Jiajing Emperor
| Jiajing Emperor | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Xing | |
 Portrait on a hanging scroll in Taiwan | |
| Emperor of the Ming dynasty | |
| Reign | 27 May 1521 — 23 January 1567 |
| Enthronement | 27 May 1521 |
| Predecessor | Zhengde Emperor |
| Successor | Longqing Emperor |
| Prince of Xing | |
| Reign | 15 April — 27 May 1521 |
| Predecessor | Zhu Youyuan, Prince Xian of Xing |
| Successor | Abolished; Absorbed into the crown |
| Consort(s) |
|
The Jiajing Emperor (Personal name: Zho Houcong; Temple name: Emperor Shizong of Ming; Art name: Yaozhai,[1][a] Leixuan,[1][b] and Tianchi Diaosou[1][c]; 16 September 1507 — 23 January 1567) was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty from 1521 until his death in 1567. His predecessor was his cousin the Zhengde Emperor.
The Jiajing Emperor was born as a cousin of the reigning Zhengde Emperor, making his accession to the throne unexpected. However, after the Zhengde Emperor died without an heir, the government, led by Senior Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe and Empress Dowager Zhang, selected him as the new ruler. A dispute over the legal legitimacy of his accession, known as the Great Rites Controversy, arose between the emperor and the officials. After three years, the emperor prevailed, and his main opponents were either banished or executed.
Like the Zhengde Emperor, the Jiajing Emperor chose to reside outside the Forbidden City in Beijing. In 1542, he moved to the West Park, located west of the Forbidden City. He constructed a complex of Taoist temples and palaces inspired by the Taoist belief of the Land of Immortals. There, he surrounded himself with loyal eunuchs, Taoist monks, and trusted advisers, including grand secretaries and ministers of rites. His main advisers were Zhang Fujing, Xia Yan, Yan Song, and Xu Jie.
At the beginning of his reign, the borders were relatively peaceful, though Mongols under Altan Khan began pushing for the restoration of free trade in the 1540s. The emperor refused and attempted to close the borders by strengthening the Great Wall of China, prompting Altan Khan to raid Beijing's outskirts in 1550. The conflict continued until the reign of Jiajing's successor, Longqing, who allowed trade to resume.
The Wokou pirates also posed a threat in the southeastern provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong throughout the 1540s. The Ming government attempted to address this by implementing stricter laws against private overseas trade in the 1520s, but piracy peaked in the 1550s. The issue began to diminish in the 1560s after the Longqing Emperor relaxed maritime trade laws.
In 1556, northern China experienced the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest in history, killing over 800,000 people. Despite this, the economy thrived, with growth in agriculture, industry, and trade. The traditional Confucian philosophy of Zhuism gave way to more individualistic ideas championed by Wang Yangming.
In his later years, the emperor's obsession with immortality led to questionable actions, including his interest in alchemy and young girls. He sent Taoist priests across the land to collect minerals for life-extending potions, which contained harmful substances like arsenic, lead, and mercury, likely shortening his life.
Childhood
[change | change source]
Zhu Houcong, the future Jiajing Emperor, was born on 16 September 1507 as the eldest son of Zhu Youyuan, Prince of Xing, and Lady Shao, a concubine of the Chenghua Emperor. Zhu Youyuan, the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor, was known for his poetry and calligraphy. Zhu Houcong’s mother, Jiang, was the daughter of Jiang Xiao, an officer in Beijing’s garrison. Zhu Houcong's parents lived in Anlu (now Zhongxiang) in Huguang, central China, where he was born.[2][3]
Zhu Houcong received a Confucian education, with his father as his primary tutor. After his father's death in 1519, Zhu Houcong, assisted by Yuan Zonggao, took responsibility for managing the household.[4] Following the customary mourning period, he officially became the Prince of Xing in March 1521.[5]
Reign
[change | change source]Beginning of Reign
[change | change source]Simplification
[change | change source]- The Jiajing Emperor (1507–1567) was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty, ruling from 1521 to 1567. His reign was marked by political controversy and reforms.
