Tianqi

Emperor of China (r. 1621-1627)

• Born: December 23, 1605
• Birthplace: Beijing, China
• Died: September 30, 1627
• Place of death: Beijing, China

Tianqi was a weak emperor, uninterested in politics on either a grand or a small scale. During his seven-year reign, he became little more than a figurehead for his eunuch, Wei Zhongxian, who actually made most of the decisions carried out in Tianqui’s name.

Early Life

Tianqi (tyan-chee), whose given name was Zhu Youjiao, came to the throne in the wake of the death of his father, Emperor Taichang (T’ai-Ch’ang, r. August to September, 1620), who died unexpectedly only one month after his ascension. The fifteen-year-old new emperor chose a reign name meaning “the opening (of a ruler’s way) by heaven.” Emperor Tianqi was the oldest son of the late emperor and Empress Wang (d. 1619). Soon after emperor Taichang’s death, however, the emperor-to-be was forced into captivity by his father’s ambitious consort Li, who had once tried unsuccessfully to persuade the late emperor to make her empress. Li wanted to be the guardian to the motherless Tianqi so as to effectively seize power. Only after the intervention of the high ministers was the new emperor released, and Li agreed to leave the principal palace.

The sudden death of his father remained an enigma throughout Tianqi’s reign. Historians named it the Red Pill Case, because the sick emperor was given red pills by his eunuch and his concubine, Zheng (c. 1568-1630), whose son was a rival to Zhu Youjiao. After two doses of the red pills, Taichang died on September 26, 1620, after suffering from a serious case of diarrhea. In the midst of shock and confusion, Tianqi succeeded his father, never having expected to rule at such a young age.

Life’s Work

The young emperor had no formal education or training in political science. In view of this deficiency, the ministers at court suggested that private tutoring be carried out in the palace. However, Tianqi was not eager to learn, and he used pretexts to cancel classes that were held only briefly. He spent most of his time in the back palace, working at his favorite hobby, carpentry. With his dexterous hands, Tianqi created wood models of the palace. Chinese opera was also a great source of pleasure to the emperor. In 1621, his ministers arranged his marriage, which they hoped would help him mature and become responsible. The marriage proved to have no effect on Tianqi, however, who continued with his usual ways. He left court business to his most trusted eunuch, Wei Zhongxian (Wei Chong-hsien, 1568-1628). Another important person in Tianqi’s life was his wet nurse, Madame Ke, with whom he was enamored. There were even rumors that the emperor had an illicit relationship with this thirty-eight-year-old woman.

Wei began his career at court by serving as a butler for Tianqi’s mother, Empress Wang. Through her, he earned the trust of the Taichang emperor and of Madam Ke, who became a conspiratorial partner with Wei after Tianqi’s ascension. Often, Wei would give out disguised imperial orders bearing Tianqi’s seal. Although he was only entitled grand eunuch, Wei had the authority of the emperor behind him, enforcing all of his decisions regarding the placement of officials and military command. Loyal ministers at court, such as the Donglin faction, declared war openly with Wei, who used the emperor’s power to overcome his enemies.

To make matters worse, in 1623, Tianqi promoted Wei to be the director of the Eastern Depot, the imperial secret service. This directorship provided Wei with a perfect opportunity to eliminate his political opponents. A blacklist of the Donglin party and its associates was made up, and one by one, Wei chopped them down. Between 1624 and 1627, Wei effectively acted as a dictator, raising taxes as he pleased and executing Donglin members with equal ease. All over the country, temples were built in Wei’s honor. Publically, he was respected and treated on a par with Confucius, the sage of China. Everywhere he went, his entourage numbered as many as that of the emperor. Wei’s downfall did not come until the emperor’s death in 1627.

