Jianwen Emperor
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| Jianwen Emperor | |
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| Birth and death: | December 5, 1377–July 13, 1402 (aged 24)¹ |
| Family name: | Zhū (朱) |
| Given name: | Yŭnwén (允炆) |
| Dates of reign: | 30 June 1398–13 July 1402 |
| Dynasty: | Ming (明) |
| Era name: | Jiànwén (建文) |
| Era dates: | 6 February 1399–29 July 1402² |
| Temple name: | None given³ |
| Posthumous name: (short) |
Emperor Hui4 (惠帝) |
| Posthumous name: (full) |
Emperor Gongmin Hui5 恭閔惠皇帝 |
| General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. ——— 1. Supposed to have died in the burning of the Imperial Palace. However, it is widely believed that he survived and lived underground for many more years as a Buddhist monk. 2. On July 30, 1402 the Jianwen era was officially abolished by the new emperor, and the former Hongwu era was reestablished until the beginning of 1403 when the Yongle era officially started. 3. Denied a temple name by the new emperor Yongle, but in 1644 the prince of Fu (福王), the new self-proclaimed emperor of the Southern Ming, conferred on Emperor Jianwen the temple name Huizong (惠宗). However, this temple name is not recorded in most history books, unlike the temple name of Emperor Jingtai, also conferred by the prince of Fu, but generally accepted in history books. 4. This posthumous name was given by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty in 1736. Previously, in 1644 the prince of Fu had given him the posthumous name Emperor Rang (讓皇帝). 5. Given in 1736. The full posthumous name given by the prince of Fu in 1644 was: Emperor Sitian Zhangdao Chengyi Yuangong Guanwen Yangwu Keren Duxiao Rang (嗣天章道誠懿淵功觀文揚武克仁篤孝讓皇帝) |
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The Jianwen Emperor (December 5, 1377–July 13, 1402), with the personal name Zhu Yunwen, reigned as the second Emperor of the Ming dynasty. His reign Jianwen name meant "Establishment of the civil virtue".
His father, Crown Prince Zhu Biao (朱標), was the son and designated heir of the Hongwu Emperor. When Zhu Biao died in 1392 before ascending to the throne, the Hongwu emperor made Zhu Biao's son Zhu Yunwen his successor, rather than Zhu Biao's younger brother Zhu Di.
The Jianwen reign was short (1398–1402). After he assumed the throne, Jianwen Emperor began to suppress feudal lords, which included his uncle Zhu Di. Feeling threatened, in 1399 Zhu Di raised an army and began to march toward Nanjing from his northern base in Beijing under the banner of the Jingnan campaign. In 1402, Zhu Di's army finally reached Nanjing and, after a brief fight, Zhu Di usurped Jianwen Emperor's throne and was crowned as Yongle Emperor.
To avoid capture, Jianwen and his concubines were said to have died in a fire at the palace during the coup. Jianwen was advised by a group of scholars, later known as the Four Martyrs that were killed by Yongle.
Some rumors state that Jianwen escaped and became a monk who actively organized anti-Zhu Di rebellions. There was a story also to be said that Jianwen disappeared mysteriously. A year after Yongle became the emperor of China, Yongle sent two agents to find the whereabout of Jianwen. Rumor has it that one of the agents discovered Jianwen and even had a chat with him. Since records of Yongle's search of Jianwen were mostly destroyed, the truthfulness of this chat has yet to be proven. The record of Jianwen's rule was systematically erased by Yongle and no temple name was given to Jianwen.
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Jianwen Emperor
Born: December 5 1377 Died: July 13 1402 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Hongwu Emperor |
Emperor of China 1398–1402 |
Succeeded by Yongle Emperor |
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