Chongzhen

Chongzhen (5 February 1628 – 25 April 1644) was the era name (nianhao) of the Chongzhen Emperor, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was also the final era of the Ming, lasting for 17 years.

In 1622 (Tianqi 2), Zhu Youjian was created the Prince of Xin (信王) by his elder brother, the Tianqi Emperor. In 1627 (Tianqi 7), the Tianqi Emperor died, and Zhu Youjian ascended to the throne. The Grand Secretariat proposed four era names—"Qiansheng" (乾聖), "Xingfu" (興福), "Xianjia" (咸嘉), and "Chongzhen" (崇貞)—for Zhu Youjian to choose from. He ultimately chose "Chongzhen" (崇貞). Another account states that the four proposed era names were "Yongchang" (永昌), "Shaoqing" (紹慶), "Xianning" (咸寧) and "Chongzhen" (崇貞), and Zhu Youjian chose "Chongzhen" and changed the character "貞" to "禎". The following year (1628), the era was changed to Chongzhen.

In February 1644 (Chongzhen 17, 2nd month), Li Zicheng established the Shun dynasty in Xi'an, Shaanxi, with the era name "Yongchang" (永昌). On 25 April 1644 (19th day of the 3rd month), the Shun army captured Beijing, the capital of the Ming dynasty. The Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide by hanging himself on the Coal Hill in Beijing (present-day Jingshan, Beijing), leading to the downfall of the Ming. After hearing the news, Zhu Yousong, Prince of Fu, ascended the throne in Nanjing, the temporary capital, on 19 June of the same year (15th day of the 5th month), as the Hongguang Emperor, and established the Southern Ming regime. He continued to use the Chongzhen era name until the end of the year on New Year's Eve of Chongzhen 17, and the following year, the era was changed to Hongguang.

After the fall of the Ming dynasty, the Korean Yi dynasty aristocrats, out of anti-Qing sentiment and Little China ideology, still used the Chongzhen era name in their country, which was known as the "Chongzhen jiyuan" or "Sungjeong giwon" (崇禎紀元).

Change of era

 * 5 February 1628 (Tianqi 8, 1st day of the 1st month): The era was changed to Chongzhen 1 (崇禎元年, "the first year of Chongzhen").
 * 28 January 1645 (Chongzhen 18, 1st day of the 1st month): The era was changed to Hongguang 1 (弘光元年, " the first year of Hongguang").

Other regimes' era names that existed during the same period

 * China
 * Tiancong (天聰, 1627–1636): Later Jin— era name of Hong Taiji
 * Chongde (崇德, 1636–1643): Qing dynasty—era name of Hong Taiji
 * Shunzhi (順治, 1644–1661): Qing dynasty—era name of the Shunzhi Emperor
 * Ruiying (瑞應, 1621–1629): Ming period—era name of She Chongming (奢崇明)
 * Yongxing (永興, 1628): Ming period—era name of Zhang Weiyuan (張惟元)
 * Tianyun (天運, 1637): Ming period—era name of Zhang Puwei (張普徽)
 * Tianding (天定, 1644): Ming period—era name of Liu Shoufen (劉守分)
 * Chongxing (重興, 1644): Ming period—era name of Qin Shangxing (秦尚行)
 * Xingwu (興武, 1635–1636): Ming period—era name of Gao Yingxiang (高迎祥)
 * Yongchang (永昌, 1644–1645): Shun dynasty—era name of Li Zicheng
 * Yiwu (義武, 1643–1644): Xi dynasty—era name of Zhang Xianzhong
 * Dashun (大順, 1644–1646): Xi dynasty—era name of Zhang Xianzhong
 * Vietnam
 * Vĩnh Tộ (永祚, 1619–1629): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Thần Tông
 * Đức Long (德隆, 1629–1635): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Thần Tông
 * Dương Hòa (陽和, 1635–1643): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Thần Tông
 * Phúc Thái (福泰, 1643–1649): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Chân Tông
 * Long Thái (隆泰, 1618–1625): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Kính Khoan
 * Thuận Đức (順德, 1638–1677): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Kính Vũ
 * Japan
 * Kan'ei (寛永, 1624–1644): era name of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, Empress Meishō and Emperor Go-Kōmyō
 * Shōhō (正保, 1644–1648): era name of Emperor Go-Kōmyō