The Fall of Beijing and the Rise of the Shun Dynasty

Li Zicheng

A leader of peasant rebellions at the end of the Ming dynasty, known by the nickname "Chuang Wang" (Dashing King). Expanding his influence against a backdrop of political corruption, heavy taxation, and famine in the late Ming period, he captured Beijing in 1644 and drove the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming dynasty to suicide. In the same year, he established the Shun dynasty with Xi'an as its capital and proclaimed himself emperor. However, after Wu Sangui, a Ming general, allied with the Qing military, Li was defeated at the Battle of Shanhai Pass. Thereafter pursued by Qing forces, he lost his power and is believed to have died around 1645. While Li Zicheng's capture of Beijing sealed the downfall of the Ming dynasty, it also provided the impetus for the Qing dynasty's entry into China proper.

Timeline

Category
Element

Year	Li Zicheng
1606	Birth of Li Zicheng (Period: September 22, 1606, Location: Near Mizhi County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China (Lijiachengzhai, belonging to Yan'an Prefecture in the Ming era))
1628	Late Ming Peasant Rebellions (Age: 21 years old, Period: Period Centered Around c. 1628–1644, Location: Various Regions Across China Including Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Sichuan Provinces)
1630	Battles Around Tong Pass (Age: 23 years old, Period: 1630s–early 1640s, Location: Eastern Shaanxi Province, China, Around Tong Pass and the Yellow River / Wei River) Li Zicheng's Joining of the Rebellion and Uprising (Age: 23 years old, Period: c. 1630, Location: Region Centered on Shaanxi Province, China) Service in the Ming Dynasty Postal Relay System (Age: 23 years old, Period: Youth, Prior to 1630, Location: Around Shaanxi Province, China) Expansion of Power Championing Equal Land Distribution (Age: 23 years old, Period: Late 1630s–early 1640s, Location: Shaanxi, Henan Provinces, etc., China)
1631	Independent Organization of Rebel Forces (Age: 24 years old, Period: c. 1631, Location: Region Centered on Shaanxi Province, China)
1636	Execution of Gao Yingxiang and the Rise of Li Zicheng (Age: 29 years old, Period: c. 1636, Location: Around Shaanxi and Henan Provinces, China)
1641	Battle of Luoyang (Age: 34 years old, Period: 1641, Location: Luoyang City, Henan Province, China) Battle of Kaifeng (Age: 34 years old, Period: 1641–1642, Location: Kaifeng City, Henan Province, China)
1643	Battle of Xiangyang (Age: 36 years old, Period: 1643, Location: Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, China) Regime Governance Based in Xi'an (Age: 36 years old, Period: 1643–1644, Location: Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China)
1644	Battle of Shanhai Pass (Age: 37 years old, Period: 1644, Location: Shanhai Pass Near the Border of Hebei and Liaoning Provinces, China) Pursuit of the Dashun Army by Qing Forces (Age: 37 years old, Period: Late 1644–1645, Location: Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hubei Provinces, etc., China) Use of the Yongchang Era Name (Age: 37 years old, Period: 1644–1645, Location: Regions Under Dashun Control, Such as Xi'an and Beijing, China) Turning Point Toward the Establishment of the Qing Dynasty (Age: 37 years old, Period: 1644–1645, Location: Beijing, Shanxi, Shaanxi Provinces, etc., China) Establishment of Dashun (Age: 37 years old, Period: February 8, 1644, Location: Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China) Battle of Beijing (Age: 37 years old, Period: April 1644, Location: Beijing City, China) Jiashen Incident (Fall of Beijing and Collapse of the Ming Dynasty, Age: 37 years old, Period: April 1644, Location: Beijing City, China) Withdrawal from Beijing (Age: 37 years old, Period: Late May–Early June 1644, Location: From Beijing City toward Shaanxi Province, China)
1645	Traditions Regarding Li Zicheng's Final Days (Age: 38 years old, Period: c. 1645, Location: Said to Be Around Tongcheng County or Mount Jiugong, Hubei Province, China)
1674	Death of Li Zicheng (Age: 67 years old, Period: 1645 (exact date and circumstances unknown; one theory suggests he survived until 1674))
Unknown	Marriage (Li Zicheng, Gao Guiying, Period: Exact Year Unknown; Considered to Be Prior to or During Li Zicheng's Rise as a Rebel Leader, Location: Specific Location Unknown; Considered to Be Around Shaanxi Province)

Map

Category
Element

Asia World

Group	List
Ming and Qing Emperors	Yongle Emperor Hongxi Emperor Xuande Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming Hongzhi Emperor Wanli Emperor Chongzhen Emperor Hongwu Emperor Hong Taiji Shunzhi Emperor Kangxi Emperor Yongzheng Emperor Qianlong Emperor
Late Ming period	Nurhaci Dorgon Li Zicheng Zhang Xianzhong Wu Sangui Zheng Chenggong Zhu Youlang Yuan Chonghuan Qi Jiguang Yue Fei
Maritime trade	Zheng He Wang Jinghong Wang Dayuan Matteo Ricci Johann Adam Schall von Bell Ferdinand Verbiest William Adams Jan Joosten
Joseon Dynasty	Taejong Sejong Sejo Seongjong Jungjong Seonjo Gwanghaegun Injo Sukjong Yeongjo Jeongjo Jo Gwang-jo Yu Seong-ryong Heo Jun

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The Fall of Beijing and the Rise of the Shun Dynasty

Li Zicheng

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