Wanli Emperor
Encyclopedia
The Wanli Emperor (4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620) was emperor of China
(Ming dynasty
) between 1572 and 1620. His era name
means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor
's third son. His rule of forty-eight years was the longest in the Ming dynasty and it witnessed the steady decline of the dynasty.
(張居正). Zhang Juzheng directed the path of the country and exercised his skills and power as an able administrator. At the same time, Wanli deeply respected Zhang as a mentor and a valued minister. However as Wanli's reign progressed, different factions within the government began to openly oppose Zhang's policy as well as his powerful position in government and courted Wanli to dismiss Zhang. By 1582, Wanli was a young man of 19 and was tired of the strict routine Zhang still imposed on the emperor since childhood. As such, Wanli was willing to consider dismissing Zhang but before Wanli was able to act, Zhang died in 1582. Overall during these 10 years, the Ming Dynasty's economy and military power prospered in a way not seen since the Yongle Emperor
and the "Ren Xuan Rule" from 1402 to 1435. After Zhang's death, Wanli felt that he was free of supervision and reversed many of Zhang's administrative improvements. In 1584, Wanli issued an edict and confiscated all of Zhang's personal wealth and his family members were purged.
After these three successful conflicts, Wanli stopped going to morning meetings, going into his later reign and his final 20 years on the throne.
During the latter years of Wanli's reign, he seldom attended state affairs and for years at a time would refuse to receive his ministers or read any reports sent to him. Wanli also extorted money from the government, and ultimately his own people, for his personal enjoyment. One example was the close attention he paid to the construction of his own tomb, which took decades to complete.
The Wanli Emperor then became disenchanted with the moralistic attacks and counterattacks of officials, becoming thoroughly alienated from his imperial role. Throughout the 1580s and 1590s, Wanli yearned to promote his third son (Zhu Changxun) by Lady Zheng as crown prince however many of his powerful ministers were opposed to the idea. This led to a clash between sovereign and ministers that lasted more than 15 years. In October of 1601 Emperor Wanli eventually gave in and promoted Zhu Changluo — later Emperor Taichang — as crown prince. Although the ministers seemed to have overpowered the emperor, Wanli finally resorted to vengeful tactics of blocking or ignoring the conduct of administration. For years on end he refused to see his ministers or act upon memoranda. He refused to make necessary appointments, and eventually became so obese he was unable even to stand without assistance. The whole top echelon of Ming administration became understaffed. In short, Wanli tried to forget about his imperial responsibilities while building up personal wealth.
Finally, the future threat of the Manchurians developed. The Jurchen area was eventually conquered by Nurhaci
. Nurhaci would go on to create the Later Jin Empire which would now become an immediate threat. By this time, after 20 years, the Ming Dynasty army was in steep decline. While the Jurchens were fewer in number, they were more fierce and powerful. In the grand battle of Nun Er Chu in 1619, the Ming Dynasty sent out a force of 200,000 against the Later Jin Empire of 60,000, with Nurhaci controlling 6 banners and 45,000 as the central attack while Dai Shan and Hong Taiji
each controlled 7,500 troops and one banner attacked from the sides. After 5 days of battle
, the Ming Dynasty had casualties over 100,000, with 70% of their food supply stolen.
and against Wang Yangming
, created the Donglin Movement
, a political group who believed in upright morals and tried to influence the government.
During the closing years of Wanli's reign, the Manchu began to conduct raids on the northern border of the Ming Empire. Their depredations ultimately led to the overthrow of the Ming dynasty in 1644. It was said that the fall of the Ming dynasty was not a result of the Chongzhen Emperor
's rule but instead due to Wanli's gross mismanagement.
The Wanli Emperor died in 1620 and was buried in Dingling
(定陵) located on the outskirts of Beijing
. His tomb is one of the biggest in the vicinity and one of only two that are open to the public. In 1969 fervent Red Guards stormed the Dingling museum, and dragged the remains of the Wanli Emperor and his two empresses to the front of the tomb, where they were posthumously "denounced" and burned. Many other artifacts were also destroyed.
In 1997 China's Ministry of Public Security published a book on the history of drug abuse. It stated that the Wanli emperor's remains had been examined in 1958 and found to contain morphine residues at levels which indicate that he had been a heavy and habitual user of opium.