Ascension to the Throne
[change | change source]The Zhengde Emperor died on 20 April 1521.[6] Zhu Houcong, a cousin of the Zhengde Emperor, was selected to become the next emperor. However, Ming succession law stated that only the sons of the empress could inherit the throne. Since Zhu Houcong's father was not the son of the empress, his succession was legally questionable. To resolve this, Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe proposed adopting Zhu Houcong as the Hongzhi Emperor’s son.[7]
Zhu Houcong rejected the adoption but accepted the throne. On 27 May 1521, he formally ascended the throne and chose the era name "Jiajing."[5][8]
| {{{4}}} |
| The proposal for the era name Shaozhi (Continuation of proper governance) by the grand secretaries was rejected by the Jiajing Emperor. It is believed that Shaozhi was a summary of the government's call for the Jiajing Emperor to take the throne and follow the policies and rituals set by the founders of the dynasty in order to ensure proper governance. This expressed a desire for continuity in rule. The era name Jiajing means "admirable and tranquility" and is derived from a passage in the Book of Documents, in which the Duke of Zhou admonishes the young King Cheng and praises King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty for his admirable and tranquil leadership. Wu Ding was commended for restoring the fallen prestige of the Shang dynasty not through force, but through the radiance of his virtue. Therefore, the era name Jiajing can be seen as a criticism of the state of the country and the Zhengde regime, as well as a declaration of a policy of change and restoration.[9]
In the mentioned reprimand, King Wen, the father of the founder of the Zhou dynasty, King Wu, is also contrasted with the unworthy last Shang king, Zhou. The Jiajing Emperor saw a parallel between King Wen, Zhou and Wu, and his noble father, unworthy Zhengde Emperor, and himself. Therefore, he judged that he did not owe the throne to the grand secretaries, ministers, or the empress dowager, but to the virtues of his father recognized by the Heavens.[d] This was the basis of his respect for his parents and his rejection of adoption in the Great Rites Controversy.[9] |
The day after the Zhengde Emperor's death, a delegation of high-ranking dignitaries left Beijing for Anlu to inform the prince of the situation.[e] They arrived in Anlu on 2 May.[10] Zhu Houcong accepted them, familiarized himself with the edict of the empress dowager, and agreed to ascend the throne. On 7 May,[5] he set out for Beijing accompanied by forty of his own advisers and servants.[11] Yang Tinghe issued orders for him to be welcomed in Beijing as the heir to the throne, but Zhu Houcong refused to appear as the heir apparent, stating that he was invited to assume the imperial rank and was therefore the emperor, not the son of the emperor.[9] According to the grand secretaries and the government, he was the son of the Hongzhi Emperor. He forced his way into the city with imperial honors and on the same day, 27 May 1521, he ceremoniously ascended the throne.[5][8] The young emperor reportedly chose the name of his era himself, from his favorite chapter of the Book of Documents, with jia meaning "to improve, make splendid" and jing meaning "to pacify" in Chinese.[12]
Great Rites Controversy
[change | change source]The Jiajing Emperor wanted to posthumously elevate his father, but Yang Tinghe insisted on formal adoption to legitimize his rule. The emperor rejected this and instead pushed for the elevation of his parents to imperial status.[13] By 1521, the emperor succeeded in having his parents and grandmother granted imperial rank.[14] However, this sparked conflicts that led to Yang Tinghe's resignation in 1524.[15]
Autocratic Rule
[change | change source]The emperor's strong stance on his rights led him to govern autocratically, rejecting the influence of grand secretaries. This led to the rise of the Confucian scholar Wang Yangming and a shift in intellectual thought during his reign.[16]
Honoring Parents and Legitimizing Government
[change | change source]In 1530, the Jiajing Emperor published a biography of his great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Empress Ma, and the book Nüxun (Instructions for Women), attributed to her.[17] He also worked to honor his parents and ancestors, restoring ancestral temples and overseeing rituals. After his mother’s death in 1538, he made plans to bury her alongside his father near Beijing.[5]
Family
[change | change source]The Jiajing Emperor had three empresses during his reign. The first, Lady Chen, was chosen for him by his aunt, Empress Dowager Zhang. Lady Chen became empress in 1522, but in 1528, she suffered a miscarriage and died on 21 October of that year due to a dispute with the emperor.[18]
Children with Lady Chen
[change | change source]- Miscarrriage (1528)[19]
Death
[change | change source]He died in the place at West Park in 1567.[20]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wanli yehuo bian, Vol. 1.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 440.
- ↑ Goodrich & Fang (1976), p. 315.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 441.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Goodrich & Fang (1976), p. 316.
- ↑ Goodrich & Fang (1976), p. 308.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 442.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Geiss (1998), p. 443.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Geiss (1990), pp. 37–51.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dardess (2016), p. 7.
- ↑ Dardess (2016), p. 8.
- ↑ Dardess (2016), p. 1.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 444.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 445.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 448.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 449.
- ↑ Goodrich & Fang (1976), p. 317.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 461.
- ↑ History of Ming, Vol. 114.
- ↑ Geiss (1998), p. 508.
Notes
[change | change source]- ↑ simplified Chinese: 尧斋; traditional Chinese: 堯齋; pinyin: Yáozhāi
- ↑ simplified Chinese: 雷轩; traditional Chinese: 雷軒; pinyin: Léixuān
- ↑ simplified Chinese: 天池钓叟; traditional Chinese: 天池釣叟; pinyin: Tiānchí Diàosǒu
- ↑ Mencius used an analogy to justify King Wu's claim to the throne: King Wen, who was loyal to the Shang dynasty and virtuous, gained the favor of Heaven and his son was able to establish a new dynasty and restore proper governance.[9]
- ↑ The delegation was led by Xu Guangzuo, Duke of Ding (a descendant of Xu Da); Zhang Heling, Marquis of Shouning and the younger brother of the Empress Dowager Zhang; the commandant-escort Cui Yuan, husband of the Chenghua Emperor's daughter; Grand Secretary Liang Chu; Minister of Rites Mao Cheng; and three highly ranked eunuchs.[10]