Hongxi Emperor
| Hongxi Emperor | |||||||||||||||||
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| 4th Emperor of the Ming Empire | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 7 September 1424 – 29 May 1425 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Yongle Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Xuande Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 August 1378 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 29 May 1425 (aged 46) | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Xianling, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Empress Chengxiaozhao | ||||||||||||||||
| Issue |
Xuande Emperor Zhanxun, Prince Jing of Zheng Zhanyong, Prince Jing of Yue Zhanyin, Prince Xian of Qi Zhanshan, Prince Xian of Xiang Zhangang, Prince Xian of Jing Zhanyu, Prince Jing of Huai Zhankai, Prince Huai of Teng Zhanji, Prince Zhuang of Liang Zhanyan, Prince Gong of Wei Princess Jiaxing Yuantong, Princess Qingdou Princess Qinghe Princess De'an Princess Yanping Princess Deqing Princess Zhending | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | House of Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Yongle Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Renxiaowen | ||||||||||||||||
The Hongxi Emperor (洪熙 [xʊ̌ŋɕí]; 16 August 1378 – 29 May 1425), personal name Zhu Gaochi (朱高熾), was the fourth emperor of the Ming dynasty of China. He succeeded his father, the Yongle Emperor, in 1424. His era name "Hongxi" means "vastly bright".
Life
Zhu Gaochi was born on 16 August 1378 and was educated by prominent Confucian tutors. He often acted as regent in Nanjing or Beijing during his father's northern military campaigns.
He was disinterested in military matters but had prowess in archery.[1]
Already in May 1421, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, an order was issued for the suspension of Zheng He's maritime expeditions, apparently on account of their cost (although the order apparently did not affect the 6th voyage of Zheng He, staged around that time).[2] Zhu Gaochi, as soon as he was enthroned as the Hongxi Emperor in September 1424, cancelled Zheng He's maritime expeditions permanently, burned down the fleet, and abolished frontier trade of tea for horses as well as missions for gold and pearls to Yunnan and Vietnam.[3] He restored disgraced Confucian officials, such as the Yongle Emperor's minister of revenue Xia Yanji (imprisoned since 1421),[3] and reorganized the administration to give high ranks to his close advisors. Hanlin academicians became grand secretaries, and they dismantled his father's unpopular militaristic policies to restore civil government. The Hongxi Emperor improved finances by canceling requisitions for lumber, gold, and silver. Taxes were remitted so that vagrant farmers could return home, especially in the overburdened Yangtze River Delta. The Hongxi Emperor appointed a commission to investigate taxes. He overruled his secretaries by ordering that grain should be sent immediately to relieve disaster areas.
The Hongxi Emperor ordered that the capital be moved back to Nanjing from Beijing (which had been made the capital by the Yongle Emperor in 1421). However he died, probably of a heart attack, a month later in May 1425. His son had been declared heir apparent and became the Xuande Emperor at age 26. Although the Hongxi Emperor had a short reign, he is credited with reforms that made lasting improvements, and his liberal policies were continued by his son.
Personal information
- Father
- Mother
- Empress Renxiaowen (birth name: Xu Yihua)
Consorts
| Formal Title | Maiden Name | Born | Died | Father | Mother | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress Chengxiaozhao 誠孝昭皇后 | Family name: Zhang (張) | Yongcheng, Henan | 1442 | Zhang Qi 張麒 | – | Zhu Zhanji, the Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanyong, Prince Jing of Yue Zhu Zhanshan, Prince Xian of Xiang Princess Jiaxing | Was Empress Dowager during the reign of her son, the Xuande Emperor, and Grand Empress Dowager during the first reign of her grandson, the Zhengtong Emperor |
| Noble Consort Gongsu 恭肅貴妃 | Family name: Guo (郭) | – | 1425 | – | – | Zhu Zhankai, Prince Huai of Teng Zhu Zhanji, Prince Zhuang of Liang Zhu Zhanyan, Prince Gong of Wei | Was buried with the Hongxi Emperor after his death |
| Consort Zhenhuisu 貞惠淑妃 | Family name: Wang (王) | – | 1425 | – | – | – | Was buried with the Hongxi Emperor after his death |
| Consort Hui'anli 惠安麗妃 | Family name: Wang (王) | – | 1425 | – | – | – | Was buried with the Hongxi Emperor after his death |
| Consort Gongxishun 恭僖順妃 | Family name: Tan (譚) | – | 1425 | – | – | – | Was buried with the Hongxi Emperor after his death |
| Consort Gongjingchong 恭靖充妃 | Family name: Huang (黃) | – | 1425 | – | – | – | Was buried with the Hongxi Emperor after his death |
