Chongzhen Emperor (WG: Ch'ung-chen) (February 6, 1611 - April 25, 1644) was last emperor of Ming dynasty in China between 1627 and 1644. Born Zhu Youjian, he was emperor Taichang's son. Court portrait. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events June 23 - Henry Hudsons crew maroons him, his son and 7 others in a boat November 1 - At Whitehall Palace in London, William Shakespeares romantic comedy The Tempest is presented for the first time. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... A Chinese surname, also called a clan name or family name (姓, pinyin: x ng; or 氏, shi), is one of the over seven hundred family names used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups. ... Chinese given names (Chinese: 名字; pinyin: míngzì) are made up of one or two characters. ... October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... A Chinese era name (traditional Chinese: 年號, simplified Chinese: 年号, pinyin nían hào) is the era name, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperors reign and naming certain Chinese rulers (see the conventions). ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 1 - writs were issued in February 1628 by Charles I of England that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... Temple names (Traditional Chinese: 廟號 Simplified Chinese: 庙号 Pinyin: miào hào;), are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Vietnamese (such dynasties as Tran,Anterior Lê and Nguyen Dynasty) and most Korean rulers of the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... The Gregorian calendar is the calendar that is used nearly everywhere in the world. ... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and took force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644, succeeding the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and falling amidst much peasant turmoil to the Manchu Qing dynasty. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qÄ«ng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Many clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast america receded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner canada, establishing... The Shunzhi Emperor (March 15, 1638 - February 5, 1661) was the second emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper from 1644 to 1661. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing the... Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events June 23 - Henry Hudsons crew maroons him, his son and 7 others in a boat November 1 - At Whitehall Palace in London, William Shakespeares romantic comedy The Tempest is presented for the first time. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... The emperor or huangdi (皇帝 in pinyin: huang2 di4) of China was the head of government and head of state of China from the Qin dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. ... Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. ... Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... Taichang Emperor Birth and death: Aug. ...

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 and Madam Ke. Unlike his brother, Tianqi, 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 does have able ministers, Chongzhen would be suspicious of them and imposed harsh penalty if he suspects them of being disloyal. In 1630 Chongzhen even executed Yuan Chonghuan, a capable general who was very successful at keeping the Manchus in the north eastern frontier at bay. This injustice caused an uproar in the public and thus created an atmopshere of distrust and fear of reprisal amongst his ministers. It also sealed the fate of the dynasty as there would not be any more capable generals to fend off the Manchus.

The fall of the Ming Dynasty

In the 1630's and 40's the Ming dynasty was fading quickly and its mandate of heaven has all but expired. Constant popular uprisings broke out throughout the country and attacks from the Manchus intensified which further aggravated the situation. In April 1644, the popular army led by Li Zicheng finally broke through the Ming defenses and occupied Beijing. Chongzhen was forced to flee but before doing so gathered the entire imperial household and ordered all of them (except his sons) to commit suicide rather than surrender. Hopeless and fearful for their lives, many did as they were told and commited suicide, including the Empress who hanged herself. A daughter of Chongzhen, Princess Chang refused to commit suicide and in a fit of rage Chongzhen had Princess Chang's right arm deliberately severed. She later bled to death. Chongzhen, still wearing his imperial attire, fled to the nearby Jingshan Park, where it is believed that his finals words were "吾非亡国之君，汝皆亡国之臣。吾待士亦不薄，今日至此，群臣何无一人相从？"，which roughly translates as "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?" He then hanged himself on the Guilty Chinese Scholartree, putting an end to the Ming dynasty. For the book of this title, see Mandate of Heaven (book) The Mandate of Heaven (天命 Pinyin: Tiānmìng) was a Chinese concept used to support the rule of the kings of the Zhou Dynasty and later the Emperors of China. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group who originated in the dong bei or North East region consisting of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... Lǐ Zìchéng (李自成) (September 22, 1606 - 1645), born Li Hóngjī (鴻基), was a rebel in late Ming China who proclaimed himself Chuǎng Wáng (闖王), or The Roaming King. Born in Mizhi District (米脂縣), Yanan Subprefecture (延安府), Shaanxi, Li grew up as a shepherd. ... â–¶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Fung Shui hill in Jingshan Park Jingshan Park (景山公园) is a public park of Beijing, China. ... The Guilty Chinese Scholartree, a specimen of Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) located in Beijings Jingshan park, is a famous tree and national landmark on which the last Ming emperor Chongzhen hanged himself after a group of peasants (led by Li Zicheng) successfully stormed the Forbidden City. ...

Legacy and personality

Although Chongzhen's tenure as emperor effectively ended the Ming dynasty, Chongzhen has been blamed for being narrow minded, quick to judgement as well as 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, he would expect quick results and if they were not to his satisfaction he would quickly administer punitive actions and thus resulting in the expulsion of the remaining handful of capable and loyal ministers.