1644 Rise and Fall of Chinese Dynasties

Author: Wu Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: The special significance of the Jia Shen Year (1644) to the Chinese, apart from the thrilling changes and upheavals, reflects the characteristics and weaknesses of China that have continued to affect its recent tragic history and even today, perhaps even the future of China. In March 1644, Li Zicheng's Shunzhi army captured the Ming capital—Beijing City without bloodshed, and the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, committed suicide. In April 1644, Dorgon's army outside Shanhai Pass, invited by the Ming general Wu Sangui, entered the pass and fought a decisive battle with Li Zicheng at Shanhai Pass, driving the newly crowned emperor of the Shunzhi regime, Li Zicheng, out of Beijing City. The six-year-old Shunzhi Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Fulin, easily ascended the Golden Hall throne of the Forbidden City, where 14 emperors of the Yuan and Ming dynasties had sat, marking the beginning of the 268-year rule of the Qing Dynasty. In August 1644, Zhang Xianzhong led his army into Sichuan, captured Chengdu, and declared himself emperor, changing the era to Shunzhi and establishing the Daxi regime. In terms of chronology, 1644 was the 17th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the first year of the Yongchang era of the Shunzhi regime, and the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Daxi regime. These four eras represent four opposing regimes, continuing the struggle for dominance in the Central Plains and the fight to rule the world. The reflections of the mindset of scholars and ordinary people are even more thought-provoking and deeply moving. This is the thrilling 1644, an era of sudden changes and earth-shaking upheavals, where the drama of historical tragedy played out in full force. In March 1644, Li Zicheng's Shunzhi army captured the Ming capital—Beijing City without bloodshed, and the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, committed suicide. In April 1644, Dorgon's army outside Shanhai Pass, invited by the Ming general Wu Sangui, entered the pass and fought a decisive battle with Li Zicheng at Shanhai Pass, driving the newly crowned emperor of the Shunzhi regime, Li Zicheng, out of Beijing City. The six-year-old Shunzhi Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Fulin, easily ascended the Golden Hall throne of the Forbidden City, where 24 emperors of the Yuan and Ming dynasties had sat, marking the beginning of the 268-year rule of the Qing Dynasty. In August 1644, Zhang Xianzhong led his army into Sichuan, captured Chengdu, and declared himself emperor, changing the era to Shunzhi and establishing the Daxi regime. In terms of chronology, 1644 was the 17th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the first year of the Yongchang era of the Shunzhi regime, and the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Daxi regime. These four eras represent four opposing regimes, continuing the struggle for dominance in the Central Plains and the fight to rule the world. The reflections of the mindset of scholars and ordinary people are even more thought-provoking and deeply moving. This is the thrilling 1644, an era of sudden changes and earth-shaking upheavals.