Li Zicheng
| Li Zicheng | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of China (more...) | |||||||||
| Reign | 1644-1645 | ||||||||
| Born | 22 September 1606 | ||||||||
| Died | 1645 (aged 38–39) | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Shun dynasty | ||||||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
| Li Zicheng (李自成) Li Hongji (李鴻基) (birth name) |
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| Era name and dates | |
| Yongchang (永昌): 1644-1645 |
| Li Zicheng | |||||||||
| 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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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Lĭ Zìchéng |
| Wade–Giles | Li Tzu-ch'eng |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Lĭ Hóngjī |
| Wade–Giles | Li Hung-chi |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Chuǎng Wáng |
| Wade–Giles | Ch'uang Wang |
Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, nicknamed "Dashing King", was a Chinese rebel leader who overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 and ruled over China briefly as the emperor of the short-lived Shun dynasty before his death a year later.
Li was born in Mizhi County, Yulin, Shaanxi in the late Ming dynasty. Initially a shepherd, he started learning horse riding and archery at the age of 20, and had also worked in a wine shop and as a blacksmith's apprentice.
According to folklore, in 1630, Li was put on public display in an iron collar and shackles for his failure to repay loans to a usurious magistrate, Ai. Ai struck a guard who offered shade and water to Li, whence a group of peasants friendly to Li tore apart Li's 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.
At the same time, the Shaanxi region was hit by a famine, and the common people resented the Ming government. Li joined a rebel army led by Gao Yingxiang, who was nicknamed "Dashing King". He inherited Gao's nickname and command of the rebel army after Gao's death.
Within three years, Li succeeded in rallying more than 20,000 men to form a rebel army. They attacked and killed prominent government officials, such as Sun Chuanting, in Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.
Some battles Li fought in this period
Li advocated the slogan of "dividing land equally and abolishing the grain taxes payment system" which won great support of peasants. The song of "killing cattle and sheep, preparing tasty wine and opening the city gate to welcome the Dashing King" was widely spread at that time.
The 1642 Kaifeng flood (during the 3rd Battle of Kaifeng), caused by breaches of the Yellow River dikes by both sides, ended the siege of Kaifeng and killed over 300,000 of its 378,000 residents. 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 the Manchus in the north. Li declared himself the King of the Shun dynasty in Xi'an, Shaanxi.
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Wikipedia