On the other hand, Emperor Wanli's contribution to the defense of the Chosun Dynasty in Korea against the Japanese invasion has endeared him to Koreans over the centuries. In the late 1990s, Koreans still paid respect to Wanli.
In many ways, he was similar to other Chinese emperors who were initially successful, but whose subsequent poor rule caused the eventual demise of their dynasties, such as both Emperor Gaozong
and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
and the Qianlong Emperor
of the Qing Dynasty
.
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
(Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
) between 1572 and 1620. His era name
Chinese era name
A Chinese era name is the regnal year, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperor's reign and naming certain Chinese rulers . Some emperors have several era names, one after another, where each beginning of a new era resets the numbering of the year back...
means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor
Longqing Emperor
The Longqing Emperor was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty in China between 1567-1572. His era name means "Great celebration". His name at birth was Zhu Zaihou and he was born during the reign of his father Emperor Jiajing, at the Forbidden City at the Ming Dynasty capital Beijing....
's third son. His rule of forty-eight years was the longest in the Ming dynasty and it witnessed the steady decline of the dynasty.
Early reign (1572-1582)
Wanli ascended the throne at the age of 9. For the first ten years of his reign, the young emperor was aided by a notable statesman, Zhang JuzhengZhang Juzheng
Zhang Juzheng , courtesy name: Shuda , pseudonym: Taiyue , was a powerful Grand Secretary in the Ming Dynasty under the Longqing and Wanli emperors. Zhang was born in Jiangling, Hubei province, China and died in Beijing....
(張居正). Zhang Juzheng directed the path of the country and exercised his skills and power as an able administrator. At the same time, Wanli deeply respected Zhang as a mentor and a valued minister. However as Wanli's reign progressed, different factions within the government began to openly oppose Zhang's policy as well as his powerful position in government and courted Wanli to dismiss Zhang. By 1582, Wanli was a young man of 19 and was tired of the strict routine Zhang still imposed on the emperor since childhood. As such, Wanli was willing to consider dismissing Zhang but before Wanli was able to act, Zhang died in 1582. Overall during these 10 years, the Ming Dynasty's economy and military power prospered in a way not seen since the Yongle Emperor
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor , born Zhu Di , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His Chinese era name Yongle means "Perpetual Happiness".He was the Prince of Yan , possessing a heavy military base in Beiping...
and the "Ren Xuan Rule" from 1402 to 1435. After Zhang's death, Wanli felt that he was free of supervision and reversed many of Zhang's administrative improvements. In 1584, Wanli issued an edict and confiscated all of Zhang's personal wealth and his family members were purged.
Middle reign (1582-1600)
After Zhang Juzheng died, Wanli decided to take complete control of the government. During this early part of his rule he demonstrated himself a decent and diligent emperor. Overall, the economy continued to prosper and the country remained powerful. Unlike the 20 years at the end of his rule, Wanli at this time would attend every morning meeting and discuss affairs of state. The first eighteen years of Wanli's reign would be dominated by three wars that he dealt with successfully:- Defense against the Mongols. In the outer regions, one of the leaders rebelled and allied with the Mongols to attack the Ming. At this time, Wanli sent out Li ChengliangLi ChengliangLi Chengliang was a Chinese general of Korean descent in the reign of the Wanli Emperor during the Ming Dynasty who was in charge of maintaining peace and relations with the Jurchen tribes. He was from Tielin and was from a military family....
and sons to handle the situation, resulting in overall success. - Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
of Japan sent 200,000 soldiers in the first expedition to invade Korea. Wanli made three decisions. First, he sent a 3,000 man army to reinforce the Koreans. Second, if Koreans entered Ming territory, he gave them lodging. Third, he instructed the Liaodong area to prepare and be vigilant. In actual combat, the first 2 battles were defeats since Ming troops under Li RusongLi RusongLi Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
were outnumbered and ill-prepared to fight the 200,000-strong Japanese army. Wanli then sent a bigger army of 80,000 men, with more success. This resulted in negotiations that favored the Ming. Two years later, in 1596, Japan once again invaded. However, that same year, Hideyoshi died and the Japanese lost their will to fight. Combined with the leadership of the Korean admiral Yi Sun-sinYi Sun-sinYi Sun-shin was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well...
and the bogging down of Japanese forces in the Korean mainland, the Ming Dynasty defeated the demoralized Japanese army. - The Yang Yinlong rebellion. At first, Wanli was engaged in war with Japan and sent only 3,000 troops under the command of Yang Guozhu to fight the rebellion. Unfortunately, this army was completely annihilated and Yang Guozhu was killed. When war with Japan ended, Wanli turned his attention to Yang Yinlong, sending Guo Zhizhang and Li Huolong to lead the offensive. In the end, Li Huolong defeated Yang's army and brought him back to the capital.