Tianqi’s administration faced other political issues as well. In 1622, the Manchus, led by Nurhaci, invaded Liaodong in the northeast, and the Chinese army was unable to repel them. At the same time, in southwestern China, the aboriginal Miao people also created unrest. As if this were not enough, in the same year, another rebellion under the banner of the White Lotus Society broke out in Shandong province. This 100,000-man rebel group severed the Grand Canal and blocked all transport between the north and the south. Fortunately, the rebellion was suppressed at the end of the year. On the other hand, on the southwestern coast of China, the Dutch and the Portuguese were fighting for the rights to trade in China. Although China was not directly involved in the conflict, it had to send troops to pacify the Dutch.

The greatest damage to the Ming administration at this time, however, came from natural disasters. There were earthquakes in Beijing in 1623, 1624, and 1626 and in Nanking in 1624 and 1626. In 1620, 1621, and 1626, fires broke out in the imperial palace that called for extensive and expensive repairs. During Tianqi’s reign, the people of China were plagued by floods, droughts, and locust attacks, followed by famines and epidemic diseases. These disasters drained the nation’s economy as well as the life of the commoners. Looking for the means to survive, the starved population turned into bandits who roamed from one province to another, stealing the means of subsistence. In order to help the poor and fight the rebels, the Ming administration decided to raise taxes on land, salt, and imports. This decision placed the middle class in jeopardy, however, while the poor were still not necessarily fed. Inflation skyrocketed, and even rice became too expensive for the poor to afford.

All this was happening while Tianqi carried on with his lifelong pastime of carpentry. He punished his critics and arbitrarily promoted officials. For his wedding, he spent an extravagant sum. Afterward, when an official sought to persuade him to reduce the amount of his clothing allowance, he had the man beaten and dismissed. Others came to the poor man’s rescue, and Tianqi at last decided merely to suspend his salary for one year. All in all, Tianqi was not an effective ruler.

In the summer of 1627, Tianqi went to row in the river adorned in winter clothing. He fell into the water and was rescued. For some time afterward, however, he was sick, and the medical care he received did not help. A remedy called “the magic potion” was offered to him from the court. Tianqi liked the taste of the potion and continued to use it for a number of days, until he became edematous. On August 24, 1627, he knew his end was near. Calling his brother Zhu Youjian to his bedside, he asked him to succeed the throne. Tianqi was twenty-two.

Significance

For all his seven-year reign, Tianqui was never part of the political scene in the Ming government. Another man, the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, ruled in his place and caused one of the most infamous political scandals in Chinese history. During his short rule, Tianqi created a nearly irredeemable political regime, which his brother inherited when he assumed the imperial throne as Emperor Chongzhen. It would not be unduly harsh to say that Tianqi’s negligent rule hastened the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Chongzhen worked hard to repair the damage done by his brother’s administration, but ultimately, he could only watch as China fell into the hands of the Manchus in 1644.

Bibliography

Dardess, John W. Blood and History in China: The Donglin Faction and Its Repression, 1620-1627. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002. On the political intrigues during the Tianqi reign. Has details on the battle between the Donglin faction and the emperor’s favorite eunuch Wei Zhongxian.

Hucker, Charles O. The Censorial System of Ming China. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1966. The chapter on “Censorial Impeachments and Counsel in a Chaotic Era, 1620-1627” gives insight into the political situation during Tianqi’s reign.

Mote, Frederick W. Imperial China 900-1800. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1999. Part 4 on the Ming Dynasty gives comprehensive information on the course of failure of the Ming Dynasty.

Paludan, Ann. Chronicles of the Chinese Emperors. London: Thames and Hudson, 2001. A comprehensive chronicle on Chinese emperors beginning with Qin Shihuangdi, the first emperor of China, up to the last emperor, Puyi of the Qing. Besides biographical details for each emperor, Paludan also presents cultural and political highlights for each dynastic era. Portraits, illustrations, and maps are helpful.

Tsai, Shih-shan, Henry. The Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty. New York: State University of New York Press, 1996. Has comprehensive discussions on the havoc wreaked by the Grand Eunuch Wei Zhongxian who was responsible for the chaotic politics during Tianqi’s reign.