HomeNationsChinaMingEmperors: 1368-1644

Ming: Emperors: 1368-1644

Each ruler is recorded under the following protocol: temple name (miàohào | 廟號) || personal name (míng | ), considered tabooed (huì | ) upon accession; posthumous name (shì | ). The years of bestowal or change are given in brackets.
Ruling House: Zhū ()
Huángdì (皇帝)
23 Jan 1368 - 24 Jun 1398 Tàizǔ (太祖) [1398] || Zhū Xīngzōng (朱興宗); Zhū Yuánzhāng (朱元璋) [1352]
posthumous names: Shèng shén wén wǔ qīn míng qǐ yùn jùn dé chéng gōng tǒng tiān dà xiào gāo huángdì (聖神文武欽明啟運俊德成功統天大孝高皇帝) [1398]; Kāi tiān xíng dào zhào jì lì jí dà shèng zhì shén rén wén yì wǔ jùn dé chéng gōng gāo huángdì (開天行道肇紀立極大聖至神仁文義武俊德成功高皇帝) [1538]
common reference (era name): Hóngwǔ (洪武)
   
30 Jun 1398 - 13 Jul 1402 Huìzōng (惠宗) [1645] || Zhū Yǔnwén (朱允炆)
posthumous names: Sì tiān zhāng dào chéng yì yuān gōng guān wén yáng wǔ kè rén dǔ xiào ràng huángdì (嗣天章道誠懿淵功觀文揚武克仁篤孝讓皇帝) [1645]; Gōng mǐn huì huángdì (恭閔惠皇帝) [1736]
common reference (era name): Jiànwén (建文)
   
17 Jul 1402 - 12 Aug 1424 Tàizōng (太宗) [1424]; Chéngzǔ (成祖) [1538] || Zhū Dì (朱棣)
posthumous names: Bèn [tǐ] tiān hóng dào gāo míng guǎng yùn shèng wǔ shén gōng chún rén zhì xiào wén huángdì (体[體]天弘道高明廣運聖武神功純仁至孝文皇帝) [1424]; Qǐ tiān hóng dào gāo míng zhào yùn shèng wǔ shén gōng chún rén zhì xiào wén huángdì (啟天弘道高明肇運聖武神功純仁至孝文皇帝) [1538]
common reference (era name): Yǒnglè (永樂)
   
7 Sep 1424 - 29 May 1425 Rénzōng (仁宗) [1425] || Zhū Gāochì (朱高熾)
posthumous names: Jìng tiān tǐ dào chún chéng zhì dé hóng wén qīn wǔ zhāng shèng dá xiào zhāo huángdì (敬天體道純誠至德弘文欽武章聖達孝昭皇帝) [1425]
common reference (era name): Hóngxī (洪熙)
   
27 Jun 1425 - 31 Jan 1435 Xuānzōng (宣宗) [1435] || Zhū Zhānjī (朱瞻基)
  posthumous names: Xiàn tiān chóng dào yīng míng shén shèng qīn wén zhāo wǔ kuān rén chún xiào zhāng huángdì (憲天崇道英明神聖欽文昭武寬仁純孝章皇帝) [1435]
  common reference (era name): Xuāndé (宣德)
   
7 Feb 1435 - 22 Sep 1449 Yīngzōng (英宗) || Zhū Qízhèn (朱祁鎮) [1]
   
22 Sep 1449 - 11 Feb 1457 Dàizōng (代宗) [1645] || Zhū Qíyù (朱祁鈺) [2]
  posthumous names: Lì wáng (戾王) [1457]; Gōng rén kāng dìng jǐng huángdì (恭仁康定景皇帝) [1476]; Fú tiān jiàn dào gōng rén kāng dìng lóng wén bù wǔ xiǎn dé chóng xiào jǐng huángdì (符天建道恭仁康定隆文布武顯德崇孝景皇帝) [1645]
  common reference (era name): Jǐngtài (景泰)
   
11 Feb 1457 - 23 Feb 1464 Yīngzōng (英宗) [1464] || Zhū Qízhèn (朱祁鎮) 
  posthumous names: Fǎ tiān lì dào rén míng chéng jìng zhāo wén xiàn wǔ zhì dé guǎng xiào ruì huángdì (法天立道仁明誠敬昭文憲武至德廣孝睿皇帝) [1464]
  common reference (era name): Tiānshùn (天順)
   
