Zhu Qizhen (November 29, 1427 – February 23, 1464) was an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled as the Zhengtong Emperor from 1435 to 1449，and as the Tianshun Emperor from 1457 to 1464.
Zhengtong Emperor - First Reign.
Zhu Qizhen was the son of the Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji and his Empress Sun. At the beginning of Zhengtong's reign, the Ming dynasty was prosperous and at the height of its power as a result Xuande Emperor's able administration. Zhengtong's accession at the age of eight make ...
1428 - Events.
October 12 - English forces under Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury besiege Orléans. Jean de Dunois, the Bastard of Orléans, commands the defenders.
October 24 - Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury is mortally wounded in an unsuccessful assault on Orléans. He is succeeded in command by the Earl of Suffolk
Emperor Go-Hanazono ascends to the throne of Japan
Itzcóatl becomes ruler of the Aztecs. He eventually begins the construction of Tenochtitlan.
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1457 - Events.
University of Freiburg founded.
Stefan cel Mare secures the throne of Moldavia which he retains for the next 47 years.
Edo Castle was built by Ota Dokan in what is now Tokyo.
Charles VIII of Sweden is declared deposed. Archbishop of Sweden Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna and statesman Erik Axelsson Tott become Co-Regents of Sweden. The throne is then offered to Christian I of Denmark and Norway.
1457 - Births.
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Chenghua ascended the throne at the age of 17 and started out as a wise ruler. During the early part of his administration, Chenghua carried out new government policies to reduce tax and strengthen the dynasty. However this did not last and by the closing years of his reign, governmental affairs once again fell into the hands of eunuchs, notably Wang Zhi. Peasants uprising occurred throughout the country however they were violently suppressed. Chenghua's reign was also more autocratic than his predecessors and freedom was sharply curtailed w ...
The Zhengtong Emperor was released one year later in 1450 but when he returned to China, he was immediately put under house arrest by his brother for almost seven years. He resided in the southern palace of the Forbidden city and all outside contacts were severely curtailed by the Jingtai Emperor. Zhengtong's son (later Emperor Chenghua) was stripped of the title of crown prince and replaced by Jingtai's own son. This act greatly upset and devastated Zhengtong but the heir apparent died shortly thereafter. Overcome with grief, the Jingtai Em ...
Emperor Chenghua's reign can be distinguished by his early attempts to reform the government and trying his best to rule the country. His reign also saw a cultural flourishing with famous Ming personnel such as Hu Juren and Chen Baisha dominating the academic scene. However Chenghua's reign was prone to dominating individuals in the government and Chenghua was easily influenced into granting favours based on who he likes rather than their abilities. This led to the degradation at the ruling class and wasteful spending by corrupt individuals which eventually ...
