2 replies to this topic

[General Guan Yu]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone can kindly tell me what are the major battles that took place during the reign of Emperor Chong Zhen that leads to the fall of the Ming Dynasty?

Thank you.

[Centaur]

LJM had given a set of Military Conflicts in Chinese. You could check out the following thread.

http://www.chinahist...p...ic=9602&hl=
Post No 6

Xu huang had kindly made a translation of it as follows:

1628年 明思宗崇祯元年 陕西流民王二起义, 后金攻察哈尔, 固原兵变, 王大梁起义, 王嘉胤起义, 王左挂起义
1629年 明崇祯二年 后金攻明北京附近之战
1630年 明崇祯三年 神一元、神一魁起义
1631年 明崇祯四年 赵四儿（点灯子）起义, 混天猴起义, 后金攻明大凌河之战, 孔有德叛明登州之战
1632年 明崇祯五年 明军镇压陕西农民起义军庆阳、平凉之战, 明军平海盗刘香之战, 农民起义军转战于山西
1633年 明崇祯六年 明军镇压农民起义军山西之战, 鞑靼河套部攻宁夏, 明军抗击荷兰军金门之战
1634年 明崇祯七年 后金攻明宣府、大同, 高迎祥等起义军进军川、陕及车箱峡突围, 钻天哨、开山斧起义永宁关之战
1635年 明崇祯八年 起义军攻克凤阳焚明皇陵之战, 农民起义军与明军商雒山之战, 李自成起义——真宁之战, 张献忠起义——朱阳关之战, 高迎祥、李自成起义——渭南之战, 起义军攻克陕州之战
1636年 明崇祯九年 起义军与明军滁州之战, 高迎祥起义——盩厔黑水峪之战, 张献忠起义——襄阳之战
1637年 明崇祯十年 李自成起义——成都之战, 清侵朝鲜之战, 张献忠起义——宿松酆家店之战

1628 CE 1st year of Chongzhen, Ming Sizong, Wang Er, a native from Shaanxi revolts. Later Jin attacks Chahar of Mongolia. Mutiny at Guyuan. Wang Daliang revolts. Wang Jiayin revolts. Wamg Zuogui revolts.

1629 CE 2nd year of Chongzhen, Later Jin attacks the neighbouring areas of Beijing.

1630 CE 3rd year of Chongzhen, Shen Yiyuan and Shen Yikui revolts.

1631 CE 4th year of Chongzhen, Zhao Si’er revolts. Hu Tianhou revolts. Later Jin attacks Ming in the Battle of Daling River. Kong Youde in Dengzhou defected to Later Jin.

1632 CE 5th year of Chongzhen, Ming army suppresses the rebellion started by the Shaanxi peasants in Qingyang and Pingliang. Ming army suppresses the rebellion led by Liu Xiang, a pirate. The peasant rebellion moved to Shanxi.

1633 CE 6th year of Chongzhen, the Ming army suppresses the peasant rebellion in Shanxi. The Tatars of Hetao attacks Ningxia. Ming army defends against the Dutch army in the Battle of Jingmen.

1634 CE 7th year of Chongzhen, Later Jin attacks Xuanfu and Datong. Gao Yingxiang and other peasant armies invades and breaks through the Chuan, Shaan areas and Chexiang Valley. Zuan Tianshao and Kai Shanfu revolts in Yongning Pass.

1635 CE 8th year of Chongzhen, the peasant army (led by Gao Xianzhong and Zhang Yingxiang) attacks and conquers Fengyang and burns the Ming tombs. The peasant army and the Ming army meet in the Battle of Shanluo Mountain. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Zhenning. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Zhuyang Pass. Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Wenan. The peasant army conquered Shaanzhou.

1636 CE 9th year of Chongzhen, the peasant army meet the Ming army in the Battle of Chuzhou. Gao Yingxiang uprising – Battle of Heishui Valley in Zhouzhi. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Xiangyang.

1637 CE 10th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Chengdu. Qing harasses Korea. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Fengjiadian in Susong.

Notes:

1) Nuerhachi, after eliminiating Ming’s influence and consolidating his power in the Liaodong area, he moved his attention to Chahar of Mongolia.

2) Zhao Si’er was a scholar in his province. Although his family was poor, he liked to study and even went to a temple to borrow light so that he can study. Therefore, he was called “The child who lights the candle”.

