Jingtai Emperor
Encyclopedia
The Jingtai Emperor (21 September 1428 – 14 March 1457) was Emperor of China
from 1449 to 1457. The second son of the Xuande Emperor
, he was selected in 1449 to succeed his older brother, the Zhengtong Emperor
, when the latter was captured by Mongols following the Tumu Crisis
. He reigned for 8 years before being removed from the throne by his brother, who was restored as the Tianshun Emperor
. The Jingtai Emperor's era name means "Exalted View".
) was defeated and taken prisoner by the Oirat
Mongols
of Esen Khan
.
The Zhengtong Emperor was eventually released in 1450 after the Mongols learned that the Ming government had installed Jingtai as the new emperor. After that, Jingtai continued to rule as emperor while his brother was granted a technical title of "grand-emperor" and was forced to live in obscurity.
During Jingtai's reign, aided by the prominent minister Yu Qian
, he paid particular attention to matters affecting his country. He repaired the Grand Canal
as well as the system of dykes along the Yellow River
. As a result of his administration, the economy prospered and the dynasty was further strengthened.
Zhu Qiyu reigned for eight years. When his death was imminent in 1457, he refused to name an heir, particularly because his own son had died mysteriously — perhaps poisoned. The sidelined Zhengtong saw an opportunity to regain the throne and through a military coup overthrew Jingtai and declared himself his successor. Zhengtong, now emperor again, renamed his era Tianshun (it has never been discovered why he changed his era name). The former Jingtai Emperor was demoted to the rank of Prince of Cheng, which was the title he had held before ascending the throne, and was placed under house arrest in Xiyuan (西苑). Jingtai died a month later with some sources hinting that he was murdered by eunuchs on the order of the Tianshun emperor.
After Jingtai's death, the Tianshun Emperor denied his brother's rightful honor to be buried at the Ming Dynasty Tombs
(together with his predecessors) located north of Beijing
. He was instead buried well away from that locale in the hills west of Beijing and was buried as a prince rather than an emperor. His posthumous name was also shortened to five characters, instead of the normal seventeen, to reflect his demoted status.
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
from 1449 to 1457. The second son of the Xuande Emperor
Xuande Emperor
The Xuande Emperor was Emperor of China from 1425 to 1435. His era name means "Proclamation of Virtue".-Biography:...
, he was selected in 1449 to succeed his older brother, the Zhengtong Emperor
Zhengtong Emperor
Zhu Qizhen was an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled as the Zhengtong Emperor from 1435 to 1449, and as the Tianshun Emperor from 1457 to 1464....
, when the latter was captured by Mongols following the Tumu Crisis
Tumu Crisis
The Tumu Crisis ; also called the Crisis of Tumubao or Battle of Tumu Fortress , was a frontier conflict between the Oirat Mongols and the Chinese Ming Dynasty which led to the capture of the Zhengtong Emperor on September 1, 1449 and the loss of an army of 500,000 men to a much smaller force....
. He reigned for 8 years before being removed from the throne by his brother, who was restored as the Tianshun Emperor
Zhengtong Emperor
Zhu Qizhen was an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled as the Zhengtong Emperor from 1435 to 1449, and as the Tianshun Emperor from 1457 to 1464....
. The Jingtai Emperor's era name means "Exalted View".
Biography
Zhu Qiyu ascended the throne in 1449 after his older brother (the Zhengtong EmperorZhengtong Emperor
Zhu Qizhen was an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled as the Zhengtong Emperor from 1435 to 1449, and as the Tianshun Emperor from 1457 to 1464....
) was defeated and taken prisoner by the Oirat
Oirats
Oirats are the westernmost group of the Mongols who unified several tribes origin whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in the Republic of Kalmykia, a federal...
Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
of Esen Khan
Esen Tayisi
Esen taishi was a powerful Oirat Khagan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia in the 15th century. He is best known for capturing the Zhengtong Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in 1450 after the Battle of Tumu Fortress and briefly reuniting the Mongols...
.
The Zhengtong Emperor was eventually released in 1450 after the Mongols learned that the Ming government had installed Jingtai as the new emperor. After that, Jingtai continued to rule as emperor while his brother was granted a technical title of "grand-emperor" and was forced to live in obscurity.
During Jingtai's reign, aided by the prominent minister Yu Qian
Yu Qian
Yu Qian , a native of Qiantang , was a Chinese Defence Minister during the Ming dynasty.- Biography :...
, he paid particular attention to matters affecting his country. He repaired the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of China
The Grand Canal in China, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou...
as well as the system of dykes along the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. As a result of his administration, the economy prospered and the dynasty was further strengthened.
Zhu Qiyu reigned for eight years. When his death was imminent in 1457, he refused to name an heir, particularly because his own son had died mysteriously — perhaps poisoned. The sidelined Zhengtong saw an opportunity to regain the throne and through a military coup overthrew Jingtai and declared himself his successor. Zhengtong, now emperor again, renamed his era Tianshun (it has never been discovered why he changed his era name). The former Jingtai Emperor was demoted to the rank of Prince of Cheng, which was the title he had held before ascending the throne, and was placed under house arrest in Xiyuan (西苑). Jingtai died a month later with some sources hinting that he was murdered by eunuchs on the order of the Tianshun emperor.
After Jingtai's death, the Tianshun Emperor denied his brother's rightful honor to be buried at the Ming Dynasty Tombs
Ming Dynasty Tombs
The Ming Dynasty Tombs are located some 51.35 kilometers due north of central Beijing, within the suburban Changping District of Beijing municipality...
(together with his predecessors) located north of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He was instead buried well away from that locale in the hills west of Beijing and was buried as a prince rather than an emperor. His posthumous name was also shortened to five characters, instead of the normal seventeen, to reflect his demoted status.
Consorts
- Empress Xiao Yuan Jing (孝淵景皇后), family nameChinese surnameChinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
Wang (汪) (died 1505), married the Jingtai Emperor in 1449 when he was still Prince of Cheng, deposed in 1452, mother of Princess Gu'an and another daughter - Empress Su Xiao (肅孝皇后), family nameChinese surnameChinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
Hang (杭) (died 1456), was the Jingtai Emperor's concubine before he ascended the throne, created empress following the deposition of Empress Xiao Yuan in 1452, mother of Zhu Jianji - Imperial Noble Consort Tang (唐皇貴妃) (buried alive with Jingtai Emperor after his death)
- Li Xi'er (李惜兒), was a courtesanCourtesanA courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
prior to becoming the Jingtai Emperor's concubine
Son
| Number | Name | Formal Title | Born | Died | Mother | Spouse | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhu Jianji 朱見濟 |
Crown Prince Huaixian 懷獻太子 |
1 August 1448 | 21 March 1453 | Empress Su Xiao | none | none | Posthumously demoted to Heir Apparent (世子) in 1457; original title restored under the Southern Ming Dynasty Southern Ming Dynasty The Southern Ming Dynasty was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644.... |
Daughters
| Number | Title | Born | Died | Date Married | Spouse | Issue | Mother | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Gu'an 固安公主 |
19 February 1449 | 20 March 1491 | 1470 | Wang Xian 王憲 |
unknown | Empress Xiao Yuan Jing | Demoted to Gu'an Junzhu (固安郡主) on 12 March 1470; original title restored posthumously |
| 2 | unknown | none | none | none | Empress Xiao Yuan Jing | Became a nun after refusing to marry |