The Chenghua Emperor (Chinese: 成化帝; pinyin: Chénghuà Dì; 9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), personal name Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1464 to 1487. His era name "Chenghua" means "accomplished change".
Zhu Jianshen was a son of the Zhengtong Emperor (also known as the Tianshun Emperor). He was only two years old when his father was captured by the Oirat Mongols and held captive in 1449. After that, his uncle, the Jingtai Emperor, took over the throne whilst his father was released from Oirats and returned to Beijing in 1450 and was put under house arrest for almost seven years. During this time, Zhu Jianshen lived under his uncle's shadow and even had his title of crown prince removed while the Jingtai Emperor installed his own son as heir. Zhu Jianshen was only reinstated as crown prince on the eve of the death of the Jingtai Emperor in 1457.
A Song dynasty (960–1279) painting of a mother hen and chicks, with a written eulogy at the top inscribed by the Chenghua Emperor describing his fondness for this work.
Reign as emperor
The Chenghua Emperor ascended the throne at the age of 17.[2] During the early part of his administration, he carried out new government policies to reduce tax and strengthen the Ming dynasty. However these did not last and by the closing years of his reign, governmental affairs once again fell into the hands of eunuchs, notably Wang Zhi. Peasant uprisings occurred throughout the country; however, they were violently suppressed. The Chenghua Emperor's reign was also more autocratic than his predecessors' and freedom was sharply curtailed when the emperor established institutes such as the Western Depot (to complement the existing Eastern Depot), monitoring all civilians' actions and words. This institute, not unlike a spy agency, would administer punishment to those whom they suspected of treason. The Western Depot would eventually be shut down but it was the start of a dangerous trend and the Chenghua Emperor's descendants would again revive the Western Depot during the 16th century.
Consort Wan
The Chenghua Emperor spent most of his reign under the influence of Consort Wan, an imperial concubine who was seventeen years older than him.[3] Lady Wan had been a mother figure to the young emperor, rearing and protecting the young prince.[2] After he ascended the throne, she quickly became the emperor's favourite consort. She gave birth to a child in 1466, but he died shortly thereafter.[4] She would come to dominate the Emperor's harem for nearly two decades. Lady Wan would employ eunuchs to oversee the harem and report back to her if any concubines became pregnant. Tactics including the forced abortions and even murders of members of the harem resulted in the Chenghua Emperor lamenting that by the age of thirty-one he still lacked a male heir. It was only then revealed to the Emperor that a male heir, the future Hongzhi Emperor, was secretly saved and raised in a secure location outside the palace. After reuniting with the young prince, Zhu Youcheng was created crown prince. Consort Wan died in 1487, and shortly after, the Chenghua Emperor died in the same year, after 23 years on the throne. He was buried in the Maoling Mausoleum of the Ming tombs.
Legacy
This painting, by an imperial court painter in 1485, depicts the Chenghua Emperor enjoying the festivities with families in the Forbidden City during the Lantern Festival. It includes acrobatic performances, operas, magic shows and setting off firecrackers.
The Chenghua Emperor's reign can be distinguished by his early attempts to reform the government and trying his best to rule the country. His reign also saw a cultural flourishing with famous persons such as Hu Juren and Chen Baisha dominating the academic scene. However, the Chenghua Emperor's reign was prone to dominating individuals in the government and the emperor was easily influenced into granting favours based on who he liked rather than their abilities. This led to the degradation of the ruling class and wasteful spending by corrupt individuals which eventually depleted the Ming government's coffers.
^His original given name Jianjun was changed into Jianshen in 1457 when his father Emperor Yingzong of Ming restored on the throne as Tianshun Emperor.
