Hongzhi Emperor
| Hongzhi Emperor | |||||||||||||||||
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| Emperor of the Ming Empire | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 22 September 1487 – 8 June 1505 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Chenghua Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhengde Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 July 1470 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 June 1505 (aged 34) | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Tailing, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Empress Xiaochengjing | ||||||||||||||||
| Issue |
Zhu Houzhao, Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houwei, Prince Dao of Wei Zhu Xiurong, Princess Taikang | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | House of Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Chenghua Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaomu | ||||||||||||||||
The Hongzhi Emperor (Chinese: 弘治; pinyin: Hóngzhì) (30 July 1470 – 8 June 1505) was an 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, "Hongzhi", means "great government." A peace-loving emperor, the Hongzhi Emperor also had only one empress and no concubines, granting him the distinction of being the sole perpetually monogamous emperor in Chinese history. He was emperor during the middle years of the Ming dynasty.[1]
Early years
Zhu Youcheng was born in an era where Lady Wan and her associates were on the lookout to eliminate any child born to the Chenghua Emperor. It was through a stroke of luck that the young Zhu Youcheng was hidden away by the former empress of the Chenghua Emperor that he escaped the fate of death. Zhu Youcheng was only then reunited with his father at the age of 5, in 1475 and was created crown prince. He had been a brilliant child early on and he received the best education offered at that time. He was immersed in Confucian schooling and he excelled in his studies.
Reign as emperor
After the Hongzhi Emperor 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 the Hongzhi Emperor, thus creating a seldom-witnessed atmosphere of cooperation within the government. In addition, the emperor 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. The Hongzhi Emperor has been compared to the Hongwu Emperor and Yongle Emperor 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 (1454–1504) were traveling up the Grand Canal 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, Justice, and Personnel.[2] When he asked what was going on, it was explained to him that the new Hongzhi Emperor 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.[2]
Succession crisis
Unlike almost all of his predecessors who took up many concubines which bore many children to the emperor, the Hongzhi Emperor had only one Empress during his lifetime. Coupled with the fact that Empress Zhang had only 2 sons (one of which died in infancy), the Hongzhi Emperor was left with only one nominee to succeed him. After the emperor died in 1505, he was succeeded by his son, the Zhengde Emperor. Unfortunately, the Zhengde Emperor died childless in 1521 and the throne had to be passed to a cousin from Hubei, effectively ending the Hongzhi Emperor's own line of succession.
Personal information
- Father
- Mother
- Empress Xiaomu (孝穆皇后)
Consort
| Formal Title | Maiden Name | Born | Died | Father | Mother | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress Xiaochengjing 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 |
Sons
| 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 |
Daughter
| 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 |
Ancestry
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Notes
References
- Brook, Timothy. (1998). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0
| Hongzhi Emperor Born: 30 July 1470 Died: 8 June 1505 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by The Chenghua Emperor |
Emperor of China 1487–1505 |
Succeeded by The Zhengde Emperor |
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