Zhu Qiyu
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The Jingtai Emperor (21 September 1428 – 14 March 1457), also known by his
temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dynas ...
as the Emperor Daizong of Ming and by his
posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...
as the Emperor Jing of Ming, personal name Zhu Qiyu, was the seventh
emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
of the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, reigning from 1449 to 1457. He succeeded his elder brother, Emperor Yingzong, who had been captured by the Mongols. He was overthrown in a palace coup led by Emperor Yingzong in February 1457 and died a month later. In 1449, Emperor Yingzong, upon the suggestion of eunuch Wang Zhen, personally led the army to battle against the Mongolian army of
Esen Taishi Esen (; Mongol script: ; ) (1407–1454), was a powerful Oirat taishi and the ''de facto'' ruler of the Northern Yuan dynasty between 12 September 1453 and 1454. He is best known for capturing the Emperor Yingzong of Ming in 1449 in the Batt ...
. However, in the Battle of Tumu Fortress, the Ming army was defeated and the emperor was taken captive. This event caused shock and concern throughout the government and the country. In response, the court eventually elevated the emperor's brother, Zhu Qiyu—who had taken charge of government affairs during the campaign—to the throne. The former emperor, who had formed a positive relationship with Esen, was released in 1450 but did not regain his position. He was instead placed under house arrest in the Southern Palace of the
Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
. During his reign, the Jingtai Emperor, with the support of prominent minister
Yu Qian Yu Qian (; 1398–1457), courtesy name Tingyi (廷益), art name Jie'an (節庵), was a Chinese official who served under the Ming dynasty. Under Emperor Yingzong, he worked in the Ministry of War, eventually becoming a vice minister. He distin ...
, worked to restore the country's infrastructure. This included repairing the Grand Canal and the
Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...
's dam system, resulting in economic prosperity and a bolstering of the country's strength. After ruling for eight years, the emperor fell ill and his death was imminent in early 1457. He had not designated an heir, as his son and crown prince had died in the fourth year of his reign under unclear circumstances, possibly due to poisoning. Taking advantage of this situation, Emperor Yingzong seized control of the government in February 1457 through a palace coup. The Jingtai Emperor died a month later.


Childhood and life as Prince of Cheng

Zhu Qiyu, the future Jingtai Emperor, was born on 11 September 1428. He was the second son of the
Xuande Emperor The Xuande Emperor (16 March 1399 31 January 1435), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Zhanji, was the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1425 to 1435. He was the son and successor of ...
, who ruled the Ming dynasty from 1425 to 1435. When the Xuande Emperor died in 1435, his eldest son, Emperor Yingzong, became the new ruler of the Ming dynasty and created Zhu Qiyu as the Prince of Cheng. As the Prince of Cheng, Zhu Qiyu was said to have lived in
Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
(present-day Wenshang County,
Jining Jining () is a former capital of Shandong. Is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the no ...
) as an adult. He was naturally shy, weak, indecisive and had no desire for power. He had a close relationship with his brother, which may have been the reason he remained in the capital, even though he was old enough to move to Wenshang in the latter half of the 1440s.