| Consort Zhenjingjing 貞靜敬妃 | Family name: Zhang (張) | – | – | Zhang Fu, Duke of Ying 英國公張輔 | – | – | Her father's younger sister was Noble Consort Zhaoyi, one of the Yongle Emperor's concubines |
| Consort Daoxili 悼僖麗妃 | Family name: Li (李) | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Consort Zhenjingshun 貞靜順妃 | Family name: Zhang (張) | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Consort Xian 賢妃 | Family name: Li (李) | – | – | – | – | Zhu Zhanxun, Prince Jing of Zheng Zhu Zhanyin, Prince Xian of Qi Zhu Zhanyu, Prince Jing of Huai Princess Zhending | |
| Consort Shun 順妃 | Family name: Zhang (張) | – | – | – | – | Zhu Zhangang, Prince Xian of Jing | |
| Consort Hui 惠妃 | Family name: Zhao (趙) | – | – | – | – | Zhu Yuantong, Princess Qingdou |
Sons
| Number | Name | Formal Title | Born | Died | Mother | Spouse | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhu Zhanji 朱瞻基 | The Xuande Emperor | 16 March 1399 Beijing | 31 January 1435 | Empress Chengxiaozhao | Hu Shanxiang, Empress Gongrangzhang Lady Sun, Empress Xiaogongzhang fourteen concubines | Zhu Qizhen, the Zhengtong Emperor Zhu Qiyu, the Jingtai Emperor Princess Shunde Princess Yongqing Princess Changde | |
| 2 | Zhu Zhanxun 朱瞻埈 | Prince Jing of Zheng 鄭靖王 | 27 March 1404 | 8 June 1466 | Consort Xian | – | Zhu Qiying, Prince Jian of Zheng | Was created Prince of Zheng on 1 November 1424 |
| 3 | Zhu Zhanyong 朱瞻墉 | Prince Jing of Yue 越靖王 | 9 February 1405 | 5 August 1439 | Empress Chengxiaozhao | Lady Wu (daughter of Wu Sheng (吳昇)) | none | Was created Prince of Yue 1 November 1424 |
| 4 | Zhu Zhanyin 朱瞻垠 | Prince Xian of Qi 蘄獻王 | 1406 | 7 November 1421 | Consort Xian | none | none | Was posthumously created Prince of Qi on 10 October 1422 |
| 5 | Zhu Zhanshan 朱瞻墡 | Prince Xian of Xiang 襄憲王 | 4 April 1406 | 18 February 1478 | Empress Chengxiaozhao | – | Zhu Qiyong, Prince Ding of Xiang | Was created Prince of Xiang in 1424 |
| 6 | Zhu Zhangang 朱瞻堈 | Prince Xian of Jing 荊憲王 | – | 1453 | Consort Shun | – | Zhu Qihao, Prince Jing of Jing Zhu Qijian, Prince Huijing of Duchang | Was created Prince of Jing in 1424 |
| 7 | Zhu Zhanyu 朱瞻墺 | Prince Jing of Huai 淮靖王 | 28 January 1409 | 30 November 1446 | Consort Xian | Lady Xiao (daughter of Nancheng military commander Xiao Zhong (南城兵馬指揮肖忠)) | Zhu Qiquan, Prince Kang of Huai Zhu Qibin, Prince Xi of Poyang Zhu Qiyue, Prince Gonghe of Yongfeng three daughters | Was created Prince of Huai on 1 November 1424 |
| 8 | Zhu Zhankai 朱瞻塏 | Prince Huai of Teng 滕懷王 | November 1409 | 26 August 1425 | Noble Consort Gongsu | none | none | Was created Prince of Teng on 1 November 1424 |
| 9 | Zhu Zhanji 朱瞻垍 | Prince Zhuang of Liang 梁莊王 | 7 July 1411 | 3 February 1441 | Noble Consort Gongsu | Lady Ji (daughter of Ji Zhan (紀詹)) Consort Wei, concubine (daughter of Wei Heng (魏亨)) | none | Was created Prince of Liang 1 November 1424 |
| 10 | Zhu Zhanyan 朱瞻埏 | Prince Gong of Wei 衛恭王 | 9 January 1417 | 3 January 1439 | Noble Consort Gongsu | – | – | Was created Prince of Wei in 1424 |
Daughters
| Number | Title | Name | Born | Died | Date Married | Spouse | Issue | Mother | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princess Jiaxing 嘉興公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | 1409 | 9 March 1439 | 1428 | Jing Yuan 井源 | Empress Chengxiaozhao | Created Princess Jiaxing in 1425; Her husband died in 1449 during the Tumu Crisis. | |
| 2 | Princess Qingdou 慶都公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) Given name: Yuantong (圓通) | 9 October 1409 | 12 June 1440 | 8 December 1428 | Jiao Jing 焦敬 | Consort Hui | Created Princess Qingdou on 24 April 1425 | |
| 3 | Princess Qinghe 清河公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | 1433 | 1429 | Li Ming 李銘 | ||||
| 4 | Princess De'an 德安公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | Died at the age of eight months | ||||||
| 5 | Princess Yanping 延平公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | Died unmarried | ||||||
| 6 | Princess Deqing 德慶公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | Died unmarried | ||||||
| 7 | Princess Zhending 真定公主 | Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown) | 1450 | 1429 | Wang Yi 王誼 | Wang Ying 王瑛 | Consort Xian |
Notes
- ↑ Frederick W. Mote; Denis Twitchett (26 February 1988). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. Cambridge University Press. pp. 277–. ISBN 978-0-521-24332-2.
- ↑ Dreyer 2006, p. 90.
- 1 2 Dreyer 2006, p. 137.
References
- Dreyer, Edward L. (2006), Zheng He: China and the oceans in the early Ming dynasty, 1405–1433, The library of world biography, Pearson Longman, ISBN 0-321-08443-8
| Hongxi Emperor Born: August 16 1378 Died: May 29 1425 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Yongle Emperor |
Emperor of China 1424–1425 |
Succeeded by The Xuande Emperor |
 |
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