28 Feb 1464 - 9 Sep 1487 Xiànzōng (憲宗) [1487] || Zhū Jiànrú (朱見濡); Zhū Jiànshēn (朱見深) [1457]
  posthumous names: Jì tiān níng dào chéng míng rén jìng chóng wén sù wǔ hóng dé shèng xiào chún huángdì (繼天凝道誠明仁敬崇文肅武宏德聖孝純皇帝) [1487]
  common reference (era name): Chénghuà (成化)
   
22 Sep 1487 - 8 Jun 1505 Xiàozōng (孝宗) [1505] || Zhū Yòutáng (朱祐樘)
  posthumous names: Jiàn tiān míng dào chéng chún zhōng zhèng shèng wén shén wǔ zhì rén dà dé jìng huángdì (建天明道誠純中正聖文神武至仁大德敬皇帝) [1505]
  common reference (era name): Hóngzhì (弘治)
   
19 Jun 1505 - 20 Apr 1521 Wǔzōng (武宗) [1521] || Zhū Hòuzhào (朱厚照)
  posthumous names: Chéng tiān dá dào yīng sù ruì zhé zhāo dé xiǎn gōng hóng wén sī xiào yì huángdì (承天達道英肅睿哲昭德顯功宏文思孝毅皇帝) [1521]
  common reference (era name): Zhèngdé (正德)
   
27 May 1521 - 23 Jan 1567 Shìzōng (世宗) [1567] || Zhū Hòucōng (朱厚熜)
  posthumous names: Qīn tiān lǚ dào yīng yì shèng shén xuān wén guǎng wǔ hóng rén dà xiào sù huángdì (欽天履道英毅聖神宣文廣武洪仁大孝肅皇帝) [1567]
  common reference (era name): Jiājìng (嘉靖)
   
4 Feb 1567 - 5 Jul 1572 Mùzōng (穆宗) [1572] || Zhū Zàihòu (朱載垕)
  posthumous names: Qì tiān lóng dào yuān yì kuān rén xiǎn wén guāng wǔ chún dé hóng xiào zhuāng huángdì (契天隆道淵懿寬仁顯文光武純德弘孝莊皇帝) [1572]
  common reference (era name): Lóngqìng (隆慶)
   
19 Jul 1572 - 18 Aug 1620 Shénzōng (神宗) [1620] || Zhū Yìjūn (朱翊鈞)
  posthumous names: Fàn tiān hé dào zhé sù dūn jiǎn guāng wén zhāng wǔ ān rén zhǐ xiào xiǎn huángdì (範天合道哲肅敦簡光文章武安仁止孝顯皇帝) [1620]
  common reference (era name): Wànlì (萬曆)
   
28 Aug 1620 - 26 Sep 1620 Guāngzōng (光宗) [1620] || Zhū Chángluò (朱常洛)
  posthumous names: Chóng tiān qì dào yīng ruì gōng chún xiàn wén jǐng wǔ yuān rén yì xiào zhēn huángdì (崇天契道英睿恭純憲文景武淵仁懿孝貞皇帝) [1620]
  common reference (era name): Tàichāng (泰昌)
   
1 Oct 1620 - 30 Sep 1627 Xīzōng (熹宗) [1627] || Zhū Yóuxiào (朱由校) (alternative reading of : jiào)
  posthumous names: Dá tiān chǎn dào dūn xiào dǔ yǒu zhāng wén xiāng wǔ jìng mù zhuāng qín zhé huángdì (達天闡道敦孝篤友章文襄武靖穆莊勤悊皇帝) [1627]
  common reference (era name): Tiānqǐ (天啟)
   
2 Oct 1627 - 25 Apr 1644 Huáizōng (懷宗) [1644]; Sīzōng (思宗) [1644]; Yìzōng (毅宗) [1645] || Zhū Yóujiǎn (朱由檢)
  posthumous names: Qīn tiān shǒu dào mǐn yì dūn jiǎn hóng wén xiāng wǔ tǐ rén zhì xiào zhuāng liè duān huángdì (欽天守道敏毅敦儉弘文襄武體仁致孝莊烈端皇帝) [1644]; Zhuāng liè mǐn huángdì (莊烈愍皇帝) [1660]
  common reference (era name): Chóngzhēn (崇禎)

[1] In captivity since 1 Sep 1449; honorific title: Tàishàng huángdì (太上皇帝) (1449-1457).
[2] Deposed and demoted (restored) to prince: Chéng wáng (郕王) [1457].