#253 - Ming 38: Manchus, and Pirates, and Rebels, Oh My!

The History of China

Chris Stewart

History

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Chongzhen Emperor takes command of the Ming, but things are not going well... and they're not going to get any better. After purging his government of partisan elements, he find he's now condemned it to hopeless deadlock. Along the southern coasts, pirate fleets and Dutch privateers prowl the water, making trade all but impossible. Economic and currency woes lead, combined with repeated natural catastrophes lead to widespread banditry and rebel factions doing what they must to survive... and through it all, the Manchu threat to the north continue to press its advantage, breaking through the Great Wall, and going so far as to raid around Beijing itself! Time Period Covered: 1628-1636 Major Historical Figures: Ming Empire: The Chongzhen Emperor (Zhu Yujian) [r. 1628-1644] General Yuan Conghuan [1584-1630] Zheng Zhilong, Admiral of the South Seas [1604-1661] Grand Secretary Wen Tiren [1584-1639] Qing Dynasty: Hong Taiji (Emperor Taizong of Qing) [r. 1626-1643] Amin [1585-1640] Commander Kong Youde [d. 1562] Geng Zhongming [1604-1649] Rebels: Li Zicheng [1606-1649] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an AirWave Media Podcast.
0:10.0	Hello, this is Matt from the Explorers Podcast.
0:12.0	I want to invite you to join me on the voyages and journeys of the most famous explorers in the history of the world.
0:18.0	These are the thrilling and captivating stories of Magellan, Shackleton, Lewis and Clark,
0:23.0	and so many other famous and not so famous adventures from throughout history.
0:27.0	Go to ExplorersPodcast.com or just look us up on your podcast app.
0:31.0	That's the Explorers Podcast.
0:41.0	Hello and welcome to the history of China.
0:47.0	At episode 253, Montes and Pirates and Rebels, Omae.
0:53.0	A life always ends in vain, it seems.
1:12.0	Half my life's work is but a dream.
1:15.0	Though I face death, fear not the end.
1:19.0	My loyal soul shall still yow dong defend.
1:30.0	We left off last time at the end of the Tianchi Emperor's seven-year-long reign over Ming China,
1:35.0	deemed to be perhaps one of the most disastrous in the regime's long and storied history.
1:40.0	And you and I both know at this point that's really, really saying something.
1:45.0	The Tianchi era had been foremost marked by the widespread purging of many of the more rational and diligent members of government
1:52.0	by one of those perennial bugabooes of Chinese historiography, an evil, no good, low-down, unic,
1:57.0	trying to consolidate power for himself.
2:00.0	Unfortunately for that power-mad official in question, Wei Zhongxian,
2:04.0	the puppet emperor whose strings he was pulling keeled over dead at the end of September 1627 at just 21.
2:12.0	Ironically, and sadly enough, he left no heirs of his flesh, as his fifth and last living son, Prince Zhu Sejiong,
	...

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