3) Kong Youde was a miner in the beginning and was once also a pirate in the area of Liaodong. Later, he joined Mao Wenlong, and together with Shan Kexi, they were called “The Three Miners of Shandong”. Mao Wenlong was later killed by Yuan Chonghuan and Chen Jisheng took over his troops. Soon, an instructor, Li Xing revolts in Pidao and kills Chen Jisheng. The Chief Instructor, Huang Long immediately went to suppress the rebellion. In 1627, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, dissatisfied with Huang Long, surrendered to the Inspector of Dengzhou, Sun Yuanhua. In 1631, Hung Taiji attacks Daling and Zu Dashou was trapped.in the castle. Sun Yuanhua immediately ordered Kong Youde to reinforce Zu Dashou with 800 cavalry. However, Dengzhou and Shandong troops were not on good terms and when Kong Youde reached Wu Bridge, there was insufficient food because of bad weather. The troops robbed and revolted. Kong Youde initiated the Mutiny at Wu Bridge and declared himself Marshal. Sun Yuanhua was loyal to Ming and refused to declare himself as King. Kong Youde let him off and allowed him to escape. After Ming suppressed the rebellion, Kong Youde surrendered to Later Jin. In 1636, he was conferred on the title of Gongshun King and was involved in the expeditions to Korea, Jinzhou and Songshan. In 1646, he was conferred as General Who Pacifies the South and attacked Ming. In 1652, he was surrounded by Li Dingguo’s troops and commited suicide.

1638年 明崇祯十一年 李自成起义——潼关南原之战
1639年 明崇祯十二年 张献忠起义——房县罗睺山之战, 清攻明贾庄蒿水桥之战
1641年 明崇祯十四年 张献忠起义——袭击襄阳之战, 明清松山之战, 李自成起义——克洛阳之战, 李自成起义——项城之战, 张献忠起义——信阳之战
1642年 明崇祯十五年 李自成起义——襄城之战, 李自成起义——朱仙镇之战, 清兵入塞掠直隶、山东, 李自成起义——郏城柿园之战, 李自成起义——汝宁之战, 李自成起义——破襄阳之战
1643 年 明崇祯十六年 湖南农民甘明杨等起义, 湖南刘新宇、李荆楚起义, 李自成起义——汝州之战, 张献忠起义——武昌之战, 张献忠起义——长沙之战, 张献忠起义——岳州之战, 浙东白头兵起事, 李自成起义——破潼关进据关中之战, 李自成起义——进取三边之战

1638 CE 11th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Nanyuan in Tong Pass.

1639 CE 12th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Luohou Mountain in Fang County. Qing attacks Haoshui Bridge in Jiazhuang Town.

1641 CE 14th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Attack on Xiangyang. Ming and Qing meet in the Battle of Songshan. Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Luoyang. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Xiang Castle. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Xinyang.

1642 CE 15th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Xiang Castle. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Zhuxian Town. Qing army enters the Pass and raids Zhili and Shandong. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Shiyuan in Jia Castle. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Luning. Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Xiangyang.

1643 CE 16th year of Chongzhen, Gan Mingyang, a peasant from Hunan, revolts together with others. Liu Xinyu and Li Jingchu from Hunan revolts. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Luzhou. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Wuchang. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Changsha. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Yuezhou. The White Head Soldiers in Zhejiang revolts. . Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Tong Pass and Guanzhong. . Li Zicheng uprising – Attack and Capture of Sanbian.

Note:

1) On May 26, 1644, (on my birthday 344 years before…Is that a coincidence???), Beijing fell to a rebel army led by Li Zicheng. Seizing their chance, the Manchus crossed the Great Wall after Míng border general Wu Sangui opened the gates at Shanhai Pass, and quickly overthrew Li's short-lived Shun Dynasty. Despite the loss of Beijing (whose weakness as an Imperial capital had been foreseen by Zhu Yuanzhang) and the death of the Emperor, Míng power was by no means destroyed. Nanjing, Fujian, Guangdong, Shanxi and Yunnan could all have been and were in fact strongholds of Míng resistance. However, the loss of central authority saw multiple pretenders for the Míng throne, unable to work together. Each bastion of resistance was individually defeated by the Qing until 1662, when the last real hopes of a Ming revival died with the Yongli emperor, Zhu Youlang. Despite the Ming defeat, smaller loyalist movements continued till the proclamation of the Republic Of China. Chongzhen gathered the entire imperial household and ordered them (except for his sons) to commit suicide rather than surrender. Hopeless and fearful for their lives, many did as they were told, including the Empress, who hanged herself. One of his daughters, Princess Chang Ping refused to commit suicide. In a fit of rage Chongzhen had her left arm severed. Chongzhen, still wearing his imperial attire, fled to the nearby Jingshan Park(景山公園) with eunuch Wang Chengen(王 承恩). It is believed that his final words there were (roughly translated) "I am not the emperor of an ill-fated kingdom, but you, my officials, remain its servants. That during my reign I have given you decency, yet on this day, wherefore remains none at my side?" (朕非亡國之君，事事乃亡國之象，祖宗櫛風沐雨之天下，一朝失去，將何面目見於地下) He then hanged himself, with the help of Wang Chengen, on the Guilty Chinese Scholartree(罪槐), putting an end to the Ming dynasty.

