Wanli Emperor
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| Image:Wanli.jpg | |
| Wanli Emperor | |
|---|---|
| Birth and death: | 4 September, 1563–18 August, 1620 |
| Family name: | Zhu (朱) |
| Given name: | Yijun (翊鈞) |
| Dates of reign: | 19 July, 1572–18 August, 1620 |
| Dynasty: | Ming (明) |
| Era name: | Wanli (萬曆) |
| Era dates: | 2 February, 1573–27 August, 1620¹ |
| Temple name: | Shenzong (神宗) |
| Posthumous name: | Emperor Xian (顯皇帝) |
| Posthumous name: <center>(full) | Emperor Fantian Hedao Zhesu Dunjian Guangwen Zhangwu Anren Zhixiao Xian 範天合道哲肅敦簡光文章武安仁 止孝顯皇帝 |
| General note: Dates before 1582 are given in the Julian calendar, not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. Dates after 1582 are given in the Gregorian calendar, not in the Julian calendar that remained in use in England until 1752. ——— 1. Following the death of the emperor, the Wanli era was normally due to end on January 21, 1621. However, the new emperor Taichang died within a month, before January 22 1621, which should have been the start of the Taichang era. The new emperor Tianqi decided that the Wanli era would be considered ended since August 27 1620, the last day of the 7th month in the Chinese calendar, to enable the Taichang era to be applied for the five months remaining in that year (see Taichang article). | |
Wanli Emperor (September 4, 1563 - August 18, 1620) was emperor of China (Ming dynasty) between 1572 and 1620. Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor's son. His rule of 48 years would be the longest in the Ming dynasty and it witnessed the steady decline of the dynasty. Wanli also saw the arrival of the first Jesuit missionary in Beijing, Matteo Ricci.
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Early Reign
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 Juzheng (張居正). Zhang Juzheng directed the path of the country and exercised his skills and power as an able administrator. After Zhang's death in 1582, Wanli felt that he was free of supervision and reversed many of Zhang's administrative improvements.
Post Zhang Juzheng
After Zhang's death, Wanli seldom attended state affairs and for years at a time would refuse to receive his ministers or read any reports being sent to him. Wanli also extorted money from the government, and ultimately his own people, for his personal enjoyment. One example was that he paid close attention to the construction of his own tomb which took decades to complete. The Wanli Emperor then became so disenchanted with the moralistic attacks and counterattacks of officials that he was thoroughly alienated from his imperial role. He 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 memorials. He refused to make necessary appointments. The whole top echelon of Ming administration became understaffed. In short, Wanli tried to forget about his imperial responsibilities while squirreling away what he could for his private purse. Considering the emperor's required role as the kingpin of the state, this personal rebellion against the bureaucracy was not only bankruptcy but treason.¹
Legacy and Death
The Wanli emperor’s reign is representative of the decline of the Ming. He was an unmotivated and avaricious ruler who allowed his country to fall apart under his rule. His 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. Discontent with the lack of morals during this time, a group of scholars and political activists loyal to Zhu Xi and against Wang Yangming, created the Donglin Movement, a political group who believed in upright morals and tried to affect 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. 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 compared and is one of only two that are open to the public.
Source
¹Fairbanks, John King, and Merle Goldman. China A New History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992.
| Preceded by: Longqing Emperor | Emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) 1572–1620 | Succeeded by: Taichang Emperor |