^ abWeatherford, Jack (2010). The secret history of the Mongol queens : how the daughters of Genghis Khan rescued his empire (1st ed.). New York: Crown Publishers. p. 169. ISBN9780307407153. OCLC 354817523.
chenghua, emperor, chinese, 成化帝, pinyin, chénghuà, december, 1447, september, 1487, personal, name, jianshen, ninth, emperor, ming, dynasty, reigned, from, 1464, 1487, name, chenghua, means, accomplished, change, 成化帝palace, portrait, hanging, scroll, kept, nat. The Chenghua Emperor Chinese 成化帝 pinyin Chenghua Di 9 December 1447 9 September 1487 personal name Zhu Jianshen was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty who reigned from 1464 to 1487 His era name Chenghua means accomplished change Chenghua Emperor 成化帝Palace portrait on a hanging scroll kept in the National Palace Museum Taipei Taiwan9th Emperor of the Ming dynastyReign28 February 1464 9 September 1487Enthronement28 February 1464PredecessorEmperor Yingzong Tianshun Emperor Restoration SuccessorHongzhi EmperorCrown Prince of the Ming dynastyFirst tenure1449 1452PredecessorCrown Prince Zhu QizhenSuccessorZhu Jianji Crown Prince HuaixianSecond tenure1457 1464PredecessorZhu Jianji Crown Prince HuaixianSuccessorZhu Youji Crown Prince DaogongPrince of Yi 沂王 Tenure1452 1457BornZhu Jianru 朱見深 9 December 1447Zhengtong 12 2nd day of the 11th month 正統十二年十一月初二日 Died9 September 1487 1487 09 09 aged 39 Chenghua 23 22nd day of the 8th month 成化二十三年八月二十二日 BurialMaoling Mausoleum Ming tombs BeijingConsortsEmpress Wu m 1464 dep 1464 wbr Empress Xiaozhenchun m 1464 1487 wbr Empress Xiaomu m 1466 died 1475 wbr Empress Xiaohui before 1487 wbr IssueFirst son Zhu Youji Crown Prince Daogong Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youyuan Prince of Xing Zhu Youlun Prince Hui of Qi Zhu Youbin Prince Duan of Yi Zhu Youhui Prince Gong of Heng Zhu Youyun Prince Jing of Yong Zhu Youzhi Prince Ding of Shou Tenth son Zhu Youpeng Prince An of Ru Zhu Youshu Prince Zhuang of Rong Zhu Youkai Prince Yi of Shen Princess Renhe Princess Yongkang Princess Deqing Fourth daughter Princess Changtai Princess XianyouNamesZhu Jianshen 1 朱見深 Era name and datesChenghua 成化 27 January 1465 13 January 1488Posthumous nameEmperor Jitian Ningdao Chengming Renjing Chongwen Suwu Hongde Shengxiao Chun 繼天凝道誠明仁敬崇文肅武宏德聖孝純皇帝 Temple nameXianzong 憲宗 HouseHouse of ZhuDynastyMing dynastyFatherEmperor YingzongMotherEmpress Xiaosu Contents 1 Childhood 2 Reign as emperor 3 Consort Wan 4 Legacy 5 Family 6 Ancestry 7 See also 8 ReferencesChildhood EditZhu Jianshen was a son of the Zhengtong Emperor also known as the Tianshun Emperor He was only two years old when his father was captured by the Oirat Mongols and held captive in 1449 After that his uncle the Jingtai Emperor took over the throne whilst his father was released from Oirats and returned to Beijing in 1450 and was put under house arrest for almost seven years During this time Zhu Jianshen lived under his uncle s shadow and even had his title of crown prince removed while the Jingtai Emperor installed his own son as heir Zhu Jianshen was only reinstated as crown prince on the eve of the death of the Jingtai Emperor in 1457 A Song dynasty 960 1279 painting of a mother hen and chicks with a written eulogy at the top inscribed by the Chenghua Emperor describing his fondness for this work Reign as emperor EditThe Chenghua Emperor ascended the throne at the age of 17 2 During the early part of his administration he carried out new government policies to reduce tax and strengthen the