Wanli Emperor
Ming · 14th ruler
萬曆帝 Wànlì Dì朱翊鈞 Zhū Yìjūn
Wade–Giles: Wan-li Emperor · Chu I-chün
Reigned 1572–1620 (48 years)
Reigned 48 years (1572–1620). Died at 58 (East Asian reckoning) of natural causes. 14th ruler of Ming.
Facts
- Reign
- 19 July 1572 – 18 August 1620 (14th ruler of Ming)
- Length of reign
- 48 years
- Born
- 1563
- Died
- 18 August 1620
- Age at accession
- 10
- Age at death
- 58
- Cause of death
- Natural causesNatural death or illness (including old age)
- Path to the throne
- Designated heirSucceeded the previous ruler of the same regime, who had chosen the heir (by testament, naming a crown prince, etc.)
- Predecessor
- Longqing Emperor
- Successor
- Taichang Emperor
- Era names
- 萬曆 Wànlì (proclaimed 1572)
Ages are given in East Asian reckoning (sui): a person is one year old at birth and gains a year at each New Year, so the figure is one or two years higher than the Western age.
Life
In brief
His reign falls into two parts: an earlier one in which he left the government to Zhang Juzheng, and a later one in which he shut himself away deep in the palace and almost stopped meeting his ministers. The assessment in the History of Ming agrees with those who say that the fall of the Ming really began in the reign of Shenzong (the Wanli Emperor).
Road to the throne
He was the third son of the Longqing Emperor, and his mother was Noble Consort Li. As a child, it is said, he admonished his father for galloping alone on horseback inside the palace, and the Longqing Emperor was pleased and got down from his horse. When the Longqing Emperor died in 1572 he took the throne, and the next year became the first year of Wanli.
Reign and death
For some time after his accession Zhang Juzheng ran the government. In 1577 Wu Zhongxing, Zhao Yongxian and others who had criticized Zhang Juzheng for staying in office instead of mourning his father were beaten with rods. After Zhang Juzheng died in 1582, the Wanli Emperor confiscated his household two years later and proclaimed his crimes to the realm. From 1589 he cut back his meetings with officials, and in 1612 a censor in Nanjing reported that the emperor had not met a minister even once in more than twenty years, but no answer came. His reign saw the revolt of Pubei in Ningxia, the war against the Japanese army that had invaded Korea, and the revolt of Yang Yinglong in Bozhou, and from 1596 he sent eunuchs around the country to open mines and collect taxes. In 1619 the army of Yang Hao, sent out into Liaodong, suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Later Jin. He died of illness in 1620, and his testamentary edict stopped the collection of commercial taxes and the newly established imperial silk works.
Translated from the Japanese text of this site, which is written from the official histories. Years are given in the Western calendar; months are omitted because the histories use the Chinese lunar calendar.
During the reign
Number of times each event is recorded in the official histories. How each item is counted
- Era name changes
- 1
- General amnesties
- 6
- Empresses installed
- 1
- Crown princes deposed
- 0
- Personal campaigns
- 0
- Rebellions suppressed
- 25
- Rebellions faced
- 25
- Capital relocations
- 0
Emperors of Ming
- 1stHongwu Emperor洪武帝 Hóngwǔ Dì朱元璋 Zhū Yuánzhāng1368–1398 · 30 years · Natural causes, age 711368–139830 yearsNatural causes, age 71
- 2ndJianwen Emperor建文帝 Jiànwén Dì朱允炆 Zhū Yǔnwén1398–1402 · 4 years · Disputed1398–14024 yearsDisputed
- 3rdYongle Emperor永樂帝 Yǒnglè Dì朱棣 Zhū Dì1402–1424 · 22 years · Natural causes, age 651402–142422 yearsNatural causes, age 65
- 4thHongxi Emperor洪熙帝 Hóngxī Dì朱高熾 Zhū Gāochì1424–1425 · 264 days · Natural causes, age 481424–1425264 daysNatural causes, age 48
- 5thXuande Emperor宣德帝 Xuāndé Dì朱瞻基 Zhū Zhānjī1425–1435 · 9 years · Natural causes, age 381425–14359 yearsNatural causes, age 38
- 6th, 8thEmperor Yingzong of Ming正統帝 Zhèngtǒng Dì朱祁鎮 Zhū Qízhèn1435–1449; restored 1457–1464 · 21 years · Natural causes, age 381435–1449; restored 1457–146421 yearsNatural causes, age 38
- 7thJingtai Emperor景泰帝 Jǐngtài Dì朱祁鈺 Zhū Qíyù1449–1457 · 7 years · Disputed, age 301449–14577 yearsDisputed, age 30
- 9thChenghua Emperor成化帝 Chénghuà Dì朱見深 Zhū Jiànshēn1464–1487 · 23 years · Natural causes, age 411464–148723 yearsNatural causes, age 41
- 10thHongzhi Emperor弘治帝 Hóngzhì Dì朱祐樘 Zhū Yòutáng1487–1505 · 17 years · Natural causes, age 361487–150517 yearsNatural causes, age 36
- 11thZhengde Emperor正德帝 Zhèngdé Dì朱厚照 Zhū Hòuzhào1505–1521 · 15 years · Natural causes, age 311505–152115 yearsNatural causes, age 31
- 12thJiajing Emperor嘉靖帝 Jiājìng Dì朱厚熜 Zhū Hòucōng1521–1567 · 45 years · Natural causes, age 601521–156745 yearsNatural causes, age 60
- 13thLongqing Emperor隆慶帝 Lóngqìng Dì朱載坖 Zhū Zàijì1567–1572 · 5 years · Natural causes, age 361567–15725 yearsNatural causes, age 36
- 14thWanli Emperor萬曆帝 Wànlì Dì朱翊鈞 Zhū Yìjūn1572–1620 · 48 years · Natural causes, age 581572–162048 yearsNatural causes, age 58
- 15thTaichang Emperor泰昌帝 Tàichāng Dì朱常洛 Zhū Chángluò1620 · 29 days · Disputed, age 39162029 daysDisputed, age 39
- 16thTianqi Emperor天啓帝 Tiānqǐ Dì朱由校 Zhū Yóujiào1620–1627 · 7 years · Natural causes, age 231620–16277 yearsNatural causes, age 23
- 17thChongzhen Emperor崇禎帝 Chóngzhēn Dì朱由檢 Zhū Yóujiǎn1627–1644 · 16 years · Suicide (incl. forced), age 351627–164416 yearsSuicide (incl. forced), age 35