Early life

The future Jingtai Emperor was born on September 21, 1428 with the name Zhu Qiyu to Emperor Yingzong and Empress Hu (1402–1443). On August 3, 1449, he was appointed regent by his older half-brother the Zhengtong Emperor.

Zhu Qiyu would ascend the throne in 1449 after his older brother the Zhengtong Emperor was defeated and taken prisoner by the Oirat Mongols of Esen Khan.

Reign

During his reign, aided by the able minister Yu Qian, Jingtai paid particular attention to matters affecting his country. He repaired the Grand Canal as well as the system of dykes along the Yellow River. As a result of his administration, the economy prospered and the dynasty was further strengthened.

In 1452, he demoted his first wife Empress Wang (Empress Xiaoyuanjing, 1427–1507) since she had only had two daughters, and not a son. He instead promoted his Consort Hang to become Empress Hang (Empress Suxiao), but her five-year-old son, Zhu Jianji, died in 1453 under suspicious circumstances, and she bore no other children.

The Zhengtong Emperor was released in 1450 after the Mongols learned that the Ming government had installed Zhu Qiyu as the new emperor. After that, Jingtai continued to rule as emperor while his brother was granted the title of Retired Emperor and lived in obscurity.

Deposition and death

Jingtai reigned for eight years. Empress Hang died in 1456, and Jingtai himself became ill. With his death imminent in 1457, he still refused to name an heir, particularly because his own son had died mysteriously in 1453 — perhaps poisoned. Jingtai's predecessor, his brother the sidelined Zhengtong Emperor, saw an opportunity to regain the throne and through a military coup overthrew the ailing Jingtai. Zhengtong then adopted a new era name, "Tianshun", and was henceforth known as the Tianshun Emperor. Jingtai was demoted by his brother to his previous title, Prince of Cheng, and placed under house arrest in Xiyuan (西苑). He died a month later, with some sources hinting that he was murdered by eunuchs on the order of the Tianshun Emperor.

After the Jingtai Emperor's death, the Tianshun Emperor denied his brother's rightful honor to be buried at the Ming Dynasty Tombs (together with his predecessors) located north of Beijing. He was instead buried well away from that locale in the hills west of Beijing and was buried as a prince rather than an emperor. His posthumous name was also shortened to five characters, instead of the normal seventeen, to reflect his demoted status.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Xiaoyuanjing, of the Wang clan (孝渊景皇后 汪氏; 1427–1507)

　• Princess Gu'an (固安郡主; 1449–1491), first daughter

　　• Married Wang Xian (王宪) in 1469, and had issue (one son)

　• A daughter

• Empress Suxiao, of the Hang clan (肃孝皇后 杭氏; d. 1456)

　• Zhu Jianji, Crown Prince Huaixian (怀献皇太子 朱见济; 1 August 1448 – 21 March 1453), first son

Ancestry

人物生平

生于宣德三年（1428年），他是明宣宗次子，母吴贤妃。据《明史》称吴贤妃为明宣宗为皇太孙时的侍女。

兄长明英宗即位后封他为郕王。1449年，明英宗在「土木堡之变」被瓦剌太师也先所俘后，郕王被于谦等大臣拥立，是为代宗，年号景泰，尊英宗为太上皇。

代宗即位后，用于谦为兵部尚书，北京保卫战粉碎了瓦剌的进攻。景泰元年（1450年）八月，鸿胪寺卿杨善出使瓦剌，靠著三寸巧舌说服了也先，英宗返回北京，代宗并没有迎回兄长的意思，又害怕他复辟，故将其软禁于宫中，以锦衣卫严密控管，宫门上锁并且灌铅，食物仅能由小洞递入。

景泰三年，代宗废去英宗长子朱见深的太子之位，改立自己儿子朱见济为太子，但朱见济在次年去世。

景泰八年（1457年）正月，代宗病危，十六日曹吉祥、石亨、徐有贞等人谋复立英宗，十七日清晨发动夺门之变，率领武士攻入紫禁城奉天殿，英宗复辟。代宗被软禁在西苑，一个多月后去世。

代宗死后，葬于西郊金山（玉泉山北）的景泰陵。英宗令廷臣议王妃之殉葬。议及汪皇后，被李贤及太子谏止。后以皇贵妃唐氏殉葬。

英宗恨代宗薄待，谥为戾王，称郕戾王。宪宗成化时期上谥号「恭仁康定景皇帝」。崇祯十七年（1644年）七月乙丑，南明弘光帝上庙号代宗，谥号「符天建道恭仁康定隆文布武显德崇孝景皇帝」。清朝复称其谥号为「恭仁康定景皇帝」。明清史书多称明代宗为景帝。

明代宗是少数未安葬在明十三陵的明朝皇帝（另外明太祖葬于南京明孝陵，而明惠帝因最后失踪故无陵墓）。

任用官员

宰辅

• 于谦：当时掌握军权者。

• 石亨：当时掌握军权者。

• 陈循

• 高谷

• 王文

• 江渊

• 王一宁

• 萧鎡

• 商辂

• 苗衷

• 彭时

• 俞纲

太监

• 成敬：内官监太监。永乐二十二年进士，后因案充军改腐刑而为黄门。为人谦逊，虽然受到皇帝重用，但并不揽权。

家庭成员

妻妾

• 废后汪氏，景泰三年被废，英宗免殉死，复郕王妃，出居王府。死后同葬景泰陵，后追封为贞惠安和景皇后

• 皇后杭氏，怀献太子朱见济母，景泰三年立为皇后，七年，杭皇后崩，谥曰肃孝皇后。英宗复位（天顺年间），削皇后号，毁所葬陵

• 唐皇贵妃，都督唐兴女也。以景泰七年进宫，八年封贵妃，宠幸冠后廷。尝乘马随帝游西苑，马惊妃堕，帝乃命中官刘茂，选御厩之最良者，日控习以待。天顺元年二月革封号。郕王死，群臣议殉葬。及妃，妃无言，遂殉之，葬金山

• 李惜儿。

• 妃孙氏，景泰七年十一月升锦衣卫百户孙震为副千户，孙震即孙氏家族的外戚

子女

子

• 怀献太子朱见济，生母为皇后杭氏，景泰四年去世。

女

• 固安公主，英宗复辟，降称郡主

• 一女，汪皇后生，幼于固安公主，稍长斋素，矢不下嫁。

影视形象

• 1987年香港电视连续剧《龙庭争霸》 张兆辉饰演景泰帝。

• 2003年中国大陆电视连续剧《大明王朝1449》 高虎饰演景泰帝。

• 2011年中国大陆古装言情剧《后宫》，张雷饰演景泰帝。

• 2016年中国大陆电视连续剧《女医·明妃传》，黄轩饰演朱祁钰。

• 2019年中国大陆电视剧《大明风华》，李昕亮饰演朱祁钰。

• 2020年中国大陆古装剧《成化十四年》，李泰延饰演景泰皇帝。