Hongguang Emperor
| Hongguang Emperor 弘光帝 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 19 June 1644 – 15 June 1645 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Chongzhen Emperor (Ming dynasty) | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Longwu Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 September 1607 Beijing, Ming dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 23 May 1646 (aged 38) Beijing, Qing dynasty | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Southern Ming | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Zhu Changxun | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Lady Yao | ||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 弘光帝 | ||||||||||||||||
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The Hongguang Emperor (5 September 1607 – 23 May 1646), personal name Zhu Yousong, was the first emperor of the Chinese Southern Ming dynasty. He was the grandson of the Wanli Emperor through his third son Zhu Changxun, and a cousin of the Chongzhen Emperor, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. He reigned briefly in southern China from 1644 to 1645.
In 1644, rebels led by Li Zicheng captured the Ming capital of Beijing, and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide. Two candidates for the throne then emerged in the auxiliary southern capital of Nanjing, but Zhu Yousong's supporters ensured his appointment as the Hongguang Emperor. In May 1645, Qing dynasty forces—who had defeated the rebels and established control over northern China—attacked Yangzhou, a city north of Nanjing. The battle was followed by the Qing forces crossing the Yangtze River and capturing Nanjing. The Hongguang Emperor fled to Wuhu, Anhui, but was captured in June and taken to Beijing, where he was executed in 1646.