Emperor Shunzhi

The third emperor of the Qing Dynasty of China (reigned 1643-61). The ninth son of Emperor Taizong Hong Taiji. His given name was Fu-ling, his posthumous name was Emperor Zhang, and his temple name was Shizu. He was called Emperor Shunzhi by his era name. After Emperor Taizong's death in 1643, he was supported by his younger brother Prince Rui Dorgon and ascended to the throne at the age of five. In March 1644, the Ming Dynasty was destroyed by a civil war led by Li Zicheng and others, and the Qing responded to a request for help from Ming general Wu Sangui by crossing Shanhai Pass (northeast of Hebei Province) and expelled Li Zicheng from Beijing in April. In September of the same year, Emperor Shunzhi moved the capital from Shengjing (Shenyang) to Beijing, where he became emperor of China. The central political issue during the Shunzhi period was the establishment of rule over China. In military affairs, he sought to wipe out any remaining Ming forces, put down peasant rebellions in various regions, and restore order in rural areas. In domestic affairs, he respected Confucianism and largely followed the Ming bureaucratic organization and imperial examination system in an attempt to win over the literate class. This gained the support of the Han Chinese ruling class, who wanted to maintain the old system, and was a factor in stabilizing the Qing dynasty's rule over China.

[Hidefumi Yamamoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、清(しん)朝第3代皇帝（在位1643～61）。太宗(たいそう)ホンタイジの第9子。名はフリン、諡(おくりな)は章皇帝、廟号(びょうごう)は世祖(せいそ)。年号をもって順治帝という。1643年、太宗の死後、その弟睿親王(えいしんおう)ドルゴンに擁立され5歳で即位した。1644年3月、明(みん)が李自成(りじせい)らの内乱によって滅亡したことを契機に、清は明の将軍呉三桂(ごさんけい)の救援要請をいれて山海関(さんかいかん)（河北省北東）を越え、4月、李自成を北京(ペキン)から駆逐した。同年9月、順治帝は盛京(せいけい)（瀋陽(しんよう)）から北京に遷都し、ここに中国の皇帝となった。順治年間における政治課題の中心は中国支配の確立にあった。軍事面では明の残存勢力の一掃を図るとともに、各地の農民反乱を平定し、郷村秩序の回復を目ざした。また内政面では儒教主義を尊重し、明の官僚機構や科挙制度をほぼ踏襲して読書人層の懐柔を図った。このことは、旧体制の維持を望む漢人支配者階級の支持するところとなり、清朝の中国支配を安定化させる要因となった。

［山本英史］

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