Jianwen Emperor
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| Jianwen Emperor | |
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| Reign | 30 June 1398 – 13 July 1402 (4 years, 13 days) |
| Predecessor | Hongwu Emperor |
| Successor | Yongle Emperor |
| Spouse | Empress Xiaominrang |
| Issue | |
| Zhu Wenkui, Crown Prince Hejian Zhu Wengui, Prince Huai of Run |
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| Full name | |
| Family name: Zhū (朱) Given name: Yŭnwén (允炆) |
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| Era name and dates | |
| Jiànwén (建文): 6 February 1399 – 29 July 1402[1] | |
| Posthumous name | |
| Emperor Gongmin Hui[2][3] 恭閔惠皇帝 |
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| Temple name | |
| None given[4] | |
| House | House of Zhu |
| Father | Zhu Biao |
| Mother | Empress Dowager Lü |
| Born | 5 December 1377 |
| Died | 13 July 1402 (aged 24)[5] |
The Jianwen Emperor (Traditional Chinese: 建文; Simplified Chinese: 建文; pinyin: Jiànwén; Wade-Giles: Chien-wen) (5 December 1377–13 July 1402), with the personal name Zhu Yunwen (朱允炆), reigned as the second Emperor of the Ming dynasty. His reign name Jianwen means "Establishment of Civil Virtue".
His father, Zhu Biao, Crown Prince Yiwen (朱標), was the son and designated heir of the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty. When Zhu Biao died in 1392 before ascending to the throne, the Hongwu Emperor made Zhu Biao's son, Zhu Yunwen, his successor, rather than Zhu Biao's younger brothers Zhu Shuang (the Prince of Qin), Zhu Gang (the Prince of Jin) or Zhu Di (the Prince of Yan).
Jianwen's reign was short (1398–1402). After he assumed the throne, Jianwen Emperor began to suppress feudal lords, including his uncle Zhu Di. Feeling threatened, Zhu Di raised an army and in 1399, began to march toward Nanjing from his northern base in Beijing under the banner of the Jingnan campaign. In 1402, Zhu Di's army finally reached Nanjing and, after a brief fight, Zhu Di usurped Jianwen Emperor's throne and was crowned as Yongle Emperor.
To avoid capture, Jianwen and his concubines were said to have died in a fire at the palace during the coup. Jianwen was advised by a group of scholars, later known as the Four Martyrs that were killed by Yongle.
Some rumors state that Jianwen escaped and became a monk who actively organized anti-Zhu Di rebellions. There was a story also to be said that Jianwen disappeared mysteriously. A year after he became emperor, Yongle sent two agents to find the whereabouts of Jianwen. Rumor has it that one of the agents discovered Jianwen and even had a chat with him. Since records of Yongle's search of Jianwen were mostly destroyed, the truthfulness of this chat has yet to be proven. The record of Jianwen's rule was systematically erased by Yongle and no temple name was given to Jianwen.
There is no known grave of the Jianwen Emperor.[6]
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[edit] Family
- Father
- Zhu Biao, Crown Prince Yiwen (10 October 1355 - 17 May 1392), eldest son and initial successor of the Hongwu Emperor
- Mother
- Lady Lü (呂氏) (1321–1414), daughter of Lü Changben (呂昌本) and Zhu Biao's second wife, honored as Empress Dowager after her son ascended the throne
[edit] Consort
| Formal Title | Maiden Name | Birth | Death | Father | Mother | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress Xiao Min Rang 孝愍讓皇后 |
Family name: Ma (馬) |
1378 | 13 July 1402 | Ma Quan 馬全 |
- | Zhu Wenkui, Crown Prince Hejian Zhu Wengui, Prince Huai of Run |
[edit] Sons
| Number | Name | Formal Title | Born | Died | Mother | Spouse | Issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhu Wenkui 朱文奎 |
Crown Prince Hejian 和簡太子 |
30 November 1396 | unknown | Empress Xiao Min Rang | - | - | Believed to have perished in the palace fire that also killed his parents |
| 2 | Zhu Wengui 朱文圭 |
Prince Huai of Run 潤懷王 |
1401 | 1457 Zhongdu |
Empress Xiao Min Rang | - | none | Survived the palace fire that was believed to have killed his parents and brother; lived in obscurity for the rest of his life |
[edit] Notes
- ^ On 30 July 1402 the Jianwen era was officially abolished by the new emperor, and the former Hongwu era was reestablished until the beginning of 1403 when the Yongle era officially started.
- ^ This posthumous name was given by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty in 1736. Previously, in 1644 the Prince of Fu had given him the posthumous name Emperor Rang (讓皇帝).
- ^ Given in 1736. The full posthumous name given by the Prince of Fu in 1644 was: Emperor Sitian Zhangdao Chengyi Yuangong Guanwen Yangwu Keren Duxiao Rang (嗣天章道誠懿淵功觀文揚武克仁篤孝讓皇帝).
- ^ Denied a temple name by the new emperor Yongle, but in 1644 the Prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming, conferred on Emperor Jianwen the temple name Huizong (惠宗). However, this temple name is not recorded in most history books, unlike the temple name of Emperor Jingtai, also conferred by the Prince of Fu, but generally accepted in history books.
- ^ Supposed to have died in the burning of the Imperial Palace. However, it is widely believed that he survived and lived underground for many more years as a Buddhist monk.
- ^ The Ming Ancestor Tomb
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Jianwen Emperor
Born: 5 December 1377 Died: 13 July 1402 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by The Hongwu Emperor |
Emperor of China 1398–1402 |
Succeeded by The Yongle Emperor |
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