| Hongzhi Emperor | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Reign | 22 September 1487 – 8 June 1505 (17 years, 259 days) |
| Predecessor | Chenghua Emperor |
| Successor | Zhengde Emperor |
| Spouse | Empress Xiao Cheng Jing |
| Issue | |
| Zhu Houzhao, Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houwei, Prince Dao of Wei Zhu Xiurong, Princess Taikang |
|
| Full name | |
| Family name: Zhu (朱) Given name: Youcheng (祐樘) |
|
| Era name and dates | |
| Hongzhi (弘治): 14 January 1488 – 23 January 1506 | |
| Posthumous name | |
| Emperor Datian Mingdao Chuncheng Zhongzheng Shengwen Shenwu Zhiren Dade Jing 達天明道純誠中正聖文神武至仁大德敬皇帝 |
|
| Temple name | |
| Ming Xiaozong 明孝宗 |
|
| House | Ming Dynasty |
| Father | Chenghua Emperor |
| Mother | Empress Xiao Mu |
| Born | 30 July 1470 |
| Died | 8 June 1505 (aged 34) |
| Burial | Tailing, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Beijing |
The Hongzhi Emperor (弘治 IPA: [xʊ̌ŋtʂɨ̂]) (30 July 1470 – 8 June 1505) was emperor of the Ming dynasty in China between 1487 and 1505. Born Zhu Youcheng (often mispronounced as "Zhu Youtang" since 樘 has two pronunciations, and according to records it is pronounced as "cheng", meaning "foundation"), he was the son of the Chenghua Emperor and his reign as emperor of China is called the Hongzhi Silver Age. His era name means "Great government". He was a wise and peace-loving ruler. Hongzhi also had only one empress and no concubines, and holds the distinction of being the sole perpetually-monogamous emperor in Chinese history.
Contents |
Hongzhi was born in an era where Lady Wan and her associates were on the lookout to eliminate any child born to the emperor Chenghua. It was through a stroke of luck that young Hongzhi was hidden away by the former empress of Chenghua that Hongzhi escaped the fate of death. Hongzhi was only then reunited with his father at the age of 5, in 1475 and was created crown prince. Hongzhi had been a brilliant child early on and he received the best education offered at that time. Hongzhi was immersed in Confucian schooling and he excelled in his studies.
After Hongzhi ascended the throne in 1487, his administration was modelled after Confucian ideology and he became a hardworking and diligent emperor. He closely supervised all affairs of state, lowered taxes, reduced government spending and made wise decisions when employing ministers to government post. Individuals such as Liu Jian, Xie Qian and Wang Shu worked hand in hand with Hongzhi thus creating a seldom-witnessed atmosphere of cooperation within the government. In addition, Emperor Hongzhi also encouraged his ministers to be up front about all issues, even acknowledging criticisms directed towards the Emperor himself. This created a more transparent government and introduced fresh energy into the Ming dynasty. As a result the populace once again prospered under his rule. It was said that individual eunuchs' power was curtailed and palace intrigues, prevalent in previous reigns, was absent during his reign. Hongzhi has been compared to his predecessors Emperor Hongwu and Emperor Yongle as one of the most brilliant emperors of the Ming dynasty.
In the spring of 1488, the shipwrecked Korean crew of the Jeju-do official Choe Bu (1454–1454) were traveling up the Grand Canal of China while escorted by the Ming courier service en route back to Korea. Choe observed ferry ships passing by holding officials who were from the Ministries of War, Punishment, and Personnel.[1] When he asked what was going on, it was explained to him that the new Emperor Hongzhi was ridding his government of corrupt and incompetent officials, and this was a final gesture of good will by the emperor by providing them with a comfortable passage back home by ship.[1]
Unlike almost all of his predecessors who took up many concubines which bore many children to the Emperor, Hongzhi had only one Empress during his lifetime. Coupled with the fact that the Empress Zhang had only 2 sons (one of which died in infancy), Hongzhi was left with only one nominee to succeed him. After Emperor Hongzhi died in 1505 he was succeeded by his son, the Zhengde Emperor. Unfortunately, Zhengde died childless in 1521 and the throne had to be passed to a cousin from Hubei, effectively ending Hongzhi's own line of succession.
| Formal Title | Maiden Name | Born | Died | Father | Mother | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress Xiao Cheng Jing 孝成敬皇后 |
Family name: Zhang (張) | Xingji, Hebei Province | 1541 | Zhang Luan 張巒 |
Lady Jin 金氏 |
Zhu Houzhao, Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houwei, Prince Dao of Wei Zhu Xiurong, Princess Taikang |
Married then-Crown Prince Youcheng as his wife and crown princess in 1487; was created empress when he succeeded to the throne later that year; remains the only empress to an adult emperor who had no concubines in Chinese history |
| Number | Name | Formal Title | Born | Died | Spouse | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhu Houzhao 朱厚照 |
The Zhengde Emperor | 26 October 1491 | 20 April 1521 | Lady Xia, Empress Xiao Jing Yi six concubines |
none | Created Crown Prince in 1493; succeeded his father at the age of fourteen |
| 2 | Zhu Houwei 朱厚煒 |
Prince Dao of Wei 蔚悼王 |
1 January 1495 | 9 March 1496 | none | none |
| Number | Title | Name | Born | Died | Date Married | Spouse | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Taikang 太康公主 |
Family name: Zhu (朱) Given name: Xiurong (秀榮) |
15 February 1497 | 1 October 1498 | none | none | none |
| Ancestors of the Hongzhi Emperor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Hongzhi Emperor
Born: 30 July 1470 Died: 8 June 1505 |
||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Chenghua Emperor |
Emperor of China 1487–1505 |
Succeeded by The Zhengde Emperor |
|
|||||||||||