Li Zicheng

Uncommon card · No. 140191

Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known as the Dashing King (Chuang Wang), was a Chinese rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644. He claimed the imperial throne as the Yongchang Emperor of the Shun dynasty, which controlled much of North China for a short period. He died a year later. Born into an impoverished family in Shaanxi, Li became involved in the growing peasant rebellions during the late Ming period around 1630. Nicknamed "the Dashing King", in the years that followed he suffered various setbacks but eventually established himself as the foremost rebel leader, and his call for the equal distribution of land brought him a large following. In 1643, Li captured the city of Xiangyang and declared himself king, proclaiming a new Shun dynasty. In 1644 he entered Beijing unopposed, and eventually declared himself emperor, bringing the Ming dynasty's rule in Beijing to an end. Li's rule in Beijing was short-lived, and a month after capturing...

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