Taichang Emperor

Taichang泰昌(* August 28, 1582, † September 26, 1620 ) Birth name: Zhu Changluo朱 常 洛, Temple name: Guangzong光宗, was the fourteenth Chinese emperors of the Ming Dynasty. He reigned for only one month in 1620 over China.

Kaiser Taichang was an unwanted legacy, conceived with a concubine. He grew up on, ignored by his father, in a luxurious and decadent world of court intrigue, led by the concubine Zheng, whose son preferred the Wanli Emperor by far. The first twenty years of his life, his father did not even speak to him the title of crown prince, even though he was the firstborn of the emperor. It was not until 1601 he was awarded this rank, but he had to wait twenty years until he was able to govern. In 1615 the concubine Zheng tried to let the crown prince in his own palace murder to secure the succession of his own son. But the plot was discovered. Wanli, however, spared Zheng and oppressed instead all investigations of the case.

After the death of the Wanli Emperor 1620 Taichang ascended the throne. His reign lasted only a month and was too short to be able to at the weakened position of the Government or to the torn finances can change something. Taichang ascended the dragon throne already sick and died under mysterious circumstances. It holds to this day the suspicion that he had been poisoned by supporters of the concubine Zheng. At his death his own father Wanli was not even buried, so for two emperors had to be imposed at the same time of national mourning. Because he died so fast he could not build own mausoleum. As a way the mausoleum of the usurper Jingtai was rebuilt for him. Taichang was succeeded by his only 14 years old son as Tianqi by the Office of the emperor.