Chenghua Emperor
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Chenghua Emperor (; 9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), personal name Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1464 to 1487. His
era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' 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 ...
" Chenghua" means "accomplished change".


Childhood

Zhu Jianshen was a son of the
Zhengtong Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming (; 29 November 1427 – 23 February 1464), personal name Zhu Qizhen (), was the sixth and eighth Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He ascended the throne as the Zhengtong Emperor () in 1435, but was forced to abdicate in ...
(also known as the Tianshun Emperor). He was only two years old when his father was captured by the
Oirat Mongols Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...
and held captive in 1449. After that, his uncle, the
Jingtai Emperor The Jingtai Emperor (21 September 1428 – 14 March 1457), born Zhu Qiyu, was the seventh Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1449 to 1457. The second son of the Xuande Emperor, he was selected in 1449 to succeed his elder brother Emper ...
, took over the throne whilst his father was released from Oirats and returned to Beijing in 1450 and was put under house arrest for almost seven years. During this time, Zhu Jianshen lived under his uncle's shadow and even had his title of crown prince removed while the Jingtai Emperor installed his own son as heir. Zhu Jianshen was only reinstated as crown prince on the eve of the death of the Jingtai Emperor in 1457.


Reign as emperor

The Chenghua Emperor ascended the throne at the age of 17. During the early part of his administration, he carried out new government policies to reduce tax and strengthen the Ming dynasty. However these did not last and by the closing years of his reign, governmental affairs once again fell into the hands of eunuchs, notably Wang Zhi. Peasant uprisings occurred throughout the country; however, they were violently suppressed. The Chenghua Emperor's reign was also more autocratic than his predecessors' and freedom was sharply curtailed when the emperor established institutes such as the Western Depot (to complement the existing
Eastern Depot Eastern Depot or Eastern Bureau () was a Ming dynasty spy and secret police agency run by eunuchs. It was created by the Yongle Emperor. History After the Yongle Emperor usurped the throne in 1402 from his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, he attem ...
), monitoring all civilians' actions and words. This institute, not unlike a spy agency, would administer punishment to those whom they suspected of treason. The Western Depot would eventually be shut down but it was the start of a dangerous trend and the Chenghua Emperor's descendants would again revive the Western Depot during the 16th century.


Consort Wan

The Chenghua Emperor spent most of his reign under the influence of
Consort Wan Consort Wan may refer to: Imperial consorts with the surname Wan *Wan Zhen'er (1428–1487), concubine of the Chenghua Emperor * Consort Chen (Yingzong) (1431–1467), concubine of Emperor Yingzong of Ming Imperial consorts with the title Consort ...
, an imperial
concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...
who was seventeen years older than him. Lady Wan had been a mother figure to the young emperor, rearing and protecting the young prince. After he ascended the throne, she quickly became the emperor's favourite consort. She gave birth to a child in 1466, but he died shortly thereafter. She would come to dominate the Emperor's harem for nearly two decades. Lady Wan would employ eunuchs to oversee the harem and report back to her if any concubines became pregnant. Tactics including the forced
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
s and even murders of members of the harem resulted in the Chenghua Emperor lamenting that by the age of thirty-one he still lacked a male heir. It was only then revealed to the Emperor that a male heir, the future
Hongzhi Emperor The Hongzhi Emperor () (30 July 1470 – 9 June 1505) was the tenth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1487 to 1505. Born Zhu Youcheng, he was the eldest surviving son of the Chenghua Emperor and his reign as emperor of China is called ...
, was secretly saved and raised in a secure location outside the palace. After reuniting with the young prince, Zhu Youcheng was created crown prince. Consort Wan died in 1487, and shortly after, the Chenghua Emperor died in the same year, after 23 years on the throne. He was buried in the Maoling Mausoleum of the
Ming tombs The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming dynasty of China. The first Ming emperor's tomb is located near his capital Nanjing. However, the majority of the Ming tombs are located in a cluster near Beijing an ...
.


Legacy

The Chenghua Emperor's reign can be distinguished by his early attempts to reform the government and trying his best to rule the country. His reign also saw a cultural flourishing with famous persons such as Hu Juren and Chen Baisha dominating the academic scene. However, the Chenghua Emperor's reign was prone to dominating individuals in the government and the emperor was easily influenced into granting favours based on who he liked rather than their abilities. This led to the degradation of the ruling class and wasteful spending by corrupt individuals which eventually depleted the Ming government's coffers.


