| Li Zicheng 李自成 | |||||||||
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| Emperor of the Shun dynasty | |||||||||
| Reign | 1644–1645 | ||||||||
| Enthronement | 8 February 1644 Xi'an 3 June 1644 Hall of Martial Valor,Shuntian Prefecture | ||||||||
| Successor | Li Zijing | ||||||||
| Emperor of China (disputed) | |||||||||
| Reign | 1644–1645 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Chongzhen Emperor (Ming dynasty) | ||||||||
| Successor | Shunzhi Emperor (Qing dynasty) | ||||||||
| Born | Li Hongji (李鴻基) 22 September 1606 Li Jiqian village,Yan'an prefecture, northeastShaanxi,Ming dynasty | ||||||||
| Died | 1645 (aged 38–39) border ofHubei,Hunan andJiangxi,Qing dynasty | ||||||||
| Spouse | Gao Guiying | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Shun | ||||||||
| Li Zicheng | |||||||||||
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| Chinese | 李自成 | ||||||||||
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| Li Hongji | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 李鴻基 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 李鸿基 | ||||||||||
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| Dashing King | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 闖王 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 闯王 | ||||||||||
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Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645[1]), bornLi Hongji, also known by his nickname, theDashing King,[2] was a Chinesepeasant rebel leader who helped overthrow theMing dynasty in April 1644 and ruled over northern China briefly as theYongchang Emperor (Chinese:永昌帝;pinyin:Yǒngchāng Dì) of the short-livedShun dynasty before his death a year later.
Li Zicheng was born in 1606 as Li Hongji to an impoverished family of farmers in Li Jiqian village,Yan'an prefecture, northeastShaanxi province. Li Zicheng had a brother who was 20 years his senior and raised Li Zicheng alongside his son and Zicheng's nephew, Li Guo. While Li Zicheng was literate, the source of his education is disputed. Over the course of his late adolescence and early adulthood, Li worked on a farm, in a wine shop, in a blacksmith's shop, and as a mailman for the state courier system.
According to folklore, in 1630, Li was put on public display in an iron collar and shackles for failing to repay loans to a usurious magistrate. The magistrate, a man by the name of Ai, struck a guard who tried to give Li shade and water. A group of sympathetic peasants freed Li from his shackles, spirited him to a nearby hill, and proclaimed him their leader. Although they were only armed with wooden sticks, Li and his band managed to ambush a group of government soldiers sent to arrest them, and obtained their first real weapons.[2]
By the late Ming dynasty era, the government had been weakened financially, and struggled to deal with the economic issues, environmental problems, and widespread disease (smallpox and possibly the plague) that afflicted peasant populations.[3] In 1639, an epidemic that would later become known as theChongzhen Great Plague hit the Yangzi region and spread across the north. Famine and drought compounded the social discontent caused by the epidemic. Environmental disaster, disease, and the failure of the Chongzhen government to protect its people led to major peasant uprisings across Northern China beginning in 1628, with the Shaanxi province as an epicenter of rebellion.[3] Li Zicheng andZhang Xianzhong, also from Shaanxi province, were two of the major leaders in the peasant rebellions during the late Ming dynasty.
In 1633, Li joined a rebel army led by Gao Yingxiang (高迎祥), nicknamed "the Dashing King.” He inherited Gao's nickname and command of the rebel army after Gao's death.[2]
Within three years, Li succeeded in rallying more than 30,000 men to his cause. They attacked and killed prominent government officials such asSun Chuanting inHenan,Shanxi, andShaanxi. As Li won more battles and gained more support, his army grew larger. Historians attribute this growth in numbers to Li's reputation as aRobin Hood-style figure who showed compassion to the poor and only attacked Ming officials.[2]
Li advocated the slogans of "dividing land equally" and "abolishing the grain taxes payment system" which won great support from the peasants. The song, "Killing cattle and sheep, preparing tasty wine and opening the city gate to welcome the Dashing King" was widely spread at the time.[citation needed]
The1642 Kaifeng flood, caused by breaches of theYellow River dikes by both sides,[4] ended the siege ofKaifeng and killed over 300,000 of its 378,000 residents.[5] After the battles of Luoyang and Kaifeng, the Ming government was unable to stop Li's rebellion, as most of its military force was involved in the battle against theManchus in the north.
