Home » Images » 0011 Pictures From History » CPA0005219

China: Emperor Wanli, 14th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1572-1620).

Emperor Wanli, 14th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1572-1620). Personal Name: Zhu Yijun, Zhū Yìjūn. Posthumous Name: Xiandi, Xiǎndì. Temple Name: Shenzong, Shénzōng. Reign Name: Ming Wanli, Ming Wànlì.

The Wanli Emperor was emperor of China (Ming Dynasty) between 1572 and 1620. His era name means 'Ten Thousand Calendars'. The Wanli emperor’s reign is representative of the decline of the Ming. He was an unmotivated and avaricious ruler whose reign was plagued with fiscal woes, military pressures, and angry bureaucrats. During the closing years of Wanli's reign, the Manchu began to conduct raids on the northern border of the Ming Empire. Their depredations ultimately led to the overthrow of the Ming Dynasty in 1644. It was said that the fall of the Ming Dynasty was not a result of the Chongzhen Emperor's rule but instead due to Wanli's gross mismanagement. The Wanli Emperor died in 1620 and was buried in Dingling located on the outskirts of Beijing.