2) In April 1644, Li's rebels sacked the Ming capital of Beijing, and the last Min emperor committed suicide. He proclaimed himself as the Emperor of Shun Dynasty (大順皇帝). Li died after his army was defeated on May 27, 1644 by the Manchus and Wu Sangui, either by committing suicide or was killed by pro-Ming militia during his escape at the age of 40. Some folk tales hold that Li didn't die upon defeat, but instead became a monk.

3) Zhang Xianzhong (1606 – 2nd January 1647), nicknamed Yellow Tiger, was a Chinese rebel leader, who conquered Sichuan Province in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Great Western Kingdom. He died due to an arrow wound in 1647. According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, whom he had massacred. After killing the scholars, he went after the women, merchants, and all the officials. Then he had his soldiers kill each other and the officers' wives' feet cut off and put on top of a mound. Zhang Xianzhong was obsessed with ears and feet, so he had his own personal guards go retrieve the ears and feet of the people killed in the outlying districts in order to count how many people they killed there. After the massacre was over, he ordered this inscription in a stone to be placed in an important part of Chengdu:

Heaven brings forth innumerable things to help man. Man has nothing with which to recompense Heaven. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Check out: http://www.chinahist...p...30&start=30

Hope this helps.

[General Guan Yu]

Hi,

It seems to me that Emperor Chong Zhen is not a good emperor isn't it? If he is why are there so many rebellions and revolution?

Besides from what I see, it is the internal uprisings and rebellions that weaken Ming Dynasty and thus giving Nuerhachi and Huang Taiji the oppotunity to conquer China, overthrow the Ming Dynasty and establish the Qing government isn't it?

Of course Wu Sangui played an important role in ending the Ming rule earlier by letting the Qing soldiers through the Shanhai Pass. but by doing this, I think he must have thought that the Ming Empire is beyond hope and cannot be saved, thus forcing him to surrender to the Qing ruler. By doing so, he can at least protect his own family since he sees that Ming Emperor can be served no more. In this aspect is he not right?

Regards

LJM had given a set of Military Conflicts in Chinese. You could check out the following thread.

http://www.chinahist...p...ic=9602&hl=
Post No 6

Xu huang had kindly made a translation of it as follows:

1628年 明思宗崇祯元年 陕西流民王二起义, 后金攻察哈尔, 固原兵变, 王大梁起义, 王嘉胤起义, 王左挂起义
1629年 明崇祯二年 后金攻明北京附近之战
1630年 明崇祯三年 神一元、神一魁起义
1631年 明崇祯四年 赵四儿（点灯子）起义, 混天猴起义, 后金攻明大凌河之战, 孔有德叛明登州之战
1632年 明崇祯五年 明军镇压陕西农民起义军庆阳、平凉之战, 明军平海盗刘香之战, 农民起义军转战于山西
1633年 明崇祯六年 明军镇压农民起义军山西之战, 鞑靼河套部攻宁夏, 明军抗击荷兰军金门之战
1634年 明崇祯七年 后金攻明宣府、大同, 高迎祥等起义军进军川、陕及车箱峡突围, 钻天哨、开山斧起义永宁关之战
1635年 明崇祯八年 起义军攻克凤阳焚明皇陵之战, 农民起义军与明军商雒山之战, 李自成起义——真宁之战, 张献忠起义——朱阳关之战, 高迎祥、李自成起义——渭南之战, 起义军攻克陕州之战
1636年 明崇祯九年 起义军与明军滁州之战, 高迎祥起义——盩厔黑水峪之战, 张献忠起义——襄阳之战
1637年 明崇祯十年 李自成起义——成都之战, 清侵朝鲜之战, 张献忠起义——宿松酆家店之战

1628 CE 1st year of Chongzhen, Ming Sizong, Wang Er, a native from Shaanxi revolts. Later Jin attacks Chahar of Mongolia. Mutiny at Guyuan. Wang Daliang revolts. Wang Jiayin revolts. Wamg Zuogui revolts.