After these three successful conflicts, Wanli stopped going to morning meetings, going into his later reign and his final 20 years on the throne.
Late reign (1600-1620)
The Wanli Emperor then became disenchanted with the moralistic attacks and counterattacks of officials, becoming thoroughly alienated from his imperial role. Throughout the 1580s and 1590s, Wanli yearned to promote his third son (Zhu Changxun) by Lady Zheng as crown prince however many of his powerful ministers were opposed to the idea. This led to a clash between sovereign and ministers that lasted more than 15 years. In October of 1601 Emperor Wanli eventually gave in and promoted Zhu Changluo — later Emperor Taichang — as crown prince. Although the ministers seemed to have overpowered the emperor, Wanli finally resorted to vengeful tactics of blocking or ignoring the conduct of administration. For years on end he refused to see his ministers or act upon memoranda. He refused to make necessary appointments, and eventually became so obese he was unable even to stand without assistance. The whole top echelon of Ming administration became understaffed. In short, Wanli tried to forget about his imperial responsibilities while building up personal wealth.
Finally, the future threat of the Manchurians developed. The Jurchen area was eventually conquered by Nurhaci
Nurhaci
Nurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China...
. Nurhaci would go on to create the Later Jin Empire which would now become an immediate threat. By this time, after 20 years, the Ming Dynasty army was in steep decline. While the Jurchens were fewer in number, they were more fierce and powerful. In the grand battle of Nun Er Chu in 1619, the Ming Dynasty sent out a force of 200,000 against the Later Jin Empire of 60,000, with Nurhaci controlling 6 banners and 45,000 as the central attack while Dai Shan and Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
each controlled 7,500 troops and one banner attacked from the sides. After 5 days of battle
Battle of Sarhu
The Battle of Sarhū refers to the series of conflicts between the Manchus and Ming Dynasty of China in the winter of year 1619, which ended in the overwhelming victory for the former....
, the Ming Dynasty had casualties over 100,000, with 70% of their food supply stolen.
Scandal
In 1615 the court was hit by yet another scandal. A man by the name of Zhang Chai (Zh: 张差) armed with no more than a wooden staff managed to chase off eunuchs guarding the gates and broke into Ci-Qing palace (Zh: 慈庆宫), then the Crown Prince’s living quarters. Zhang Chai was eventually subdued and thrown in prison. Initial investigation found him to be a lunatic, but upon further investigation by a magistrate named Wang Zhicai (Zh: 王之寀) the man confessed to being party to a plot instigated by two eunuchs working under Lady Zheng. According to Zhang Chai’s confession, the two had promised him rewards for assaulting the Crown Prince thus implicating the Emperor’s favorite concubine in an assassination plot. Presented with the incriminating evidence and the gravity of the accusations, Emperor Wanli, in an attempt to spare Lady Zheng, personally presided over the case. He laid the full blame on the two implicated eunuchs who were executed along with the would-be assassin. Although the case was quickly hushed up, it did not squelch public discussion and eventually became known as the "Case of the Palace Assault" (Zh: 梃擊案), one of three notorious 'mysteries' of Late Ming Dynasty.Consorts
- Empress Xiao Duan XianEmpress Xiao Duan XianEmpress Xiao Duan Xian was a Chinese Empress consort of the Ming Dynasty, married to the Wanli Emperor.-Biography:Empress Xiao Duan Xian is the longest serving empress consort in China. She was the only one of the consorts of Wanli to hold the title of empress during his reign.- Sources :...
(1564 - 1620), had no sons. - Empress Xiaojing (1565–1612), mother of Taichang EmperorTaichang EmperorThe Taichang Emperor was the fourteenth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was born Zhu Changluo , the eldest son of the Wanli Emperor and succeeded his father as emperor in 1620. However his reign came to an abrupt end less than one month after his coronation when he was found dead one morning in...
