Chongzhen Emperor (pinyin: Chóngzhēn; WG: Ch'ung-chen) (February 6, 1611 - April 25, 1644) was the 16th and last emperor of Ming dynasty in China between 1627 and 1644. Born Zhu Youjian, he was emperor Taichang's son.

Early reign

Chongzhen grew up in a relatively quiet environment because as the younger son of the Taichang emperor, he was not a part of the power struggle his elder brother Tianqi had endured. He succeeded his brother to the throne at the age of 17 and eliminated the eunuch Wei Zhongxian(魏忠賢) and Madam Ke(客氏). Unlike his brother, Tianqi(天啟皇帝), Chongzhen tried to rule by himself and did his best to salvage the dynasty. However, years of internal corruptions and an empty treasury made it almost impossible to appoint capable ministers to fill important government posts. And when he did have able ministers, Chongzhen tended to be suspicious of them and imposed harsh penalties if he suspected them of disloyalty. In 1630 Chongzhen even executed Yuan Chonghuan(袁崇煥), a capable marshal who had been very successful at keeping the Manchus(滿族) in the northeastern frontier at bay. This injustice caused a public uproar and created an atmosphere of distrust and fear of reprisal amongst his ministers. It also sealed the fate of the Ming dynasty, as there were no other capable generals to fend off the Manchus.

The fall of the Ming Dynasty

In the 1630s and '40s the Ming dynasty was fading quickly and its Mandate of Heaven had all but expired. Constant popular uprisings broke out throughout the country. Intensified attacks from the Manchus further aggravated the situation. In April 1644, the popular army led by rebel Li Zicheng finally broke through the Ming defenses and occupied Beijing. Meanwhile, General Wu Sangui threw open the gates of the Shanhai Pass and invited the Manchus into China. Chongzhen gathered the entire imperial household and ordered them (except for his sons) to commit suicide rather than surrender. Hopeless and fearful for their lives, many did as they were told, including the Empress, who hanged herself. One of his daughters, Princess Chang Ping refused to commit suicide. In a fit of rage Chongzhen had her left arm severed. Chongzhen, still wearing his imperial attire, fled to the nearby Jingshan Park(景山公園) with eunuch Wang Chengen(王承恩). It is believed that his final words there were (roughly translated) "I am not the emperor of an ill-fated kingdom, but you, my officials, remain its servants. That during my reign I have given you decency, yet on this day, wherefore remains none at my side?" (朕非亡國之君，事事乃亡國之象，祖宗櫛風沐雨之天下，一朝失去，將何面目見於地下) He then hanged himself, with the help of Wang Chengen, on the Guilty Chinese Scholartree(罪槐), putting an end to the Ming dynasty.

Legacy and personality

Chongzhen's tenure as emperor effectively ended the Ming dynasty. He has been blamed for being narrow-minded, quick to judgement, and prone to suspicion and paranoia. In spite of the fact that the Ming dynasty had been in decline for many decades prior to his reign, Chongzhen would expect quick results. If they were not to his satisfaction, he would quickly administer punitive actions. This resulted in the expulsion of the remaining handful of capable and loyal Ming ministers which ultimately hastened the downfall of the Ming dynasty.

1611 births | 1644 deaths | Ming Dynasty emperors | Chinese royalty who committed suicide

Chongzhen | Chongzhen | Kaisar Chongzhen | Chongzhen | 崇禎帝 | 明毅宗