The 17th and final emperor of the Ming dynasty. He succeeded his elder brother, the Tianqi Emperor, in 1627 and adopted the era name Chongzhen. During his reign, he eliminated the eunuch Wei Zhongxian and his faction, attempting political reforms and financial recovery. However, long-standing fiscal strain, bureaucratic corruption, severe droughts, famines, peasant rebellions, and Manchu invasions proved overwhelming, preventing him from saving the dynasty. In 1644, as the rebel forces led by Li Zicheng closed in on Beijing, he committed suicide at Jingshan Hill, bringing an end to Ming rule.

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