Jingtai Emperor

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Jingtai Emperor
Birth and death:	21 September 1428–14 March 1457
Family name:	Zhu (朱)
Given name:	Qiyu (祁鈺)
Dates of reign:	22 September 1449–Feb. 11, 1457
Dynasty:	Ming (明)
Era name:	Jingtai (景泰)
Era dates:	14 January 1450–14 February 1457
Temple name:	Daizong¹ (代宗)
Posthumous name: (short)	Emperor Jing² (景帝)
Posthumous name: (full)	Emperor Gongren Kangding Jing 恭仁康定景皇帝
General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. ——— 1. Was denied a temple name by his brother the restored emperor Tianshun, but in 1644 the prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming, conferred on him the temple name Daizong, which is accepted in most history books, unlike the temple name of Emperor Jianwen, also conferred by the prince of Fu, but not recorded in most history books. "Dai" (代) means "proxy", in reference to Emperor Jingtai being emperor only in the stead of his brother prisoner of the Mongols. 2. Demoted to the princely rank by his brother the restored emperor Tianshun, he received the posthumous name Li (戾 - "the Rebellious", "the Violent") when he died in 1457; however, his nephew Emperor Chenghua restored his imperial title in 1476 and changed his posthumous name into Emperor Gongren Kangding Jing.

Zhu Qiyu (September 21, 1428 – March 14, 1457) was Emperor of China of the Ming Dynasty from 1449 to 1457 as the Jingtai Emperor.

[edit] Biography

He ascended the throne in 1449 after his older brother (the Zhengtong Emperor) tried but failed to lead an army to fight against the Oirat Mongols of Esen Khan and was captured and held captive for a year.

His brother was eventually released in 1450 after the Mongols learned that the Ming government had already installed Jingtai as the new emperor. After that, Jingtai continued to rule on as emperor while his brother was granted a technical title of "grand-emperor" and lived in obscurity.

During Jingtai's reign, aided by a prominent minister Yu Qian, he paid particular attention to matters affecting his country. He repaired the Grand Canal as well as the system of dykes along the Yellow River. As a result of his administration, the economy prospered and the dynasty was further strengthened.

He reigned for 8 years but on the eve of his death in 1457, he refused to name an heir, particularly because his own son died mysteriously -- perhaps poisoned. The discarded Zhengtong saw an opportunity to regain the throne and declared himself the successor. Zhengtong, now emperor again, renamed his era name as Tianshun. Jingtai died a month later. Rumour has it that Jingtai was murdered by eunuchs on the order of the Tianshun emperor.

After Jingtai's death, the Emperor Tianshun denied Jingtai's rightful honour to be buried in the 13 Ming tombs (along with the rest of his predecessors) located north of Beijing. He was instead buried away from that locale west of Beijing and was buried as a prince rather than an emperor. His posthumous name was also shortened to five characters instead of the normal seventeen to reflect his demoted status.