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 (孝淵景皇后 汪氏; 1427–1507)

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

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

　• A daughter

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

　• Zhu Jianji, Crown Prince Huaixian (懷獻皇太子 朱見濟; 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，母吳賢妃。據《明史》稱吳賢妃為明宣宗為皇太孫時的侍女。

兄長明英宗即位後封他為郕王。1449年，明英宗在「土木堡之變」被瓦剌太師也先所俘後，郕王被于謙等大臣擁立，是為代宗，年號景泰，尊英宗為太上皇。

代宗即位後，用于謙為兵部尚書，北京保衛戰粉碎了瓦剌的進攻。景泰元年（1450年）八月，鴻臚寺卿楊善出使瓦剌，靠著三寸巧舌說服了也先，英宗返回北京，代宗並沒有迎回兄長的意思，又害怕他複闢，故將其軟禁於宮中，以錦衣衛嚴密控管，宮門上鎖並且灌鉛，食物僅能由小洞遞入。

景泰三年，代宗廢去英宗長子朱見深的太子之位，改立自己兒子朱見濟為太子，但朱見濟在次年去世。

景泰八年（1457年）正月，代宗病危，十六日曹吉祥、石亨、徐有貞等人謀復立英宗，十七日清晨發動奪門之變，率領武士攻入紫禁城奉天殿，英宗復闢。代宗被軟禁在西苑，一個多月後去世。

代宗死後，葬于西郊金山（玉泉山北）的景泰陵。英宗令廷臣議王妃之殉葬。議及汪皇后，被李賢及太子諫止。後以皇貴妃唐氏殉葬。

英宗恨代宗薄待，謚為戾王，稱郕戾王。憲宗成化時期上謚號「恭仁康定景皇帝」。崇禎十七年（1644年）七月乙丑，南明弘光帝上廟號代宗，謚號「符天建道恭仁康定隆文布武顯德崇孝景皇帝」。清朝複稱其謚號為「恭仁康定景皇帝」。明清史書多稱明代宗為景帝。

明代宗是少數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，而明惠帝因最後失蹤故無陵墓）。

任用官員

宰輔

• 于謙：當時掌握軍權者。

• 石亨：當時掌握軍權者。

• 陳循

• 高穀

• 王文

• 江淵

• 王一寧

• 蕭鎡

• 商輅

• 苗衷

• 彭時

• 俞綱

太監

• 成敬：內官監太監。永樂二十二年進士，後因案充軍改腐刑而為黃門。為人謙遜，雖然受到皇帝重用，但並不攬權。

家庭成員

妻妾

• 廢后汪氏，景泰三年被廢，英宗免殉死，復郕王妃，出居王府。死後同葬景泰陵，後追封為貞惠安和景皇后

• 皇后杭氏，懷獻太子朱見濟母，景泰三年立為皇后，七年，杭皇后崩，謚曰肅孝皇后。英宗復位（天順年間），削皇后號，毀所葬陵

• 唐皇貴妃，都督唐興女也。以景泰七年進宮，八年封貴妃，寵幸冠後廷。嘗乘馬隨帝游西苑，馬驚妃墮，帝乃命中官劉茂，選御廄之最良者，日控習以待。天順元年二月革封號。郕王死，群臣議殉葬。及妃，妃無言，遂殉之，葬金山

• 李惜兒。

• 妃孫氏，景泰七年十一月升錦衣衛百戶孫震為副千戶，孫震即孫氏家族的外戚

子女

子

• 懷獻太子朱見濟，生母為皇后杭氏，景泰四年去世。

女

• 固安公主，英宗複闢，降稱郡主

• 一女，汪皇后生，幼于固安公主，稍長齋素，矢不下嫁。

影視形象

• 1987年香港電視連續劇《龍庭爭霸》 張兆輝飾演景泰帝。

• 2003年中國大陸電視連續劇《大明王朝1449》 高虎飾演景泰帝。

• 2011年中國大陸古裝言情劇《後宮》，張雷飾演景泰帝。

• 2016年中國大陸電視連續劇《女醫·明妃傳》，黃軒飾演朱祁鈺。

• 2019年中國大陸電視劇《大明風華》，李昕亮飾演朱祁鈺。

• 2020年中國大陸古裝劇《成化十四年》，李泰延飾演景泰皇帝。