1. The Jiajing Emperor, known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1521 to 1567.
49 Facts About Jiajing Emperor
1. 2.
The Jiajing Emperor was born as a cousin of the reigning Zhengde Emperor, so his accession to the throne was unexpected, but when the Zhengde Emperor died without an heir, the government, led by Senior Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe and the Empress Dowager Zhang, chose him as the new ruler.
3.
Jiajing Emperor constructed a complex of palaces and Taoist temples in the West Park, drawing inspiration from the Taoist belief of the Land of Immortals.
4.
Jiajing Emperor even sent Taoist priests across the land to collect rare minerals for life-extending potions.
5.
Jiajing Emperor was the eldest son of Zhu Youyuan, who was Prince of Xing from 1487.
6.
Zhu Youyuan was the fourth son of the Chenghua Jiajing Emperor, who ruled the Ming dynasty from 1464 to 1487.
7.
The Zhengde Jiajing Emperor was the son of the Hongzhi Jiajing Emperor, who was the older brother of Zhu Youyuan.
8.
Shaozhi was a summary of the government's call for the Jiajing Emperor to take the throne and follow the policies and rituals set by the founder of the dynasty in order to ensure proper governance.
9.
The era name Jiajing Emperor means "admirable and tranquility" and is derived from a passage in the Book of Documents, in which the Duke of Zhou admonishes the young King Cheng and praises King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty for his admirable and tranquil leadership.
10.
Therefore, the era name Jiajing Emperor can be seen as a criticism of the state of the country and the Zhengde regime, as well as a declaration of a policy of change and restoration.
11.
The Jiajing Emperor saw a parallel between King Wen, Zhou and Wu, and his noble father, unworthy Zhengde Emperor, and himself.
12.
In late 1521, the Jiajing Emperor succeeded in having his parents and grandmother, Lady Shao, granted imperial rank.
13.
In 1530, the Jiajing Emperor published the biography of Empress Ma, the Gao huanghou chuan, and the Household Instructions of Empress Xu under the title Nuxun.
14.
Jiajing Emperor ultimately chose to bury his mother in his father's mausoleum near Zhongxiang.
15.
Jiajing Emperor immediately released 20 thousand liang of silver for relief.
16.
Jiajing Emperor saw their suffering as a failure of his ceremonial and administrative reforms.
17.
Additionally, the Jiajing Emperor altered the titles and forms of honoring Confucius, including a ban on images in Confucius temples, leaving only plaques with the names of Confucius and his followers.
18.
Jiajing Emperor was known for his attentiveness and diligence towards the monarch, but for pushing his colleagues out of power.
19.
Jiajing Emperor only maintained control over personnel matters and selected political issues.
20.
The Jiajing Emperor emphasized the importance of discussing important decisions at court and encouraged officials to express their opinions, particularly in the case of high-ranking government officials, to the obligee.
21.
Jiajing Emperor moved to the Yongshou Palace in the West Park of the Imperial City, where he occasionally stayed starting in 1539.
22.
The Jiajing Emperor, who was fascinated by Taoism and the concept of immortality, was intrigued by this and attempted to reconstruct the site in accordance with contemporary beliefs about the Lands of Immortals.
23.
Jiajing Emperor aligned the names of the palaces and the attire of the servants and officials with Taoist symbolism, and Taoist ceremonies were performed.
24.
The Jiajing Emperor spared no expense or time for Taoist ceremonies.
25.
Jiajing Emperor called on officials throughout the country to search for and send magical herbs.
26.
Yang Tinghe, upon the accession of the Jiajing Emperor, implemented a program of severe austerity.
27.
Jiajing Emperor argued that the cost of reconstructing palaces, ceremonial altars, and temples had already reached 6 million liang of silver since the beginning of the Jiajing Emperor's reign, and that he did not have the means to sustain such a pace of construction.
28.
Jiajing Emperor argued that the universe did not arise from the principle of li, but from the primordial energy of qi.
29.
Jiajing Emperor was known for his monochrome or lightly colored landscapes in the style of Shen Zhou, as well as his "blue-green landscapes" in the Tang style.
30.
Jiajing Emperor is credited with reviving the tradition of southern amateur painting.
31.
Jiajing Emperor was renowned for his conceptual writing as a calligrapher.
32.
Jiajing Emperor's paintings are characterized by a deliberate carelessness and simplification of form, resulting in exceptional credibility and expressiveness in his compositions.
33.
The direction of literary development in the previous Zhengde era and the beginning of the Jiajing Emperor era was determined by the Earlier Seven Masters, led by Li Mengyang and He Jingming, including Wang Tingxiang.
34.
Jiajing Emperor's most prized collection of poems was the one he exchanged with his wife, Huang E, who was a talented poet, while he was living in exile after 1524.
35.
The Jiajing Emperor responded by sending officials to investigate the situation, which he perceived as an affront to his majesty.
36.
Jiajing Emperor initially considered military action, but local authorities in Guangdong objected, arguing that the Viets had not crossed the border and the outcome of their civil war was uncertain.
37.
The Jiajing Emperor government attempted to address this issue by implementing repeated bans on private maritime trade, even going as far as prohibiting the construction of ships with two or more masts.
38.
The Jiajing Emperor refused to lift the bans; it was only after his death in 1567 that a request to abolish the sea ban policy and allow "trade with both the western and eastern seas" was successful.
39.
Jiajing Emperor was arrested and died in prison in 1524.
40.
Jiajing Emperor was buried in the Yong Mausoleum in the Ming tombs near Beijing.
41.
Jiajing Emperor was given the temple name Shizong and the posthumous name Emperor Su.
42.
The Jiajing Emperor's reign was perceived positively in the immediate years following, with the emperor being described in the Veritable Records of his reign as a resolute and knowledgeable ruler who revitalized the land after the excesses of his predecessor Zhengde Emperor.
43.
Jiajing Emperor brought order to ceremonies and successfully defended against barbarian threats from the north and the sea.
44.
Jiajing Emperor was known for harsh and cruel punishments, as well as generous and swift rewards.
45.
Jiajing Emperor is said to have chosen her because she shared his views on ceremonies.
46.
Jiajing Emperor was appointed as the Prince of Yu in 1539, while the fourth son of Zhu Zaizhen became the Prince of Jing.
47.
The Jiajing Emperor had a strained relationship with his relatives, particularly his aunt, Empress Zhang.
48.
Jiajing Emperor harbored resentment towards her due to their differing attitudes towards his parents during the Great Rites Controversy.
49.
In 1525, when her palace burned down, the Jiajing Emperor refused to rebuild it and instead relocated her to a smaller residence.