Ming dynasty However these did not last and by the closing years of his reign governmental affairs once again fell into the hands of eunuchs notably Wang Zhi Peasant uprisings occurred throughout the country however they were violently suppressed The Chenghua Emperor s reign was also more autocratic than his predecessors and freedom was sharply curtailed when the emperor established institutes such as the Western Depot to complement the existing Eastern Depot monitoring all civilians actions and words This institute not unlike a spy agency would administer punishment to those whom they suspected of treason The Western Depot would eventually be shut down but it was the start of a dangerous trend and the Chenghua Emperor s descendants would again revive the Western Depot during the 16th century Consort Wan EditThe Chenghua Emperor spent most of his reign under the influence of Consort Wan an imperial concubine who was seventeen years older than him 3 Lady Wan had been a mother figure to the young emperor rearing and protecting the young prince 2 After he ascended the throne she quickly became the emperor s favourite consort She gave birth to a child in 1466 but he died shortly thereafter 4 She would come to dominate the Emperor s harem for nearly two decades Lady Wan would employ eunuchs to oversee the harem and report back to her if any concubines became pregnant Tactics including the forced abortions and even murders of members of the harem resulted in the Chenghua Emperor lamenting that by the age of thirty one he still lacked a male heir It was only then revealed to the Emperor that a male heir the future Hongzhi Emperor was secretly saved and raised in a secure location outside the palace After reuniting with the young prince Zhu Youcheng was created crown prince Consort Wan died in 1487 and shortly after the Chenghua Emperor died in the same year after 23 years on the throne He was buried in the Maoling Mausoleum of the Ming tombs Legacy Edit This painting by an imperial court painter in 1485 depicts the Chenghua Emperor enjoying the festivities with families in the Forbidden City during the Lantern Festival It includes acrobatic performances operas magic shows and setting off firecrackers The Chenghua Emperor s reign can be distinguished by his early attempts to reform the government and trying his best to rule the country His reign also saw a cultural flourishing with famous persons such as Hu Juren and Chen Baisha dominating the academic scene However the Chenghua Emperor s reign was prone to dominating individuals in the government and the emperor was easily influenced into granting favours based on who he liked rather than their abilities This led to the degradation of the ruling class and wasteful spending by corrupt individuals which eventually depleted the Ming government s coffers Family EditConsorts and Issue Deposed Empress of the Wu clan 廢后 吳氏 d 1509 Empress Xiaozhenchun of the Wang clan 孝貞純皇后 王氏 d 1518 Empress Xiaomu of the Ji clan 孝穆皇后 紀氏 1451 July 1475 personal name Tangmei 唐妹 Zhu Youcheng the Hongzhi Emperor 弘治帝 朱佑樘 30 July 1470 9 June 1505 third son Empress Xiaohui of the Shao clan 孝惠皇后 邵氏 d 1522 Zhu Youyuan Emperor Ruizong 睿宗 朱佑杬 22 July 1476 13 July 1519 fourth son father of the Jiajing Emperor Zhu Youlun Prince Hui of Qi 岐惠王 朱佑棆 12 November 1478 2 December 1501 fifth son Zhu Youyun Prince Jing of Yong 雍靖王 朱佑枟 29 June 1481 17 January 1507 eighth son Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu of the Wan clan 恭肅皇貴妃 萬氏 1428 