. Initially a maid of the Dowager Empress who caught the eye of Emperor Wanli, however, Wanli only favoured Lady Zheng, and all but ignored Xiaojing, hence Taichang was not created crown prince until 1601. Her grandson, the Tianqi EmperorTianqi EmperorThe Tianqi Emperor was the 15th emperor of the Ming dynasty from 1620 to 1627. Born Zhu Youxiao, he was the Taichang Emperor's eldest son. His era name means "Heavenly opening".-Biography:...
, promoted her to Empress Dowager. Thus she was re-buried from an Imperial Concubine's tomb to the Wanli Emperor's tomb. The Wanli Emperor therefore was the only Ming Dynasty Emperor buried with two wives.
Notable Concubine
- Lady Zheng (1567? - 1630), Wanli's favourite concubine who gave birth to Wanli's third son Zhu Changxun in 1586. Wanli was unable to promote Lady Zheng as Empress during his reign as well as his son Zhu Changxun as crown prince due to the opposition of his ministers. Wanli eventually promoted Lady Zheng as Empress on his deathbed in 1620. However, this order was never fulfilled by the officials before the fall of Ming Dynasty. In 1644, since Hongguang Emperor, the first sovereign of the Southern Ming DynastySouthern Ming DynastyThe Southern Ming Dynasty was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644....
, was a grandson of Lady Zheng, the lady was finally promoted as Empress by the Southern Ming government, 14 years after her death.
Legacy and death
The Wanli emperor’s reign is representative of the decline of the Ming. He was an unmotivated and avaricious ruler whose reign was plagued with fiscal woes, military pressures, and angry bureaucrats. He also had sent eunuch supervisors to provinces to oversee mining operations which actually became covers for extortion. Discontented with the lack of morals during this time, a group of scholars and political activists loyal to Zhu XiZhu Xi
Zhū Xī or Chu Hsi was a Song Dynasty Confucian scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China...
and against Wang Yangming
Wang Yangming
Wang Yangming was a Ming Chinese idealist Neo-Confucian philosopher, official, educationist, calligraphist and general. After Zhu Xi, he is commonly regarded as the most important Neo-Confucian thinker, with interpretations of Confucianism that denied the rationalist dualism of the orthodox...
, created the Donglin Movement
Donglin movement
The Donglin movement was an ideological and philosophical movement of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties of China.The movement was established in 1604, during the Wanli era, when Gu Xiancheng , a Ming Grand Secretary, and Gao Panlong , a scholar, restored the Donglin Academy in Wuxi with the...
, a political group who believed in upright morals and tried to influence the government.
During the closing years of Wanli's reign, the Manchu began to conduct raids on the northern border of the Ming Empire. Their depredations ultimately led to the overthrow of the Ming dynasty in 1644. It was said that the fall of the Ming dynasty was not a result of the Chongzhen Emperor
Chongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".- Early years :...
's rule but instead due to Wanli's gross mismanagement.
The Wanli Emperor died in 1620 and was buried in Dingling
Ming Dynasty Tombs
The Ming Dynasty Tombs are located some 51.35 kilometers due north of central Beijing, within the suburban Changping District of Beijing municipality...
(定陵) located on the outskirts of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. His tomb is one of the biggest in the vicinity and one of only two that are open to the public. In 1969 fervent Red Guards stormed the Dingling museum, and dragged the remains of the Wanli Emperor and his two empresses to the front of the tomb, where they were posthumously "denounced" and burned. Many other artifacts were also destroyed.
In 1997 China's Ministry of Public Security published a book on the history of drug abuse. It stated that the Wanli emperor's remains had been examined in 1958 and found to contain morphine residues at levels which indicate that he had been a heavy and habitual user of opium.
On the other hand, Emperor Wanli's contribution to the defense of the Chosun Dynasty in Korea against the Japanese invasion has endeared him to Koreans over the centuries. In the late 1990s, Koreans still paid respect to Wanli.
In many ways, he was similar to other Chinese emperors who were initially successful, but whose subsequent poor rule caused the eventual demise of their dynasties, such as both Emperor Gaozong
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
and the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.