Shunzhi Emperor

Shunzhi (Chinese顺治, * March 15, 1638; † February 5, 1661, Emperor since October 30, 1644 ) was the son of the Manchu princes Huang Tai Ji ( Abahai ) and was after the conquest of China by the Manchus at the age of six years for the first emperor of the newly established Qing Dynasty.

By the age of twelve years, the reign of his uncles Dorgon and Dsirgalang was exercised.

The education of underage Emperor left the Manchurian guide the palace eunuchs from the defunct Ming Dynasty, which made him familiar with the Chinese language and culture. Shunzhi should develop even a lover of Chinese novels and dramas.

Nevertheless, let Shunzhi no doubt about the superiority claim of Manchu people and discriminated the Chinese indigenous people in many ways. Thus, the Manchus were preferably about when awarding offices, prohibited intermarriage and the Chinese forced on pain of death to carry the perceived as degrading braid, which should be considered as characteristic of the Han people in the West for a long time. Were vigorously opposed and the remaining supporters of the Ming Dynasty, who had retired in the southwest provinces of the empire and to 1661 represented a rival emperor there.

Receptiveness to Shunzhi showed, however, against European China Missionaries: How about an almost friendly relationship connected him with the German Jesuit Adam Schall von Bell. He instructed him not only with the continuation of his astronomical work and surveying the territory of the Reich, but ordered him even to the imperial counselor and tutor of princes. In addition, he allowed the establishment of a Catholic church in Beijing and even tolerated the conversion of the Empress and Crown Prince to Christianity.

The emperor himself, however, Buddhism remained faithful. His last years were marked by the rise of eunuchs cliques and - especially after the death of his young concubine - increased preoccupation with religious matters. Shunzhi went to the monastery. There he became a monk and died at age 23 probably of smallpox.

References

• Qing Dynasty
• Emperor of the Qing Dynasty