1487 personal name Zhen er 貞兒 First son 14 February 1466 November 1466 Consort Duanshunxian of the Bo clan 端順賢妃 柏氏 d 1527 Zhu Youji Crown Prince Daogong 悼恭皇太子 朱佑極 7 June 1469 5 March 1472 second son Consort Zhuangjingshun of the Wang clan 莊靖順妃 王氏 22 April 1448 9 January 1495 Princess Renhe 仁和公主 1476 1544 first daughter Married Qi Shimei 齊世美 d 1503 in 1489 and had issue five sons Consort Gonghuihe of the Liang clan 恭惠和妃 梁氏 d 1533 Consort Duanrongzhao of the Wang clan 端榮昭妃 王氏 Consort Jingshunhui of the Guo clan 靖順惠妃 郭氏 d 1491 Princess Yongkang 永康公主 1478 1547 second daughter Married Cui Yuan 崔元 in 1493 and had issue two sons two daughters Consort Zhuangyide of the Zhang clan 莊懿德妃 張氏 d 1497 Zhu Youbin Prince Duan of Yi 益端王 朱佑檳 26 January 1479 5 October 1539 sixth son Zhu Youhui Prince Gong of Heng 衡恭王 朱佑楎 8 December 1479 30 August 1538 seventh son Zhu Youpeng Prince An of Ru 汝安王 朱佑梈 13 October 1484 1541 11th son Consort Duanyi an of the Yao clan 端懿安妃 姚氏 d 1491 Zhu Youzhi Prince Ding of Shou 壽定王 朱佑榰 2 December 1481 1545 ninth son Consort Ronghuigong of the Yang clan 榮惠恭妃 楊氏 Zhu Youshun Prince Jian of Jing 涇簡王 朱佑橓 31 March 1485 10 July 1537 12th son Zhu Youkai Prince Yi of Shen 申懿王 朱佑楷 3 February 1487 20 August 1503 14th son Consort Kangshunduan of the Pan clan 康順端妃 潘氏 d 1538 Zhu Youshu Prince Zhuang of Rong 榮莊王 朱佑樞 22 January 1486 16 February 1539 13th son Consort Gongyijing of the Wang clan 恭懿敬妃 王氏 1465 1510 Tenth son 19 August 1483 8 October 1483 Consort Zhaoshunli of the Zhang clan 昭順麗妃 章氏 d 1501 Princess Deqing 德清公主 17 August 1478 17 July 1549 third daughter Married Lin Yue 林岳 d 1518 in 1496 and had issue two sons Consort Hehuijing of the Yue clan 和惠靜妃 岳氏 1465 1534 Princess Xianyou 仙遊公主 d 1492 sixth daughter Consort Jingxirong of the Tang clan 靖僖榮妃 唐氏 d 1524 Unknown Fourth daughter Princess Changtai 長泰公主 d 1487 fifth daughterAncestry EditYongle Emperor 1360 1424 Hongxi Emperor 1378 1425 Empress Renxiaowen 1362 1407 Xuande Emperor 1399 1435 Zhang QiEmpress Chengxiaozhao 1379 1442 Lady TongEmperor Yingzong of Ming 1427 1464 Sun ShiyingSun Zhong 1368 1452 Lady DingEmpress Xiaogongzhang 1399 1462 Dong YangongLady DongLady QiChenghua Emperor 1447 1487 Zhou DeqingZhou FushanLady DuZhou NengLady GuoEmpress Xiaosu 1430 1504 Lady ZhenSee also EditChinese emperors family tree late References Edit His original given name Jianjun was changed into Jianshen in 1457 when his father Emperor Yingzong of Ming restored on the throne as Tianshun Emperor a b Weatherford Jack 2010 The secret history of the Mongol queens how the daughters of Genghis Khan rescued his empire 1st ed New York Crown Publishers p 169 ISBN 9780307407153 OCLC 354817523 Weatherford 2010 p 169 170 Weatherford 2010 p 170 Imperial China 900 1800 F W Mote Page 630 First Harvard University Press 2003 Chenghua EmperorHouse of ZhuBorn 9 December 1447 Died 9 September 1487Chinese royaltyVacantTitle last held byCrown Prince Zhu Qizhen Crown Prince of the Ming dynasty First time 1449 1452 Succeeded byZhu Jianji Crown Prince HuaixianNew title Prince of Yi1452 1457 Became the Crown PrinceVacantTitle last held byZhu Jianji Crown Prince Huaixian Crown Prince of the Ming dynasty Second time 1457 1464 VacantTitle next held byZhu Youji Crown Prince DaogongRegnal titlesPreceded byEmperor Yingzong of Ming Tianshun Emperor Emperor of the Ming dynastyEmperor of China1464 1487 Succeeded byHongzhi Emperor Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chenghua Emperor 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