Ascension

In the summer of 1449, there was growing unrest along the northern border of the Ming dynasty. In late July, reports reached Beijing that the Mongols, under the leadership of their de facto ruler Esen, had launched an attack on
Datong Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province, China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 census, it had a population o ...
as part of a massive invasion. Emperor Yingzong decided to lead personally the campaign against the Mongols, with the support of his trusted advisor Wang Zhen. On 3 August, Zhu Qiyu was appointed as the provisional administrator of Beijing. He was accompanied by aides who represented the most influential power groups. Prince Consort Commander Jiao Jing () represented the imperial family.
Jin Ying Jin Ying () is a Chinese Sanshou, Sanda Kickboxing, kickboxer, who has throughout his career fought almost exclusively with Wu Lin Feng. He was the 2020 in Wu Lin Feng#Wu Lin Feng 2020: King's Super Cup Final, 2020 WLF King's Cup Runner-up. As o ...
, Director of Ceremonial and the highest-ranking eunuch in the absence of Wang Zhen, led the palace eunuchs. Minister of Personnel, Wang Zhi (), represented the government, and Grand Secretary Gao Gu () was the fourth aide. All major decisions were to be postponed until the emperor's return. On 4 August, Emperor Yingzong led his army into battle. Despite a month-long campaign, they achieved no results. On their return journey, the imperial army was unexpectedly attacked by the Mongols on 1 September at the Tumu post station. The Mongols were able to defeat and scatter the imperial army. Numerous high-ranking commanders were killed, and Emperor Yingzong himself was captured. With the approval of Empress Dowager Sun, the mother of Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qiyu assumed control of the government on 4 September, but the empress dowager made it clear that his authority was temporary and, on 6 September, named Zhu Jianshen, the two-year-old eldest son of Emperor Yingzong, as crown prince. On 15 September, high-ranking civil and military officials, led by
Yu Qian Yu Qian (; 1398–1457), courtesy name Tingyi (廷益), art name Jie'an (節庵), was a Chinese official who served under the Ming dynasty. Under Emperor Yingzong, he worked in the Ministry of War, eventually becoming a vice minister. He distin ...
, petitioned the Empress dowager to install Zhu Qiyu as the new emperor in order to stabilize the government and improve relations with the Mongols by reducing the influence of the captured Emperor Yingzong. As the only adult relative of the captured emperor, Zhu Qiyu was seen as a natural choice. Initially, Zhu Qiyu rejected the proposal, but those around him saw this as a formality and he eventually accepted. On 17 (or possibly 22 or 23) September, he ascended the throne and adopted the
era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of rule, a t ...
Jingtai, which means "exalted view". He also declared his brother as '' Taishang Huang'' (; 'Emperor Emeritus'), a title that was higher in rank but only honorary. Only one official objected to the new emperor's accession and was punished with death. After their victory at Tumu, the Mongols did not immediately launch an attack on Beijing, even though they would likely have been successful. Instead, they hesitated and allowed the Ming dynasty two months to recover from their defeat. During this time, the new minister of war, Yu Qian, took charge of organizing the defense of Beijing and effectively became the leader of the government even before the new emperor was appointed. The Mongols did not approach the city until 27 October, but after four days of siege, they abandoned their efforts upon realizing they had no chance of victory. The Jingtai Emperor's government refused all of Esen's attempts to pay for the release of the captured emperor and insisted on his unconditional return. The imprisoned emperor became a burden to the Mongols, so they eventually released him without any conditions. The Jingtai Emperor confined his brother to the Southern Palace and cut off all contact with government officials. His fear of his brother's influence dominated the rest of his reign and influenced a cautious approach towards the Mongols.


Government


Ministers, eunuchs and grand secretaries

Traditional historians often praise the rule of the Jingtai Emperor, particularly when compared to the corrupt and inept eunuchs who had controlled the government in the previous decade, but the power did not completely transfer from eunuchs to officials during his reign. Eunuchs still held a considerable amount of influence. Instead, after 1449, both eunuchs and officials collaborated to revitalize the country. To some extent, the Jingtai Emperor's regime followed the tradition of the three grand secretaries, who managed the empire from the mid-1420s to the early 1440s. This continuity was embodied by Wang Zhi, who held the position of minister of personnel from 1443 to 1457. During the 1440s, Wang Zhi was a constant opponent of Wang Zhen, but after 1449, he began to cooperate with Yu Qian. From 1451 to 1453, he was assisted in his duties by co-minister He Wenyuan, who was later replaced by Wang Ao. Yu Qian supported Wang Ao's rise, and he successfully defended
Liaodong The Liaodong or Liaotung Peninsula ( zh, s=辽东半岛, t=遼東半島, p=Liáodōng Bàndǎo) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located ...
, as well as later
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
and
Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
. Wang Ao remained minister of personnel until his death in 1467 at the age of 73. The widely respected Ministers of Personnel, along with their careful selection of capable officials, contributed to a high level of administration in the third quarter of the fifteenth century. One notable characteristic of the Jingtai Emperor's reign was the remarkable stability within his core group of ministers. The heads of the
Six Ministries The Three Departments and Six Ministries () system was the primary administrative structure in History of China#Imperial China, imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It was also used by Balhae (698– ...
all maintained their positions throughout his rule: Jin Lian () overseeing the Ministry of Revenue, Hu Ying () leading the Ministry of Rites, Yu Shiyue () in charge of the Ministry of Justice, and Shi Pu () directing the Ministry of Works. Similarly, the leadership of the Censorate remained constant from 1445 to 1454, with Chen Yi (), followed by Yang Shan (), Wang Wen (), Xiao Weizhen (), and Li Shi (). Additionally, the influential army commander Shi Heng (), along with the powerful eunuchs Cao Jixiang () and Liu Yongcheng (), also retained their positions throughout this time. Some of the Jingtai Emperor's key supporters were the eunuchs Jin Ying and Xing An. Jin Ying held significant influence in the 1430s but eventually lost power to Wang Zhen. During the Jingtai Emperor's reign, he was appointed as Director of Ceremonial but was later imprisoned in 1450 for backing the return of Emperor Yingzong. Xing An then took over as head of the eunuchs and played a crucial role in negotiating the return of Emperor Yingzong and the change of the crown prince in 1452. Two other eunuch generals, Cao Jixiang and Liu Yongcheng, were instrumental in the military reform of 1453. However, prominent officials such as grand secretaries Chen Xun () and Gao Gu did not support the Jingtai Emperor. Despite having a stable personnel, the ruling group was not free from controversy. In 1451–1452, Yu Qian, the most influential figure in Beijing, had a heated conflict with Shi Heng over the abuse of power and corruption by Shi Heng and his family. The emperor was unable to resolve the dispute until Yu Qian fell ill in 1454–1455, causing him to lose much of his influence.


