Zhu Benli

Zhu Benli (simplified Chinese: 朱本𫟷; traditional Chinese: 朱本鉝; pinyin: Zhū Běnlì) or the Dingwu Emperor^[1] (定武帝) is claimed to be the last emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty. He inherited the title Prince of Han (韓王) in 1611.^[2] His identity and existence, however, are a matter of some dispute, and Zhu Youlang, the Yongli Emperor, is generally taken to be the last emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty.^[3]

Dingwu Emperor 定武帝
Reign	1646–1663
Era name and dates Dingwu (定武): 1646–1663
House	Zhu
Dynasty	Southern Ming

In 1646, Zhu Benli took the title of Dingwu Emperor and ruled in parallel with the Yongli Emperor. He got along well with the Yongli Emperor and agreed that it was better to fight the occupying Qing dynasty than to fight amongst themselves. Zhu Benli had his seat in Hubei, where he built a fortification. In 1663, Hubei was conquered by the Qing dynasty, and the fate of Zhu Benli is unknown.^[2]

Zhu Benli had relatively little influence on politics during the Southern Ming dynasty.^[4]

See also

• List of emperors of the Ming dynasty

References

1. "Zhu Benli 朱本鉝, Prince of Han 韓王, the Dingwu Emperor 定武 (www.chinaknowledge.de)". www.chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
2. "Persons in Chinese History - Zhu Benli 朱本鉝, Prince of Han 韓王, the Dingwu Emperor 定武". China Knowledge.
3. Michael Dillon, ed. (December 2016). Encyclopedia of Chinese History. Routledge. p. 645. ISBN 9781317817161.
4. "Ming period event history". China Knowledge.