The Yongle Emperor, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
The Hongxi Emperor, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Renzong of Ming (明仁宗), personal name Zhu Gaochi (朱高熾), was the fourth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1424 to 1425. He was the eldest son of the Yongle Emperor and Empress Renxiaowen and the maternal grandson of Xu Da, Prince of Zhongshan. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, but his reign lasted less than a year. "Hongxi", the era name of his reign, means "vastly bright".
The Taichang Emperor, personal name Zhu Changluo, was the 15th emperor of the Ming dynasty. He was the eldest son of the Wanli Emperor and succeeded his father as emperor in 1620. However, his reign came to an abrupt end less than one month after his coronation when he was found dead one morning in the palace following a bout of diarrhea. He was succeeded by his son, Zhu Youjiao, who was enthroned as the Tianqi Emperor. His era name, "Taichang", means "grand prosperity." His reign was the shortest in Ming history.
The Jianwen Emperor, personal name Zhu Yunwen (朱允炆), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Huizong of Ming (明惠宗) and by his posthumous name as the Emperor Hui of Ming (明惠帝), was the second emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1398 to 1402. Zhu Yunwen's father was Zhu Biao, the eldest son and crown prince of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty. Zhu Biao died at the age of 37 in 1392, after which the Hongwu Emperor named Zhu Yunwen as his successor. He ascended the throne after the Hongwu Emperor's death in June 1398.
Zhu Biao was the Hongwu Emperor's eldest son and crown prince of the Ming dynasty. His early death created a crisis in the dynasty's first succession that was resolved by the successful usurpation of his brother Zhu Di as the Yongle Emperor, an act with far-reaching consequences for the future of China.
The Hongguang Emperor, personal name Zhu Yousong, childhood nickname Fuba (福八), was the first emperor of the Chinese Southern Ming dynasty. He reigned briefly in southern China from 1644 to 1645. His era name, "Hongguang", means "great light".
In the now-abolished Chinese monarchy, various methods had been used to determine succession to the Chinese throne. The Mongol-led Yuan dynasty practiced blood tanistry, or competition among brothers, while the Ming dynasty favored primogeniture, with an emperor succeeded by his eldest son. During the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, an emperor would write an edict to select one of his sons in secret. An emperor could have numerous sons by women of various ranks, so the heir might not be obvious until it was announced.
The Qing dynasty (1636–1912) of China developed a complicated peerage system for royal and noble ranks.
Jirgalang or Jirhalang was a Manchu noble, regent, and political and military leader of the early Qing dynasty. Born in the Aisin Gioro clan, he was the sixth son of Šurhaci, a younger brother of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing dynasty. From 1638 to 1643, he took part in many military campaigns that helped destroy the Ming dynasty. After the death of Huangtaiji in September 1643, Jirgalang became one of the young Shunzhi Emperor's two co-regents, but he soon yielded most political power to co-regent Dorgon in October 1644. Dorgon eventually purged him of his regent title in 1647. After Dorgon died in 1650, Jirgalang led an effort to clean the government of Dorgon's supporters. Jirgalang was one of ten "princes of the first rank" (和碩親王) whose descendants were made "iron-cap" princes (鐵帽子王), who had the right to transmit their princely titles to their direct male descendants perpetually.
Zhu Shuang was an imperial prince of the Chinese Ming dynasty. He was the second son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming. In May 1370, the Hongwu Emperor granted the title of Prince of Qin to him, with a princely fiefdom in Xi'an.
The House of Zhu was the imperial ruling house of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and Southern Ming dynasty (1644–1662) of China.
Empress Xiaominrang, of the Ma clan, was the empress consort to the Jianwen Emperor and the second empress consort of China's Ming dynasty.
Empress Chengxiaozhao, of the Zhang clan, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the fourth Ming ruler, the Hongxi Emperor. He only ruled for one year, so she then served as Empress dowager after the accession of her son the Xuande Emperor. She later served as the Regent of China during the minority of the reign of her grandson, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, from 1435 until 1442.
Zhu Shouqian, the Prince of Jingjiang, was the grandnephew of Zhu Yuanzhang. His grandfather, Zhu Xinglong, Prince of Nanchang, was the eldest brother of the Hongwu Emperor, and his father was Zhu Wenzheng.
Prince of Qin was a first-rank princely peerage of the Ming dynasty. The princedom was created by the Hongwu Emperor for his second son, Zhu Shuang.
Prince of Jingjiang (靖江王) was a princely peerage created and used during the Ming dynasty. It was the tenth princely peerage created by the Hongwu Emperor; his grandnephew Zhu Shouqian was the first to be enfeoffed as Prince of Jingjiang. The Princedom of Jingjiang was distinct from other princely peerages in that the princely title contained two Chinese characters, common to second-rank princedoms but not first-rank princedoms. Nevertheless, the Prince of Jingjiang was still a first-rank princely peerage. The heir apparent to the Princedom of Jingjiang was styled Hereditary Prince, but the titles for other non-inheriting male members of the line was bulwark general or supporter general while female members were styled county lady or village lady, not commandery prince/princess as was common with other first-rank peerages.
Noble Consort Zheng (1565–1630), was a Ming dynasty concubine of the Wanli Emperor. She is known for having been his most beloved consort and, in an attempt to please her, he tried to make her son his heir apparent. This act caused over a decade of conflict and factionalism in the imperial court.
Prince of Qi was a first-rank princely peerage of the Ming dynasty created by the Hongwu Emperor. The first Prince of Qi was Zhu Fu, 7th son of the Hongwu Emperor. He was made the principality by his father in 1370. The peerage later abolished by the Jianwen Emperor in 1399, and abolished again by the Yongle Emperor in 1406 after the re-creation of 1403. After Zhu Yujian enthroned as the Longwu Emperor of the Southern Ming, he posthumously restored Zhu Fu's princely title and princedom. The Chongzhen Emperor also posthumously bestowed 3rd son of his father, the Taichang Emperor, Zhu Youji (朱由楫) under the title of Prince of Qi.
Zhu Changxun (1586–1641) was the third son of the Ming dynasty Wanli Emperor. His mother, Noble Consort Zheng, was a favoured concubine and, in efforts to please her, the emperor attempted to have Zhu made heir apparent, but failed to overturn the rule of primogeniture. After the fall of the Ming, however, Zhu's son, Zhu Yousong, became emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty.
