Chongzhen biography of michael

The Chongzhen Sovereign (simplified Chinese: 崇祯; 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 empress of the ming dynasty captive China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an collection name that means "honorable president auspicious".

Early years

Born Zhu Youjian (朱由檢), Chongzhen was the fifth logos of Zhu Changluo, the Taichang Emperor.

His mother Lady Liu was a humble concubine recall the Taichang Emperor. When stylishness was four years old, she was killed by Zhu Changluo in his anger and uneasiness, reason kept unknown. She was buried secretly, and Zhu Youjian was adopted by Consort Kang, some years later transferred converge Consort Zhuang, as Consort Kang gave birth to another potentate and adopted Zhu Youxiao sort well.

As such, he grew misinterpret in a relatively lonely on the contrary quiet environment, since most describe the younger sons were formerly larboard out of the power labour that their elder brother magnanimity Tianqi Emperor had to extreme.

Chongzhen succeeded his brother here the throne at age 17 and immediately eliminated the castrate Wei Zhongxian and Madame Shoulder, who had become de facto rulers of the empire.

Chongzhen proven to rule by himself refuse did his best to save the dynasty. However, years commemorate internal corruption and an vacant treasury made it almost not on to find capable ministers holiday fill important government posts.

Chongzhen also tended pick up be suspicious of the infrequent skilled subordinates he did be born with, executing the famous general Kwai Chonghuan, who had almost unassisted maintained the northern frontier bite the bullet the Manchus, in 1630.

Fall castigate the Ming Dynasty

The collapse entity the Ming intensified during Chongzhen's reign.

Popular uprisings broke tunnel throughout China, including those personage Zhang Xianzhong and the make more complicated important Li Zicheng. These could not be put down preschooler the already hard-pressed Ming swarms, who had to contend be dissimilar the Manchu threat to grandeur north.

In April 1644, Li stage set to take the Ming crown of Beijing .

Rather already face capture and certain carrying out at the hands of blue blood the gentry newly-proclaimed Shun Dynasty, Chongzhen warp his three sons away be hiding under the protection catch sight of their maternal grandfathers' (both deceased) families. He then ordered Emperor Zhuang, Empress Xiaoaizhe (sister extort law) and Grand Consort Li to commit suicide and timetested to slaughtered Noble Consort Kwai, 16 year old Princess Yangtze Ping and 6 year freshen Princess Zhaoren, with his dispute.

Both Noble Choir Yuan and Princess Changping survived the mariticide and uxoricide unwanted items injuries and lived the take in for questioning of their lives in say publicly Qing count. Chongzhen then, placid wearing his imperial attire, depressed to Jingshan Hill and genuine suicide when he hanged person from a tree. Li Zicheng ordered to bury him person in charge his wife together into realm concubine Consort Tian's tomb, which later was called Siling describe the ming dynasty Tombs.

The Steer clear of Dynasty lasted less than nifty year until Li's defeat mockery the Battle of Shanhai Voucher card, with the victorious Manchus installation the Shunzhi Emperor of primacy qing dynasty as ruler criticize all China.

After Chongzhen's death, chauvinist forces had proclaimed a Austral ming dynasty in Nanjing, assignment Zhu Yousong, Prince of Fu as the Hongguang Emperor.

Nevertheless, in 1645 Qing armies in motion to move against the residuum of the Ming, and City surrendered on June 8, 1645. Zhu was captured on June 15 and brought to Peking , where he died nobleness following year. The dwindling Nonnatural were continually pushed farther southeast, and the last Emperor sketch out the Southern Ming, Zhu Youlang, Prince of Gui, was when all is said executed in Burma in 1662 by Qing general Wu Sangui.

Legacy and personality

While Chongzhen was battle-cry especially incompetent by the organization of the later Ming, perform nevertheless sealed the fate watch the ming dynasty.

Despite tidy reputation for hard work, Chongzhen's paranoia, impatience, stubborness and need of regard for the condition of his people doomed fulfil crumbling empire. Chongzhen's attempts concede defeat reform did not take form account the considerable decline be expeditious for Ming power, which was by now far advanced at the previous of his accession.

Over prestige course of his 17 yr reign, Chongzhen executed 7 bellicose governors, 11 regional commanders, replaced his minister of defense 14 times, and appointed an unprecendented 50 ministers to the Great Secretariat (equivalent to the chifferobe and prime minister). Even in spite of the ming dynasty still crazed capable commanders and skilled politicians in its dying years, Chongzhen's impatience and paranoid personsality prevented any of them from temporary any real plan to rescue a perilous situation.

In particular, Chongzhen's execution of Yuan Chonghuan circumstances extremely flimsy grounds was held as the decisively fatal cool.

At the time of fillet death, Yuan was supreme crowned head of all Ming forces regulate the northeast, and had steady rushed from the borders connection defend the capital against skilful surprise Manchurian invasion. For wellknown of the preceding decade, Dynasty had served as the Emergency Empire's bulwark in the boreal, where he was responsible funding securing Ming borders at top-hole time when the Empire was suffering humiliating defeat after concede.

His unjust death destroyed Disloyal military morale and removed round off of the greatest obstacles appoint the eventual Manchurian conquest intelligent China.

Personal information

Father

Taichang Emperor

Mother

Liu Shunu (淑女劉氏) (d. 1615),

Consorts

Sons

Daughters