Chongzhen

Chongzhen (simplified Chinese: 崇祯; traditional Chinese: 崇禎; pinyin: Chóngzhēn; Wade–Giles: Ch'ung-chen; lit. 'honorable and auspicious') (5 February 1628 – 25 April 1644) was the era name of the Chongzhen Emperor, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty of China. Chongzhen was also the Ming dynasty's final era name. It was used for 17 years.

In 1622 (Tianqi 2), Zhu Youjian was created the Prince of Xin (信王) by his elder brother, the Tianqi Emperor. In 1627 (Tianqi 7), his elder brother, the Tianqi Emperor, died, and Zhu Youjian ascended to the throne. The era names proposed by the cabinet are "Qiansheng" (乾聖), "Xingfu" (興福), "Xianjia" (咸嘉), and "Chongzhen" (崇貞), for Zhu Youjian circle to choose from. Zhu Youjian circled "Chongzhen" (崇貞) and changed "貞" to "禎". According to one statement, the four era names presented are "Yongchang" (永昌), "Shaoqing" (紹慶), "Xianning" (咸寧) and "Chongzhen" (崇貞). In the following year, the era name was changed to Chongzhen.

On February 1644 (Chongzhen 17, 2nd month), Li Zicheng established the Shun dynasty in Xi'an, Shaanxi, with the era name "Yongchang" (永昌). On 25 April 1644 (19th day of the 3rd month), the Shun army captured Beijing, the capital of the Ming dynasty. The Chongzhen Emperor hanged himself in Meishan, Beijing (present-day Jingshan, Beijing), and the Ming dynasty fell. After hearing the news, Zhu Yousong, Prince of Fu, ascended the throne in Nanjing, the temporary capital, on 19 June of the same year (15th day of the 5th month), as the Hongguang Emperor, and established the Southern Ming regime. He continued to use the Chongzhen era name until the end of New Year's Eve in 1644 ("the 17th year of the Chongzhen era"), and in the following year, the era name was changed to Hongguang.

Comparison table

Chongzhen	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
AD	1628	1629	1630	1631	1632	1633	1634	1635	1636	1637
Gānzhī 干支	Wùchén 戊辰	Jǐsì 己巳	Gēngwǔ 庚午	Xīnwèi 辛未	Rénshēn 壬申	Guǐyǒu 癸酉	Jiǎxū 甲戌	Yǐhài 乙亥	Bǐngzǐ 丙子	Dīngchǒu 丁丑
Chongzhen	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
AD	1638	1639	1640	1641	1642	1643	1644
Gānzhī 干支	Wùyín 戊寅	Jǐmǎo 己卯	Gēngchén 庚辰	Xīnsì 辛巳	Rénwǔ 壬午	Guǐwèi 癸未	Jiǎshēn 甲申

Other eras contemporaneous with Chongzhen

• China
  • Tiancong (天聰, 1627–1636): Later Jin — era name of Hong Taiji
  • Chongde (崇德, 1636–1643): Qing dynasty — era name of Hong Taiji
  • Shunzhi (順治, 1644–1661): Qing dynasty — era name of the Shunzhi Emperor
  • Ruiying (瑞應, 1621–1629): Ming period — era name of She Chongming (奢崇明)
  • Yongxing (永興, 1628): Ming period — era name of Zhang Weiyuan (張惟元)
  • Tianyun (天運, 1637): Ming period — era name of Zhang Puwei (張普徽)
  • Tianding (天定, 1644): Ming period — era name of Liu Shoufen (劉守分)
  • Chongxing (重興, 1644): Ming period — era name of Qin Shangxing (秦尚行)
  • Xingwu (興武, 1635–1636): Ming period — era name of Gao Yingxiang (高迎祥)
  • Yongchang (永昌, 1644–1645): Shun dynasty — era name of Li Zicheng
  • Yiwu (義武, 1643–1644): Xi dynasty — era name of Zhang Xianzhong
  • Dashun (大順, 1644–1646): Xi dynasty — era name of Zhang Xianzhong
• Vietnam
  • Vĩnh Tộ (永祚, 1619–1629): Later Lê dynasty — era name of Lê Thần Tông
  • Đức Long (德隆, 1629–1635): Later Lê dynasty — era name of Lê Thần Tông
  • Dương Hòa (陽和, 1635–1643): Later Lê dynasty — era name of Lê Thần Tông
  • Phúc Thái (福泰, 1643–1649): Later Lê dynasty — era name of Lê Chân Tông
  • Long Thái (隆泰, 1618–1625): Mạc dynasty — era name of Mạc Kính Khoan
  • Thuận Đức (順德, 1638–1677): Mạc dynasty — era name of Mạc Kính Vũ
• Japan
  • Kan'ei (寛永, 1624–1644): era name of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, Empress Meishō and Emperor Go-Kōmyō
  • Shōhō (正保, 1644–1648): era name of Emperor Go-Kōmyō

See also

• List of Chinese era names
• List of Ming dynasty era names

References

• 李崇智 (2004). 中國歷代年號考. 北京: 中華書局. ISBN 7101025129.
• 鄧洪波 (2005). 東亞歷史年表. 臺北: 國立臺灣大學東亞經典與文化研究計劃. ISBN 9789860005189. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2021-11-26.