Yu Qian

A capable and upright official of the Ming Dynasty in China. He contributed to overcoming the general crisis of the Ming Dynasty in the mid-15th century. At that time, the Mongolian tribe of the Oirats invaded from the north, and large-scale rebellions were launched by the Dai in the southwestern Luchuan region, the Miao in Huguang (Hunan, Hubei), Ye Zongliu in Zhejiang, Deng Maoqi in Fujian, and Huang Xiaoyang in Guangdong. In addition, the tyranny of the eunuch Wang Zhen, who had controlled the Zhengtong Emperor (Yingzong) at will since he was a child, became more and more intense, causing a major incident (Tumu Incident) in which Zhengtong was captured by the Oirats chief Esen at Tumubao in 1449, and Wang Zhen himself was killed in battle. After achieving success as governor of Henan and Shanxi, Yu Qian, who was Vice Minister of Defense at the time, was promoted to Minister of War, drawing the hopes of the court. He always rejected peace talks and advocated war, establishing an ironclad defense system for the capital. As a result, Esen had no choice but to stop the armed attacks and release Emperor Zhengtong. Yu Qian was a passionate man who would lament when things were not going his way, saying, "Where can I pour all this blood from my body?" However, his uncompromising and strong leadership gradually earned him the dislike of several civil and military officials, including Shi Heng, who had once been his subordinate. He was executed as a result of their plots shortly after the coup d'état in January 1457, when Emperor Yingzong was restored to the throne (Emperor Tianshun).

[Masao Mori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)朝の有能かつ剛直な官僚。明朝が15世紀中葉に迎えた全般的な存亡の危機の克服に貢献した。当時、北方からはモンゴルの部族オイラート部が侵攻し、西南の麓川(ろくせん)ではタイ族、湖広（湖南、湖北）ではミャオ族、浙江(せっこう)では葉宗留(ようそうりゅう)、福建では鄧茂七(とうもしち)、広東(カントン)では黄蕭養(こうしょうよう)がそれぞれ大規模な反乱を起こした。また宮廷では幼時から正統帝（英宗）を意のままに動かしてきた宦官(かんがん)王振の専横が激しくなり、1449年、正統帝が土木堡(どぼくほ)でオイラート部の首長エセンの俘虜(ふりょ)となるという大事件（土木の変）を引き起こし、王振自身も戦死した。河南、山西方面の巡撫(じゅんぶ)として治績をあげたのち、当時兵部侍郎（国防省次官）の職にあった于謙は、宮廷の期待を集めて兵部尚書（長官）となり、終始和議を排して抗戦論を唱え、鉄壁の国都防衛体制を敷いた。このため、エセンは武力攻撃を中止し、正統帝を釈放するのやむなきに至った。于謙は事が思うように運ばないおりには「この身体にたぎる血をどこに注ごうぞ」と嘆くほどの情熱家であったが、その非妥協的で強力な指導性は、しだいに、かつて彼の部下であった石亨(せきこう)ら数名の文武官の嫌うところとなり、1457年正月の英宗復位（天順帝）のクーデター直後、彼らの策謀によって処刑された。

［森　正夫］

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