Hongzhi

Hongzhi

Hongzhi

Hongzhi弘治 (* July 30, 1470 ; † June 8, 1505 ), maiden name: Zhu Youtang朱 祐 樘, temple name : Xiaozong孝宗, was the ninth Chinese emperor of the Ming Dynasty . He ruled China from 1487 to 1505 .

Emperor Hongzhi had a dramatic childhood, born in 1470 when concubine Wan pursued all of the Chenghua Emperor's children with deadly jealousy. The young prince Zhu Youtang only survived because the empress hid him and his mother. It was not until the age of five that his existence was revealed to the emperor, who thereupon appointed him heir apparent. The Crown Prince was ambitious and was instructed by the best teachers. His father was very proud to speak of his high intelligence.

After Hongzhi put on the dragon robe in 1487 and succeeded his father on the throne, his rule developed into a virtuous example . His government was strictly based on the ideal of Confucianism , he was a capable and hardworking emperor. Hongzhi worked closely with his ministers and officials, cutting the tax burden, saving on government spending, and making good choices in calling his counselors. The emperor demanded complete openness and criticism of his person and office from his employees, which led to a very well-functioning government and a strengthening of Ming rule both internally and externally. Furthermore, he banished the corrupt court eunuchs , ended their influence on the state and deposed 3,000 more who had dared to buy state offices from concubine Wan. In the manufacturing industry , he continued his father's path. The luxury industry grew steadily, a trend that began under Chenghua. The population of the cities increased more and more. As a result, a rich Chinese bourgeoisie developed , which was to reach its first peak in the 16th century. The Hongzhi emperor is repeatedly compared to the emperors Hongwu and Yongle because of his successful and exemplary government , and his time is stylized as the Ming Silver Age .

Unlike his predecessors, Hongzhi lived strictly monogamous and had only one empress with whom he fathered his only children. He is considered a family man who detested intrigues of all kinds at court and strictly suppressed them. He died in 1505, leaving behind only one son, Prince Zhu Houzhao, who succeeded him as emperor.

literature

• Frederick W. Mote: Imperial China 900–1800. Harvard, Cambridge 2003, ISBN 0-674-44515-5
• Ann Paludan: Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors. Thames & Hudson, London 1998, ISBN 0-500-05090-2
• Denis Twitchett , Frederick W. Mote: The Cambridge History of China. Vol. 7. The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644. Part 1. University Press, Cambridge 1988, ISBN 0-521-24332-7

predecessor	Office	successor
Chenghua	Emperor of China 1487 - 1505	Zhengde