The Tianqi Emperor was the 15th emperor of 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...

 from 1620 to 1627. Born Zhu Youxiao, he was the Taichang Emperor

Taichang Emperor

The 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...

's eldest son. His era name means "Heavenly opening".

Biography

Zhu Youxiao became emperor at the age of fifteen, on the death of his father who ruled less than a month. He did not pay much attention to affairs of state, and was accused of failing in his filial duties to his dead father by not continuing his father's wishes. It is possible that Zhu Youxiao suffered from a learning disability or something more. He was illiterate and showed no interest in his studies.

Because he was unable to read memorial

Memorial

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....

s and uninterested in the affairs of state, his head eunuch, Wei Zhongxian

Wei Zhongxian

Wei Zhongxian is considered by most historians as the most powerful and notorious eunuch in Chinese history. Originally a hoodlum and gambler, his initial name was Wei Si . He took the step of becoming a eunuch and entering palace service to escape from his creditors, taking the name Li Jinzhong...

 usurped the power along with Madam Ke

Madam Ke

Madame Ke was the nanny of the young Tianqi Emperor , who was Emperor of China from 1620 to 1627. As he was 15 when he became Emperor, and also illiterate, he delegated all duties to Wei Zhongxian, giving the actual power to him and Madame Ke...

, Zhu Youxiao's nanny. Zhu Youxiao apparently devoted his time to carpentry

Carpentry

A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

. Wei took advantage of the situation and began appointing the people he trusted to important positions in the palace. Meanwhile Madam Ke, who was the nanny of the young emperor sought to retain power by removing all other women from the emperor's harem by locking away the concubines of the emperor and starving them to death.

One Confucian moralist group, the Donglin Party

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...

, expressed distress at the conditions of the Imperial State. In response, the palace covertly ordered the execution of a number of officials associated with the Donglin. Living conditions worsened during his reign and Tianqi faced several popular uprisings.

Zhu Youxiao died in 1627 and was succeeded by his younger brother Zhu Youjian, 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 :...

, as all his sons died early. As both his daughters died early too, it seems that there are no natural heirs from Zhu Youxiao left any more.

Sons

Number	Title	Name	Born	Death	Married	Spouse	Mother	Notes
1	Crown Prince Huaichong 怀冲太子	Family name Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... : Zhu (朱) Given name Chinese given name Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning... : Ciran (慈燃)	1623	1623	none	none	Empress Zhang	Stillborn
2	Crown Prince Daohuai 悼怀太子	Family name Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... : Zhu (朱) Given name Chinese given name Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning... : Ciyu (慈焴)	1623	1624	none	none	Consort Hui, née Fan
3	Crown Prince Xianchong 献冲太子	Family name Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... : Zhu (朱) Given name Chinese given name Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning... : Cijiong (慈炅)	1625	May 30, 1626	none	none	Consort Rong, née Ren	Died in the Wanggongcheng Explosion

Daughters

Number	Title	Name	Born	Death	Married	Spouse	Mother	Notes
1	Princess Yongning 永宁公主	Family name Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... : Zhu (朱) Given name Chinese given name Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning... : Shu'e (淑娥)	1622	1624	none	none	Consort Hui, née Fan
2	Princess Huaining 怀宁公主	Family name Chinese surname Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing... : Zhu (朱) Given name Chinese given name Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning... : Shumo (淑嫫)	April 17, 1624	1625	none	none	Consort Cheng, née Li	Born in the big earthquake in Beijing

Dramatizations

In August & September 2009, a 42-hour prime-time TV series dramatizing the power of Wei Zhongxian & Madam Ke during the reign of the Tianqi Emperor was shown on Chinese television – two hours per night for 21 days. It vividly showed how a hereditary monarchy can lead to the rampant abuse of power. The series ended on Thursday, 17 September, just two weeks before the 60th anniversary (five 12-year cycles) of the establishment of the PRC.