Emperor Mo of Jin (1200 – 9 February 1234), personal name Hudun,

sinicised Sinicization, sinofication, sinification, or sinonization (from the prefix , 'Chinese, relating to China') is the process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture, particularly the language, societal norms, cul ...

name Wanyan Chenglin, was the last

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty of China. Originally a military general, he inherited the throne from his predecessor, Emperor Aizong, during the

siege of Caizhou The siege of Caizhou between 1233 and 1234 was fought between the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty and the allied forces of the Mongol Empire and Southern Song dynasty. It was the last major battle in the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty. Backgro ...

. He was killed in action on the same day he was crowned emperor, when Caizhou fell to the allied forces of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

and

Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. Having ruled as emperor for less than a day, or maybe even just a few hours, he holds the record for being the shortest-reigning monarch in

Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

Life

Wanyan Chenglin was a descendant of

Helibo Horimbo (1039—1092)Tao (1976), p.17 was a chieftain of the Wanyan tribe, the most dominant among the Jurchen tribes which later founded the Jin dynasty (1115–1234). He was the second son of Ukunai. Like his grandfather, Šilu, Horimbo was a ...

, the father of Aguda (Emperor Taizu), the founder and first emperor of the Jin dynasty. He served as a military general under the Jin dynasty. Emperor Aizong regarded him highly for his courage and talent. Wanyan Chenglin's elder brother, Wanyan Chengyi (完顏承裔), served as the

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

, and was killed in action around 1232 in a battle at Pucheng (蒲城) against the Mongols. In 1232, when the

attacked the Jin dynasty, Emperor Aizong abandoned the capital, Bianjing (汴京; present-day

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

Henan Province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), and fled to Caizhou (蔡州; present-day

Runan County Runan County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhumadian, in the southeast of Henan Province, China. History In ancient times, this area was called "the middle of the world" (), since it was the center of ...

, Henan Province). Wanyan Chenglin accompanied the emperor and stayed with him throughout the journey, while many ministers and officers deserted the emperor along the way. Upon arriving in Caizhou, Wanyan Chenglin advised Emperor Aizong to establish a central command and actively prepare defences for an attack by the Mongols. In the first month of 1234, the Mongols allied with the

and besieged Caizhou. Emperor Aizong sensed that his doom was near, but did not want to be remembered in history as the last emperor of the Jin dynasty, so he announced his decision to abdicate and pass his throne to Wanyan Chenglin. Wanyan Chenglin refused to accept, but the emperor insisted and said, "I am fat and unable to ride on horseback into battle. If the city falls, it will be difficult for me to escape on horseback. You, on the other hand, are physically fit and strong. Moreover, you are a talented military leader. If you manage to escape, you can ensure that the dynasty lives on, and make a comeback in the future. This is my wish." Wanyan Chenglin reluctantly accepted. On 9 February 1234, shortly after the abdication ceremony started, they received news that the enemy had breached the city walls. Emperor Aizong fled into the Youlan Room (幽蘭軒) and committed suicide by hanging himself. Wanyan Chenglin, on the other hand, rallied his soldiers and engaged the enemy in battle in the streets and alleys. He was eventually forced to retreat back into the inner city. When he received news of Emperor Aizong's death, he gathered his remaining followers, conducted a ceremony to mourn the emperor, and posthumously honoured him with the

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 ...

"Aizong". He was killed in action on the same day when the enemy eventually overran and occupied the city. Historians refer to him as "Emperor Mo" (末帝; literally "last emperor") of the Jin dynasty.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mo Of Jin, Emperor 1234 deaths Jin dynasty (1115–1234) emperors 13th-century Chinese monarchs Year of birth unknown Monarchs killed in action