Chongzhen Emperor

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Chongzhen Emperor
Birth and death:	Feb. 6, 1611–Apr. 25, 1644
Family name:	Zhu (朱)
Given name:	Youjian (由檢)
Dates of reign:	Oct. 2, 1627–Apr. 25, 1644
Era name:	Chongzhen (崇禎)
Era dates:	Feb. 5, 1628–Apr. 25, 1644
Temple name:	Sizong¹ (思宗)
Posthumous name: (short)	Emperor Zhuanglie² (莊烈帝)
Posthumous name: <center>(full)	Emperor Zhuanglie Min 莊烈愍皇帝
General note: Dates given here are in the Gregorian calendar. They are not in the Julian calendar that was in use in England until 1752. ——— 1. Temple name given in 1644 by the prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming. This is the temple name most often found in history books, despite the fact that the Southern Ming soon changed the temple name into Yizong (毅宗), and later Weizong (威宗). As for the new rulers of the Qing Dynasty, they officially conferred on the late Chongzhen Emperor the temple name Huaizong (懷宗), a rare gesture for the last emperor of an overthrown dynasty. The Qing rulers were thus trying to accommodate the hard feelings of their new subjects. 2. This final version of the posthumous name (short and full) was given by Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing in 1660.

Chongzhen Emperor (WG: Ch'ung-chen) (1611 - 1644) was last emperor of Ming dynasty in China between 1627 and 1644. Born Zhu Youjian, he was emperor Taichang's son.

In the beginning of his reign, the Ming dynasty was fading. Popular uprisings and attacks from the Manchus in northeast China were becoming constant. Unlike his brother, Tianqi, Chongzhen tried to rule by himself and do his best.

In 1644, the popular army led by Li Zicheng occupied Beijing. Chongzhen, still wearing his imperial attire, fled to the nearby Jingshan Park, where it is believed that his finals words to princess Chang were "吾非亡国之君，汝皆亡国之臣。吾待士亦不薄，今日至此，群臣何无一人相从？"，which roughly translates as "I am not the emperor of an ill-fated kingdom, but you, my officials, remain its servants. That during my reign I have given you decency, yet on this day, wherefore remains none at my side?" He then hanged himself on the Guilty Chinese Scholartree, putting an end to the Ming dynasty.

fr:Chongzhen ja:崇禎帝 zh-cn:明思宗