In 1643, Li capturedXiangyang and proclaimed himself "King of Xinshun" (新順王).
Titling himself "Prince of the New Discipline", he established a capital at Xi'an.[6]: 118
In April 1644, Li and 300,000 troops marched on the Ming capital of Beijing.[6]: 118 They captured Beijing (the gates of which were opened from inside) and theChongzhen Emperor hanged himself.[6]: 118–119 Li proclaimed himself the emperor of theShun dynasty.[6]: 118 Li, as all contenders for the throne were required, claimed to have the Mandate of Heaven bestowed upon him. Firstly, Li wasHan Chinese and hailed from the Shaanxi province of China, which strengthened his legitimacy to the throne versus the foreign Manchus. Li also gained the support of scholar officials which was important in ruling over the people of China as a Confucian state. The name of the dynasty is translated to mean "Obedient to Heaven".[7]
Li's army was eventually defeated on 27 May 1644 at theBattle of Shanhai Pass by the combined forces of the Manchurian PrinceDorgon and the Ming generalWu Sangui who had defected to his side. The Ming and Manchu forces captured Beijing on 6 June andFulin ascended to the throne to establish theShunzhi reign with Dorgon as his regent.[7]
When Wu Sangui and Prince Dorgon took control of Beijing, Li fled to Xi'an[8] in Shaanxi. It is not known how or if Li died during his flight, and there are multiple accounts of his death which vary and some of them have been exaggerated. However, across multiple sources, the year of his death is said to have been 1645. One account states that in the summer of 1645 Li went to raid a village in search of provisions with his remaining followers and was killed by soldiers guarding the village.[8] Another theory is that Li Zicheng became a monk and died in 1674.[9]
Lin Qing, the leader of theEight Trigrams uprising of 1813 by the Tianli sect (天理教) of theWhite Lotus, proclaimed that he was the reincarnation of Li Zicheng.[10]
Although the success of theMing-Qing transition was attributed to the weakening of theMing dynasty (exacerbated by Li Zicheng's rebellion), official historiography during theQing dynasty regarded Li as an illegitimate usurper and outlaw. This view sought to discourage and demonize notions of rebellion against the Qing government, by propagating that the Manchus put an end to Li's illegitimate rule and restore peace to the empire, thus receiving theMandate of Heaven to rule China.[citation needed]
In theHistory of Ming, Li Zicheng was described as having high cheekbones, deep-set eyes and a jackal-like voice.[citation needed]
Li Yan, a semi-mythical advisor of Li Zicheng who was thought to have died in 1644, has been suspected to be a metaphor for the rise and fall of Li Zicheng’s rebellion, as historians doubt his existence in real life.[11]
Li appears as a bandit inBaifa Monü Zhuan, a wuxia novel byLiang Yusheng, where the heroine comments he is worthy of being a king.Li is featured as a character in some of the works of Hong Kongwuxia writerJin Yong (Louis Cha). Li's rebellion against theMing dynasty is featured inSword Stained with Royal Blood and his personality is analysed from the point of view ofYuan Chengzhi, the protagonist. InThe Deer and the Cauldron, set in theQing dynasty during the early reign of theKangxi Emperor, Li is revealed to have survived and fathered a daughter,A'ke, withChen Yuanyuan. Li is also briefly mentioned by name inFox Volant of the Snowy Mountain andThe Young Flying Fox.[citation needed]
Li is the main character of the historical epic novelLi Zicheng byYao Xueyin.[12]
Li also makes an appearance in the visual novelThe Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty [zh].[13]
There are many stories and folklore attributed to Li Zicheng. One such story claims that when Li Zicheng was young he killed one of his classmates and was promptly disowned by his family and shunned by his community.[3]
saying that he was the reincarnation of Li Zicheng and
"Dashing King" Born: 22 September 1606 Died: 1645 | ||
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| Preceded by | Emperor of China Shun dynasty 1643–1645 | Succeeded by |
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