Jingtai Emperor
The Jingtai Emperor (21 September 1428 – 14 March 1457), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Daizong of Ming (明代宗) and by his posthumous name as the Emperor Jing of Ming (明景帝), personal name Zhu Qiyu (朱祁鈺), was the seventh emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1449 to 1457. He succeeded his elder brother, Emperor Yingzong, who had been captured by the Mongols. "Jingtai", the era name of his reign, means "exalted view". He was overthrown in a palace coup led by Yingzong in February 1457, and died a month later.
| Jingtai Emperor 景泰帝 | |||||||||||||||||
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Posthumous illustration of the Jingtai Emperor, Qing dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Emperor of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 22 September 1449 – 24 February 1457 | ||||||||||||||||
| Enthronement | 22 September 1449 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Yingzong (Zhengtong Emperor, first reign) | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Yingzong (Tianshun Emperor, second reign) | ||||||||||||||||
| Emperor Emeritus | Emperor Yingzong (1449–1457) | ||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Cheng | |||||||||||||||||
| First tenure | 8 March 1435 – 22 September 1449 | ||||||||||||||||
| Second tenure | 24 February – 14 March 1457 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 September 1428 Xuande 3, 13th day of the 8th month (宣德三年八月十三日) | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 14 March 1457 (aged 28) Tianshun 1, 19th day of the 2nd month (天順元年二月十九日) | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Jingtai Mausoleum, Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Ming | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Xuande Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Dowager Xiaoyi | ||||||||||||||||
| Jingtai Emperor | |||||||||
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| Chinese | 景泰帝 | ||||||||
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In 1449, Emperor Yingzong, upon the suggestion of eunuch Wang Zhen, personally led the army to battle against the Mongolian army of Esen Taishi. However, in the Battle of Tumu Fortress, the Ming army was defeated and the emperor was taken captive. This event caused shock and concern throughout the government and the country. In response, the court eventually elevated the emperor's brother, Zhu Qiyu, who had taken charge of government affairs during the campaign, to the throne. The former emperor, who had formed a positive relationship with Esen, was released in 1450 but did not regain his position. He was instead placed under house arrest in the Southern Palace of the Forbidden City.
During his reign, the Jingtai Emperor, with the support of prominent minister Yu Qian, worked to restore the country's infrastructure. This included repairing the Grand Canal and the Yellow River's dam system, resulting in economic prosperity and a bolstering of the country's strength.
However, after ruling for eight years, the emperor fell ill and his death was imminent in early 1457. He had not designated an heir, as his son and crown prince had died in the fourth year of his reign under unclear circumstances, possibly due to poisoning. Taking advantage of this situation, Emperor Yingzong seized control of the government in February 1457 through a palace coup. The Jingtai Emperor died a month later.
He was one of two Ming emperors who was not buried in either the Ming tombs in Beijing or the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing.