TheTianqi Emperor(Chinese:Thiên khải đế;pinyin:Tiānqǐ Dì;23 December 1605 – 30 September 1627), personal nameZhu Youjiao(Chinese:Chu do giáo;pinyin:Zhū Yóujiào), was the 16themperor of the Ming dynasty,reigning from 1620 to 1627.[2]He was the eldest son of theTaichang Emperorand a elder brother of theChongzhen Emperor,who succeeded him. "Tianqi",theera nameof his reign, means "heavenly opening".[3]
| Tianqi Emperor Thiên khải đế | |||||||||||||||||
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 Palace portrait on ahanging scroll,kept in theNational Palace Museum,Taipei, Taiwan | |||||||||||||||||
| Emperor of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 1 October 1620 – 30 September 1627[a] | ||||||||||||||||
| Enthronement | 1 October 1620 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Taichang Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Chongzhen Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 December 1605 Wanli 33, 14th day of the 11th month ( vạn lịch tam thập tam niên thập nhất nguyệt thập tứ nhật ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 30 September 1627(aged 21) Tianqi 7, 22nd day (yimaoday) of the 8th month ( thiên khải thất niên bát nguyệt nhị thập nhị nhật ( ất mão )) Palace of Heavenly Purity,Forbidden City,Shuntian Prefecture,North Zhili,Ming dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Deling Mausoleum,Ming tombs,Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Ming | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Taichang Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Dowager Xiaohe | ||||||||||||||||
| Tianqi Emperor | |||||||
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 Portrait in theIndianapolis Museum of Art,Indianapolis,Indiana, United States | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Thiên khải đế | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Thiên khải đế | ||||||
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Biography
editZhu Youjiao became emperor at the age of 15, following the death of his father, theTaichang Emperor,who ruled less than a month.[3]He did not pay much attention to state affairs, and was accused of failing in his filial duties to his late father by not continuing the latter's wishes. It is possible that Zhu Youjiao suffered from a learning disability or something more. He was illiterate[3]and showed no interest in his studies. However, he was an outstanding carpenter and craftsman, often spending vast amounts of time on woodworking and instructing his servants to sell his creations undercover on the market just to see how much they were worth.
Because the Tianqi Emperor was unable to read court memorials and uninterested in state affairs, the courteunuchWei Zhongxian[2]and the emperor'swet nurseMadam Keseized power and controlled the Ming imperial court, with the Tianqi Emperor as merely a puppet ruler.[3]The Tianqi Emperor apparently devoted his time to carpentry.[2]Wei Zhongxian took advantage of the situation and began appointing the people he trusted to important positions in the imperial court. Meanwhile, Madam Ke sought to retain power by removing all other women from the emperor's harem by locking away the emperor's concubines and starving them to death. It is believed that he had two private palaces; one for his female lovers and one for his male lovers.[4][failed verification]
OneConfucianmoralist group, theDonglin Movement,expressed distress at the conditions of the government.[5]In response, the imperial court, under Wei Zhongxian's control, covertly ordered the execution of a number of officials associated with the Donglin Movement. Living conditions worsened during the Tianqi Emperor's reign. The Ming dynasty also faced several popular uprisings.
The Tianqi Emperor died heirless on 30 September 1627 due to his only son having died in theWanggongchang Explosionand was succeeded by his fifth and sole surviving brother, Zhu Youjian. Zhu Youjian was enthroned as theChongzhen Emperor.
Family
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Consorts and Issue:
- Empress Xiao'aizhe,of the Zhang clan (Hiếu ai 悊 hoàng hậu trương thị;1610–1644), personal name Yan (Yên)
- Zhu Ciran, Crown Prince Huaichong (Hoài trùng hoàng thái tử chu từ nhiên;4 November 1623), first son
- Consort Hui, of the Fan clan (Tuệ phi phạm thị), later Imperial Noble Consort
- Princess Yongning (Vĩnh ninh công chủ;1622–1624), personal name Shu'e (Thục nga), first daughter
- Zhu Ciyu, Crown Prince Daohuai (Điệu hoài hoàng thái tử chu từ dục;1623–1624), second son
- Consort Rong, of the Ren clan (Dung phi nhậm thị), later Imperial Noble Consort
- Zhu Cijiong, Crown Prince Xianhuai (Hiến hoài hoàng thái tử chu từ quỳnh;31 October 1625 – 30 May 1626), third son, died during theWanggongchang Explosion
- Consort Gonghuichun, of the Duan clan (Cung huệ thuần phi đoạn thị;10 May 1607 – 3 July 1629)
- Consort Cheng, of the Li clan (Thành phi lý thị;1605 – 21 December 1637)
- Princess Huaining (Hoài ninh công chủ;1624), personal name Shumo (Thục mô), second daughter
- Consort Daoshunyu, of the Zhang clan (Điệu thuận dụ phi trương thị;22 August 1606 – 16 September 1623)
- Consort Liang, of the Wang clan (Lương phi vương thị)
- Noble Lady, of the Feng clan (Quý nhân phùng thị)
- Noble Lady, of the Hu clan (Quý nhân hồ thị;d. 1623)
Ancestry
edit| Longqing Emperor(1537–1572) | |||||||||||||||
| Wanli Emperor(1563–1620) | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Xiaoding(1545–1614) | |||||||||||||||
| Taichang Emperor(1582–1620) | |||||||||||||||
| Wang Chaocai | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Xiaojing(1565–1611) | |||||||||||||||
| Lady Ge | |||||||||||||||
| Tianqi Emperor (1605–1627) | |||||||||||||||
| Wang Yue | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Xiaohe (1582–1619) | |||||||||||||||
Portrayals in the media
editIn August and September 2009, a 42-hour television series dramatising the events during the reign of the Tianqi Emperor was shown on Chinese television – two hours per night for 21 days. It vividly showed how a hereditary monarchy can lead to the rampant abuse of power. The series ended on 17 September, just two weeks before the 60th anniversary (five 12-year cycles) of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^Dates given here are in theGregorian calendar.
- ^This posthumous name was initially conferred by the Chongzhen Emperor
- ^This posthumous name was changed by the Chongzhen Emperor
References
edit- ^《 sùng trinh trường biên 》 quyển nhị chỉ hi tông tối sơ 謚 hào vi đạt thiên thiền đạo đôn hiếu đốc hữu chương văn tương võ tĩnh mục trang cầnTriết hoàng đế,Hậu do sùng trinh đế thân tự cảiTriếtVi悊.《 thuyết văn giải tự 》: “悊, kính dã.” 《 thuyết văn giải tự 》: “Triết, tri dã. 悊, triết hoặc tòng tâm.”
- ^abc"Tianqi".Encyclopædia Britannica.2008.
- ^abcd"Zhu Yujiao – The Tianqi Emperor".Retrieved2014-03-22.
- ^"History of Homosexuality".china.org.cn.Shanghai Star. Archived fromthe originalon November 19, 2003.Retrieved26 November2016.
- ^"Donglin".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved2014-03-22.