1629 CE 2nd year of Chongzhen, Later Jin attacks the neighbouring areas of Beijing.

1630 CE 3rd year of Chongzhen, Shen Yiyuan and Shen Yikui revolts.

1631 CE 4th year of Chongzhen, Zhao Si’er revolts. Hu Tianhou revolts. Later Jin attacks Ming in the Battle of Daling River. Kong Youde in Dengzhou defected to Later Jin.

1632 CE 5th year of Chongzhen, Ming army suppresses the rebellion started by the Shaanxi peasants in Qingyang and Pingliang. Ming army suppresses the rebellion led by Liu Xiang, a pirate. The peasant rebellion moved to Shanxi.

1633 CE 6th year of Chongzhen, the Ming army suppresses the peasant rebellion in Shanxi. The Tatars of Hetao attacks Ningxia. Ming army defends against the Dutch army in the Battle of Jingmen.

1634 CE 7th year of Chongzhen, Later Jin attacks Xuanfu and Datong. Gao Yingxiang and other peasant armies invades and breaks through the Chuan, Shaan areas and Chexiang Valley. Zuan Tianshao and Kai Shanfu revolts in Yongning Pass.

1635 CE 8th year of Chongzhen, the peasant army (led by Gao Xianzhong and Zhang Yingxiang) attacks and conquers Fengyang and burns the Ming tombs. The peasant army and the Ming army meet in the Battle of Shanluo Mountain. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Zhenning. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Zhuyang Pass. Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Wenan. The peasant army conquered Shaanzhou.

1636 CE 9th year of Chongzhen, the peasant army meet the Ming army in the Battle of Chuzhou. Gao Yingxiang uprising – Battle of Heishui Valley in Zhouzhi. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Xiangyang.

1637 CE 10th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Chengdu. Qing harasses Korea. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Fengjiadian in Susong.

Notes:

1) Nuerhachi, after eliminiating Ming’s influence and consolidating his power in the Liaodong area, he moved his attention to Chahar of Mongolia.

2) Zhao Si’er was a scholar in his province. Although his family was poor, he liked to study and even went to a temple to borrow light so that he can study. Therefore, he was called “The child who lights the candle”.

3) Kong Youde was a miner in the beginning and was once also a pirate in the area of Liaodong. Later, he joined Mao Wenlong, and together with Shan Kexi, they were called “The Three Miners of Shandong”. Mao Wenlong was later killed by Yuan Chonghuan and Chen Jisheng took over his troops. Soon, an instructor, Li Xing revolts in Pidao and kills Chen Jisheng. The Chief Instructor, Huang Long immediately went to suppress the rebellion. In 1627, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, dissatisfied with Huang Long, surrendered to the Inspector of Dengzhou, Sun Yuanhua. In 1631, Hung Taiji attacks Daling and Zu Dashou was trapped.in the castle. Sun Yuanhua immediately ordered Kong Youde to reinforce Zu Dashou with 800 cavalry. However, Dengzhou and Shandong troops were not on good terms and when Kong Youde reached Wu Bridge, there was insufficient food because of bad weather. The troops robbed and revolted. Kong Youde initiated the Mutiny at Wu Bridge and declared himself Marshal. Sun Yuanhua was loyal to Ming and refused to declare himself as King. Kong Youde let him off and allowed him to escape. After Ming suppressed the rebellion, Kong Youde surrendered to Later Jin. In 1636, he was conferred on the title of Gongshun King and was involved in the expeditions to Korea, Jinzhou and Songshan. In 1646, he was conferred as General Who Pacifies the South and attacked Ming. In 1652, he was surrounded by Li Dingguo’s troops and commited suicide.

1638年 明崇祯十一年 李自成起义——潼关南原之战
1639年 明崇祯十二年 张献忠起义——房县罗睺山之战, 清攻明贾庄蒿水桥之战
1641年 明崇祯十四年 张献忠起义——袭击襄阳之战, 明清松山之战, 李自成起义——克洛阳之战, 李自成起义——项城之战, 张献忠起义——信阳之战
1642年 明崇祯十五年 李自成起义——襄城之战, 李自成起义——朱仙镇之战, 清兵入塞掠直隶、山东, 李自成起义——郏城柿园之战, 李自成起义——汝宁之战, 李自成起义——破襄阳之战
1643 年 明崇祯十六年 湖南农民甘明杨等起义, 湖南刘新宇、李荆楚起义, 李自成起义——汝州之战, 张献忠起义——武昌之战, 张献忠起义——长沙之战, 张献忠起义——岳州之战, 浙东白头兵起事, 李自成起义——破潼关进据关中之战, 李自成起义——进取三边之战

1638 CE 11th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Nanyuan in Tong Pass.

1639 CE 12th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Luohou Mountain in Fang County. Qing attacks Haoshui Bridge in Jiazhuang Town.

