Taichang Emperor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taichang Emperor

Birth and death:	28 August 1582–26 September 1620
Family name:	Zhu (朱)
Given name:	Changluo (常洛)
Dates of reign:	28 August 1620–26 September 1620
Dynasty:	Ming (明)
Era name:	Taichang (泰昌)
Era dates:	28 August 1620¹–21 January 1621
Temple name:	Guangzong (光宗)
Posthumous name: (short)	Emperor Zhen (貞皇帝)
Posthumous name: (full)	Emperor Chongtian Qidao Yingrui Gongchun Xianwen Jingwu Yuanren Yixiao Zhen 崇天契道英睿恭純憲文景武淵仁懿孝貞皇帝
Note: Dates before October 1582 are given in the Julian calendar, not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. Dates after October 1582 are given in the Gregorian calendar, not in the Julian calendar that remained in use in England until 1752. ——— 1. The Taichang era should have started on January 22, 1621; however, the emperor died before the start of his era. He was succeeded by his son the Tianqi Emperor, and according to the law the Tianqi era was now scheduled to start on January 22, 1621, so that the Taichang era would never exist in practice. In order to honor his father, the new emperor decided that the Wanli era would be considered ended since August 27, 1620, the last day of the 7th month in the Chinese calendar. The period from August 28, 1620 (1st day of the 8th month, which was the day on which Taichang had ascended the throne) until January 21, 1621 would become the Taichang era, enabling this era to be applied for a few months. Thus, quite an extraordinary situation resulted from this choice: the 7th month of the 48th year of the Wanli era was followed by the 8th month of the 1st year of the Taichang era (the 1st year of the Taichang era, in fact the only year of the Taichang era, lacks its first seven months), then the 12th month of the 1st year of the Taichang era was followed by the 1st month of the 1st year of the Tianqi era.

The Taichang Emperor (August 28, 1582 - September 26, 1620) was the 14th emperor of China (Ming dynasty) in 1620. Born Zhu Changluo, he was the Wanli Emperor's eldest son.

His mother was a palace girl and after Taichang's birth, the Wanli Emperor (萬曆皇帝) paid very little attention to him. Deprived of fatherly love, Taichang grew up all but forgotten and for the first 20 years of his life, Wanli would not even bestow Taichang the title of crown prince even though he was the eldest. Finally in 1601, Taichang was created crown prince but it would be almost another 20 years before he was able to rule. In 1615, there was a plot by Wanli's favourite concubine Lady Zheng (鄭貴妃) to have Taichang murdered by a wandering madman set loose in the crown's prince palace. The plot was finally discovered but Lady Zheng was spared by the Wanli Emperor and all proof of the plot was systematically erased.

After the death of Wanli in 1620, Taichang ascended the throne but his reign lasted less than 1 month (the shortest of the Ming dynasty) and it was said that he died of illness brought on by sexual exhaustion when he was presented eight beautiful serving girls by Lady Zheng.¹ Taichang's reign was so short that at the time of his death in September of 1620, the late Wanli Emperor had not yet been buried.

However, there is another story of Taichang's death. He was said to be already ill and one of the eunuchs gave him a red pill to cure him, and he died. [Source needed]