Yang Tinghe
Encyclopedia
Yang Tinghe style name Jiefu, was a Grand Secretary in the Ming Dynasty
under the Zhengde
(Wuzong) and Jiajing
(Shizong) emperors. Yang was born and died in Xindu, Sichuan
province, China.
in 1478 at the age of 19.
After the death of the Zhengde Emperor in 1521, Yang became the de facto policy maker of the imperial government for 37 days. He conducted a series of reforms in these 37 days, abolished many unpopular legacies of Wuzong, including the arrest of his favorite, general Jiang Bin. Yang played an important role in choosing the young Zhu Houcong (then Prince Xing and a cousin of the late Zhengde) as the next emperor.
After Zhu Houcong was brought to Beijing from his parents' estate in the Hubei
countryside
and enthroned as the Jiajing Emperor, Yang Tinghe tried to continue his influence in the court, given the young age of the new emperor. However, the Grand Secretary disagreed with the emperor as to whom the latter should venerate as his dead father. Yang Tinghe was forced to retire after his political failure during this so-called Great rites controversy
in 1524.
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
under the Zhengde
Zhengde Emperor
The Zhengde Emperor was emperor of China between 1505-1521. Born Zhu Houzhao, he was the Hongzhi Emperor's eldest son...
(Wuzong) and Jiajing
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
(Shizong) emperors. Yang was born and died in Xindu, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province, China.
Biography
Yang Tinghe earned the Jinshi degree in the imperial examinationImperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
in 1478 at the age of 19.
After the death of the Zhengde Emperor in 1521, Yang became the de facto policy maker of the imperial government for 37 days. He conducted a series of reforms in these 37 days, abolished many unpopular legacies of Wuzong, including the arrest of his favorite, general Jiang Bin. Yang played an important role in choosing the young Zhu Houcong (then Prince Xing and a cousin of the late Zhengde) as the next emperor.
After Zhu Houcong was brought to Beijing from his parents' estate in the Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
countryside
Zhongxiang
Zhongxiang is a county-level city of Jingmen, central Hubei province, Central China. Zhongxiang means "Blessed with propitious omen", which was gifted by Emperor Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty. Zhongxiang is a well-known historical and cultural city in China....
and enthroned as the Jiajing Emperor, Yang Tinghe tried to continue his influence in the court, given the young age of the new emperor. However, the Grand Secretary disagreed with the emperor as to whom the latter should venerate as his dead father. Yang Tinghe was forced to retire after his political failure during this so-called Great rites controversy
Great rites controversy
The Great rites controversy took place in 1524 in China.The young and newly empowered Emperor Shizong tried to posthumously give his father the title of emperor in order to legitimize his claim to the throne...
in 1524.