1641 CE 14th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Attack on Xiangyang. Ming and Qing meet in the Battle of Songshan. Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Luoyang. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Xiang Castle. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Xinyang.

1642 CE 15th year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Xiang Castle. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Zhuxian Town. Qing army enters the Pass and raids Zhili and Shandong. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Shiyuan in Jia Castle. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Luning. Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Xiangyang.

1643 CE 16th year of Chongzhen, Gan Mingyang, a peasant from Hunan, revolts together with others. Liu Xinyu and Li Jingchu from Hunan revolts. Li Zicheng uprising – Battle of Luzhou. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Wuchang. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Changsha. Zhang Xianzhong uprising – Battle of Yuezhou. The White Head Soldiers in Zhejiang revolts. . Li Zicheng uprising – Capture of Tong Pass and Guanzhong. . Li Zicheng uprising – Attack and Capture of Sanbian.

Note:

1) On May 26, 1644, (on my birthday 344 years before…Is that a coincidence???), Beijing fell to a rebel army led by Li Zicheng. Seizing their chance, the Manchus crossed the Great Wall after Míng border general Wu Sangui opened the gates at Shanhai Pass, and quickly overthrew Li's short-lived Shun Dynasty. Despite the loss of Beijing (whose weakness as an Imperial capital had been foreseen by Zhu Yuanzhang) and the death of the Emperor, Míng power was by no means destroyed. Nanjing, Fujian, Guangdong, Shanxi and Yunnan could all have been and were in fact strongholds of Míng resistance. However, the loss of central authority saw multiple pretenders for the Míng throne, unable to work together. Each bastion of resistance was individually defeated by the Qing until 1662, when the last real hopes of a Ming revival died with the Yongli emperor, Zhu Youlang. Despite the Ming defeat, smaller loyalist movements continued till the proclamation of the Republic Of China. Chongzhen gathered the entire imperial household and ordered them (except for his sons) to commit suicide rather than surrender. Hopeless and fearful for their lives, many did as they were told, including the Empress, who hanged herself. One of his daughters, Princess Chang Ping refused to commit suicide. In a fit of rage Chongzhen had her left arm severed. Chongzhen, still wearing his imperial attire, fled to the nearby Jingshan Park(景山公園) with eunuch Wang Chengen(王 承恩). It is believed that his final words there were (roughly translated) "I am not the emperor of an ill-fated kingdom, but you, my officials, remain its servants. That during my reign I have given you decency, yet on this day, wherefore remains none at my side?" (朕非亡國之君，事事乃亡國之象，祖宗櫛風沐雨之天下，一朝失去，將何面目見於地下) He then hanged himself, with the help of Wang Chengen, on the Guilty Chinese Scholartree(罪槐), putting an end to the Ming dynasty.

2) In April 1644, Li's rebels sacked the Ming capital of Beijing, and the last Min emperor committed suicide. He proclaimed himself as the Emperor of Shun Dynasty (大順皇帝). Li died after his army was defeated on May 27, 1644 by the Manchus and Wu Sangui, either by committing suicide or was killed by pro-Ming militia during his escape at the age of 40. Some folk tales hold that Li didn't die upon defeat, but instead became a monk.

3) Zhang Xianzhong (1606 – 2nd January 1647), nicknamed Yellow Tiger, was a Chinese rebel leader, who conquered Sichuan Province in the middle of the 17th century. Upon capturing it, he declared himself emperor of the Great Western Kingdom. He died due to an arrow wound in 1647. According to Chinese chronicles, many scholars rejected that claim, whom he had massacred. After killing the scholars, he went after the women, merchants, and all the officials. Then he had his soldiers kill each other and the officers' wives' feet cut off and put on top of a mound. Zhang Xianzhong was obsessed with ears and feet, so he had his own personal guards go retrieve the ears and feet of the people killed in the outlying districts in order to count how many people they killed there. After the massacre was over, he ordered this inscription in a stone to be placed in an important part of Chengdu:

Heaven brings forth innumerable things to help man. Man has nothing with which to recompense Heaven. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Check out: http://www.chinahist...p...30&start=30

Hope this helps.