empress Zhuang Lie Min
Concubine	Noble Consort Gong Shu; Noble Consort Yuan; Imperial Consort Wang Shun
Issue
	Princess Changping
Full name
	Family name: Zhu (朱); Given name:Youjian (由檢)
Era name and dates
	Chongzhen (崇禎): 5 February 1628–25 April 1644
Posthumous name
	Emperor Zhuanglie Min; 莊烈愍皇帝
Temple name
	Ming Sizong; 明思宗
House	Ming Dynasty
Father	Taichang Emperor
Mother	Empress Dowager Xiaochun
Born	6 January 1611;
Died	25 April 1644 (aged 33); Jingshan Hill, Beijing
Burial	Ming Dynasty Tombs, Beijing

The Chongzhen Emperor (traditional Chinese: 崇禎; pinyin: Chóngzhēn; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-chen/old spelling: Ch'ung-cheng) (February 6, 1611 - April 25, 1644) was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".

[edit] Early years

Born Zhu Youjian (朱由檢), Chongzhen was the fifth son of the Taichang Emperor. As such, he grew up in a relatively quiet environment, since most of the youngers sons were left out of the power struggle that their elder brother the Tianqi Emperor had to endure. Chongzhen succeeded his brother to the throne at age 17 and immediately eliminated the eunuch Wei Zhongxian and Madam Ke, who had become de facto rulers of the empire.

Chongzhen tried to rule by himself and did his best to salvage the dynasty. However, years of internal corruption and an empty treasury made it almost impossible to find capable ministers to fill important government posts. Chongzhen also tended to be suspicious of the few skilled subordinates he did have, executing the famous general Yuan Chonghuan, who had almost single-handedly maintained the northern frontier against the Manchus, in 1630.

[edit] Fall of the Ming Dynasty

The collapse of the Ming intensified during Chongzhen's reign. Popular uprisings broke out throughout China, including those of Zhang Xianzhong and the more important Li Zicheng. These could not be put down by the already hard-pressed Ming armies, who had to contend with the Manchu threat to the north.

In April 1644, Li prepared to take the Ming capital of Beijing. Rather than face capture and probable execution at the hands of the newly-proclaimed Shun Dynasty, Chongzhen gathered all members of the imperial household aside from his sons and ordered them to commit suicide. All did aside from one of his daughters, Princess Changping; the emperor ordered her arm severed in retaliation. Then, still wearing his imperial attire, Chongzhen fled to Jingshan Hill and hanged himself on a tree. He was buried in Siling of the Ming Dynasty Tombs - the last to be buried there.

[edit] Legacy and personality

While Chongzhen was not especially incompetent by the standards of the later Ming- most direct blame for the dynasty's fall being laid at the feet of the Wanli Emperor- he has been criticized by his paranoia and inflexibility. Chongzhen's attempts at reform did not take into account the considerable decline of Ming power, which was already far advanced at the time of his ascension. His betrayal of Yuan Chonghuan, in particular, has greatly damaged his contemporary reputation.

[edit] Notes

^ Temple name given in 1644 by the prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming. This is the temple name most often found in history books, despite the fact that the Southern Ming soon changed the temple name into Yizong (毅宗), and later Weizong (威宗). The new rulers of the Qing Dynasty conferred upon Chongzhen the temple name Huaizong (懷宗), probably in an effort to win over their recently conquered subjects.

[edit] References

Chao, Zhongchen (2000). Chongzhen zhuan (崇禎傳) ISBN 957-05-1612-7

Regnal titles
Chongzhen Emperor House of Zhu Born: 6 February 1611 Died: 25 April 1644
Preceded by The Tianqi Emperor	Emperor of the Ming Dynasty 1627-1644	Succeeded by The Hongguang Emperor
Preceded by The Tianqi Emperor	Emperor of China 1627-1644	Succeeded by The Shunzhi Emperor

[0] Temple name given in 1644 by the prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming. This is the temple name most often found in history books, despite the fact that the Southern Ming soon changed the temple name into Yizong (毅宗), and later Weizong (威宗). The new rulers of the Qing Dynasty conferred upon Chongzhen the temple name Huaizong (懷宗), probably in an effort to win over their recently conquered subjects.

[1]

Contents

[edit] Early years

[edit] Fall of the Ming Dynasty

[edit] Legacy and personality

[edit] Notes

[edit] References