Family

Consorts and Issue: * Deposed Empress, of the Wu clan (; d. 1509) * Empress Xiaozhenchun, of the Wang clan (; d. 1518) * Empress Xiaomu, of the Ji clan (; 1451 – July 1475), personal name Tangmei () ** Zhu Youcheng, the
Hongzhi Emperor The Hongzhi Emperor () (30 July 1470 – 9 June 1505) was the tenth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1487 to 1505. Born Zhu Youcheng, he was the eldest surviving son of the Chenghua Emperor and his reign as emperor of China is called ...
(; 30 July 1470 – 9 June 1505), third son * Empress Xiaohui, of the Shao clan (; d. 1522) **
Zhu Youyuan Zhu Youyuan (; 22 July 1476 – 13 July 1519), was a prince of the Ming dynasty of China. He was the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor. Created Prince of Xing (興王), his fief was near today's Zhongxiang, in Hubei Province. He and his wif ...
, Emperor Ruizong (; 22 July 1476 – 13 July 1519), fourth son (father of the
Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (; 16September 150723January 1567) was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin. His father, Zhu You ...
) ** Zhu Youlun, Prince Hui of Qi (; 12 November 1478 – 2 December 1501), fifth son ** Zhu Youyun, Prince Jing of Yong (; 29 June 1481 – 17 January 1507), eighth son *
Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu (20 September 1857 – 14 April 1921), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Arute (阿鲁特) clan, was a consort of the Tongzhi Emperor. She was one year his junior. Life Family background Imperial Noble Consort G ...
, of the Wan clan (; 1428–1487), personal name Zhen'er () ** ''First son'' (14 February 1466 – November 1466) * Consort Duanshunxian, of the Bo clan (; d. 1527) ** Zhu Youji, Crown Prince Daogong (; 7 June 1469 – 5 March 1472), second son * Consort Zhuangjingshun, of the Wang clan (; 22 April 1448 – 9 January 1495) ** Princess Renhe (; 1476–1544), first daughter *** Married Qi Shimei (; d. 1503) in 1489, and had issue (five sons) * Consort Gonghuihe, of the Liang clan (; d. 1533) * Consort Duanrongzhao, of the Wang clan () * Consort Jingshunhui, of the Guo clan (; d. 1491) ** Princess Yongkang (; 1478–1547), second daughter *** Married Cui Yuan () in 1493, and had issue (two sons, two daughters) * Consort Zhuangyide, of the Zhang clan (; d. 1497) ** Zhu Youbin, Prince Duan of Yi (; 26 January 1479 – 5 October 1539), sixth son ** Zhu Youhui, Prince Gong of Heng (; 8 December 1479 – 30 August 1538), seventh son ** Zhu Youpeng, Prince An of Ru (; 13 October 1484 – 1541), 11th son * Consort Duanyi'an, of the Yao clan (; d. 1491) ** Zhu Youzhi, Prince Ding of Shou (; 2 December 1481 – 1545), ninth son * Consort Ronghuigong, of the Yang clan () ** Zhu Youshun, Prince Jian of Jing (; 31 March 1485 – 10 July 1537), 12th son ** Zhu Youkai, Prince Yi of Shen (; 3 February 1487 – 20 August 1503), 14th son * Consort Kangshunduan, of the Pan clan (; d. 1538) ** Zhu Youshu, Prince Zhuang of Rong (; 22 January 1486 – 16 February 1539), 13th son * Consort Gongyijing, of the Wang clan (; 1465–1510) ** ''Tenth son'' (19 August 1483 – 8 October 1483) * Consort Zhaoshunli, of the Zhang clan (; d. 1501) ** Princess Deqing (; 17 August 1478 – 17 July 1549), third daughter *** Married Lin Yue (; d. 1518) in 1496, and had issue (two sons) * Consort Hehuijing, of the Yue clan (; 1465–1534) ** Princess Xianyou (; d. 1492), sixth daughter * Consort Jingxirong, of the Tang clan (; d. 1524) * Unknown ** ''Fourth daughter'' ** Princess Changtai (; d. 1487), fifth daughter


Ancestry


See also

*
Chinese emperors family tree (late) This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the Yuan dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. __TOC__ Yuan dynasty and Northern Yuan The following is the Yuan dynasty family tree. Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206. The empi ...


References

¹ Imperial China – 900–1800, F.W. Mote, Page 630, First Harvard University Press, 2003. , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Chenghua Emperor 1447 births 1487 deaths Ming dynasty emperors 15th-century Chinese monarchs