Military reforms

In 1451, once the immediate danger had passed, Yu Qian initiated military reform. He handpicked 100,000 soldiers from the remaining troops in the Beijing area and divided them into five training divisions (; ''Tuanying''). In 1452, he added an additional 50,000 soldiers and created ten training units. He also restructured the command system of the capital garrison. Initially, command was divided between generals and eunuchs, with each of the Three Great Camps (for infantry, cavalry, and firearms) operating independently under its own field commander, but there was little coordination between detachments from different camps. Yu Qian placed each camp under one field commander and the entire garrison under the field marshal. He also removed the eunuchs from their supervisory role, resulting in a unified command and a greater involvement of the capital generals in managing the training camps. This new arrangement of the drill camps was unique among the various Ming command systems, as the generals in charge of training also commanded the same soldiers in battle. After 1449, the practice of hiring soldiers for wages from the peasant and urban population became more widespread due to the shortage of men and the inefficiency of many hereditary soldiers. These hired soldiers were referred to as ''bing'' (), in contrast to the hereditary soldiers known as ''jun'' (). After Emperor Yingzong regained power in 1457, Yu Qian was executed and his reforms were reversed.


Economy

In 1450,
Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
experienced a famine, and from 1452 to 1454, the provinces in northern China and the lower
Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
were greatly affected by heavy rains and cold weather. The drought of 1455 was followed by summer rains in 1456 in northern China. The state treasury was depleted due to providing aid to the population and dealing with tax arrears. In 1453, the ban on using coins for trade was lifted. From the mid-1450s, illegal private coins from Jiangnan began to dominate the markets in Beijing, replacing the old Yongle coins. Although there were some proposals to address this problem by resuming state production, they were disregarded, resulting in the spread of illegal mints through unofficial networks. After the severe floods and changes in its course in 1448, the government took urgent action to regulate the
Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...
. As a result, the river began to flow into the sea both north and south of the Shandong Peninsula, but these changes in the river's flow caused problems with the water supply for the Grand Canal. Despite attempts to fix the issue and repairs carried out from 1449 to 1452, they were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1453, Xu Youzhen (), who had fallen out of favor during the crisis of 1449 when he suggested relocating the capital from
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
to
Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
, presented a plan to rebuild the levees and canals. With a workforce of 58,000, he completed complex repairs to the dams and excavated hundreds of kilometers of canals within two years. His work successfully withstood the great flood of 1456 and remained in use for decades. Traditional history portrays the 1450s as a time of intense competition between two imperial brothers, but Marxist historians emphasize the presence of class conflicts. The population was consistently dissatisfied, leading to rebellions and keeping the army occupied for much of the decade. By 1452, the uprisings in
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
and
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
had subsided. In
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
and
Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
, the lawlessness of non-Chinese populations (specifically the Miao and Yao tribes) went unchecked until Wang Ao was sent to the region in 1452–1453. In 1450–52, the Miao and Yao rebelled in
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and
Huguang Huguang was a province of China during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It was founded by the Yuan dynasty in 1274. During the Yuan dynasty it included the areas of modern Hubei south of the Yangtze river, Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. During the Min ...
, and unrest continued in Fujian, Huguang,
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
, and Zhejiang in the years 1453–56. Throughout the 1450s, there were armed conflicts in Guangdong, where the authorities mobilized loyal tribes against the rebels. Non-Han Chinese groups generally rebelled against the Ming government, while Han Chinese miners and landless individuals in the peripheral regions of the provinces remained relatively calm. Overall, the reign of the Jingtai Emperor was marked by successful reforms and the restoration of stability, thanks to the efforts of capable ministers. In the field of culture, the Jingtai era is known for the advancement of wire enamel (
cloisonné Cloisonné () is an ancient technology, ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with colored material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has been used, but inla ...
) decoration, which is now referred to as ''Jingtai-lan'' (; meaning 'blue olor of the eraJingtai') in Chinese.


