Chenghua Emperor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chenghua Emperor成化帝 |
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| 9th Emperor of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 28 February 1464 – 9 September 1487 | ||||||||||||||||
| Enthronement | 28 February 1464 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Yingzong (Tianshun Emperor, Restoration) |
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| Successor | Hongzhi Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Crown Prince of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| First tenure | 1449–1452 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhu Jianji, Crown Prince Huaixian | ||||||||||||||||
| Second tenure | 1457–1464 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Zhu Jianji, Crown Prince Huaixian | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhu Youji, Crown Prince Daogong | ||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Yi (沂王) | |||||||||||||||||
| Tenure | 1452–1457 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | Zhu Jianru (朱見深) 9 December 1447 Zhengtong 12, 2nd day of the 11th month (正統十二年十一月初二日) |
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| Died | 9 September 1487 (aged 39) Chenghua 23, 22nd day of the 8th month (成化二十三年八月二十二日) |
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| Burial | Maoling Mausoleum, Ming tombs, Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
| Consorts |
Empress Wu
(m. 1464; dep. 1464)Empress Xiaozhenchun
(m. 1464–1487)Empress Xiaomu
(m. 1466; died 1475)Empress Xiaohui
(before 1487) |
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| House | House of Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Ming dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Emperor Yingzong | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaosu | ||||||||||||||||
The Chenghua Emperor (Chinese: 成化帝; pinyin: Chénghuà Dì), whose personal name was Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He was born on December 9, 1447, and ruled from 1464 to 1487. His time as emperor was largely influenced by powerful advisors and a special imperial companion named Consort Wan. His era name, "Chenghua", means "accomplished change."
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Zhu Jianshen was the son of the Zhengtong Emperor. When he was only two years old, in 1449, his father was captured by the Oirat Mongols. This was a very difficult time for the Ming dynasty.
After his father's capture, Zhu Jianshen's uncle, the Jingtai Emperor, took over the throne. When his father returned to Beijing in 1450, he was kept under house arrest for nearly seven years. During this period, Zhu Jianshen lived in his uncle's shadow. He even lost his title as crown prince, as the Jingtai Emperor named his own son as the next heir. Zhu Jianshen only got his crown prince title back in 1457, just before his uncle, the Jingtai Emperor, passed away.
Becoming Emperor
The Chenghua Emperor became emperor when he was 17 years old. In the early years of his rule, he tried to make many positive changes. He introduced new government policies, like reducing taxes, to make the Ming dynasty stronger.
However, these positive changes did not last. Towards the end of his reign, government matters were once again controlled by powerful officials, especially a group called eunuchs. One very influential eunuch was Wang Zhi. During this time, many peasant uprisings happened across the country. These revolts were put down with great force.
The Chenghua Emperor's rule also became more strict than previous emperors. He created special groups, like the Western Depot, which acted like a spy agency. This group watched what people did and said. They would punish anyone they suspected of working against the emperor. While the Western Depot was eventually closed, it set a dangerous example. Later emperors would bring it back in the 16th century.
Consort Wan's Influence
A big part of the Chenghua Emperor's reign was influenced by Consort Wan. She was an imperial companion who was seventeen years older than him. Lady Wan had been like a mother figure to the young prince, caring for and protecting him when he was little.
After he became emperor, she quickly became his favorite companion. She gave birth to a child in 1466, but sadly, the baby died soon after. Lady Wan became very powerful in the palace for almost two decades. She used officials to keep an eye on other imperial companions and report if any became pregnant.
The Chenghua Emperor was worried because, by the age of thirty-one, he still did not have a male heir to take over the throne. It was then revealed to him that a male heir, who would become the future Hongzhi Emperor, had been secretly saved and raised outside the palace. After reuniting with his young son, Zhu Youcheng was officially named the crown prince.
Consort Wan passed away in 1487. Shortly after her death, the Chenghua Emperor also died in the same year, after ruling for 23 years. He was buried in the Maoling Mausoleum, which is part of the Ming tombs.
Emperor Chenghua's Legacy
The Chenghua Emperor's time as ruler is remembered for his early efforts to improve the government. He genuinely tried his best to lead the country. His reign also saw a period of cultural growth, with important thinkers like Hu Juren and Chen Baisha becoming famous scholars.
However, the Chenghua Emperor was often influenced by powerful individuals in his government. He sometimes gave special favors based on who he liked, rather than on their skills. This led to problems within the ruling class and a lot of wasteful spending by corrupt officials. This eventually caused the Ming government's money to run low.
Images for kids
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A Song dynasty (960–1279) painting of a mother hen and chicks, with a written eulogy at the top inscribed by the Chenghua Emperor describing his fondness for this work.
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This painting, by an imperial court painter in 1485, shows the Chenghua Emperor enjoying the festivities with families in the Forbidden City during the Lantern Festival. It includes acrobatic performances, operas, magic shows and setting off firecrackers.
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See also
In Spanish: Chenghua para niños
- Chinese emperors family tree (late)