Succession problems, deposition and death

One ongoing political issue during the Jingtai Emperor's reign was the situation of Emperor Yingzong and the matter of who would succeed him. Despite being isolated, Emperor Yingzong still had allies within the government, including Minister of Rites Hu Ying. Typically, the emperor's adversaries would have been forced to resign, but the Jingtai Emperor was hesitant to address these issues and allowed them to remain in their positions. Emperor Yingzong's eldest son, Zhu Jianshen, was the crown prince since 1449. However, the Jingtai Emperor eventually decided to reserve the throne for his own descendants. Through a combination of bribery and intimidation, he was able to gain enough support for his plan. On 20 May 1452, despite opposition from the grand secretaries and other officials, he created Zhu Jianshen as the Prince of Yi and his son Zhu Jianji as the new crown prince. On the same day, Empress Wang was removed from her position and replaced by the mother of the heir, Lady Hang. This move, which appeared to prioritize personal interests, weakened the emperor's authority. Zhu Jianji died in 1453 and his mother in 1456. As the emperor had no other son, a new crown prince was not chosen. Some officials, including Zhang Lun (; d. 1483), Director of the Ministry of Rites, and Zhong Tong (; d. 1455), a censor, suggested reinstating Emperor Yingzong's eldest son, but they were imprisoned for their suggestion. Zhong Tong and others were even flogged to death. This event sparked the ambition of courtiers and government officials to conspire in favor of Emperor Yingzong. The plot was orchestrated by Shi Heng, Cao Jixiang, Xu Youzhen, and Zhang Yue (; 1393–1458). They saw an opportunity when the emperor fell ill at the end of 1456, causing him to cancel audiences and New Year ceremonies in 1457. The request for the appointment of a successor went unanswered, and the court was filled with anxiety as they prepared for the emperor's death. On the morning of 11 February 1457, the conspirators forcefully removed Emperor Yingzong from his residence and placed him on the throne, surprising officials who had come for the morning audience. Emperor Yingzong wasted no time in making changes to the government, promoting the conspirators and dismissing officials from the previous regime. Some supporters of the Jingtai regime, including Yu Qian, Wang Wen, and three high-ranking eunuchs, were executed. The Jingtai Emperor was demoted to the Prince of Cheng and never fully recovered from his illness. He died on 14 March 1457. There is speculation that he may have been murdered. He was given the posthumous name Li (; 'Rebel') and was buried outside the imperial mausoleums at Yuchuanshan. Some officials suggested abolishing his era name, similar to the abolishment of the Jianwen era, but Emperor Yingzong did not agree. In 1475, the
Chenghua Emperor The Chenghua Emperor (9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xianzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Jianshen, changed to Zhu Jianru in 1457, was the ninth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1464 ...
restored his imperial title and changed the posthumous name to Emperor Gongren Kangding Jing (), which was shorter than the names given to other emperors. In the mid-17th century, Zhu Yousong (the Hongguang Emperor), the first ruler of the Southern Ming dynasty, gave him the temple name Daizong ().


Family

After the Jingtai Emperor's death, his concubines were ordered to commit suicide. However, the deposed Empress Wang was allowed to continue living outside the palace, allegedly under the protection of her nephew, who had regained his position as heir and later became the Chenghua Emperor. He even allowed her to keep her possessions. Emperor Yingzong later had her house searched and confiscated 200,000 ''liang'' of silver and other treasures. Empress Wang died in January 1507 and was given the posthumous name Empress Zhenhui Jing (). She was buried in her husband's mausoleum. The Jingtai Emperor also had a daughter (two according to ''
History of Ming The ''History of Ming'' is the final official Chinese history included in the '' Twenty-Four Histories''. It consists of 332 volumes and covers the history of the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644. It was written by a number of officials commissio ...
''), Princess Gu'an (), who was born in 1449. She was married to Wang Xian (; d. 1514), a great-grandson of Wang Zhi.


Consorts and issue

* Empress Xiaoyuanjing, of the Wang clan (; 1427–1507) ** Princess Gu'an (; 1449–1491), first daughter *** Married Wang Xian () in 1469, and had issue (one son) ** ''Second daughter'' * Empress Suxiao, of the Hang clan (; d. 1456) ** Zhu Jianji, Crown Prince Huaixian (; 28 March 1445 – 21 March 1453), first son * Imperial Noble Consort, of the Tang clan (; 1438–1457) * Li Xi'er () * Consort, of the Sun clan ()


See also

* Chinese emperors family tree (late)


Notes


References


Citations


Works cited

* * * * * * * * *


External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jingtai Emperor 1428 births 1457 deaths Emperors of the Ming dynasty 15th-century Chinese monarchs