A brief history of Mid-Autumn Festival, and the tale of Hou Yi the Archer & the Ten Suns, and Chang'e & the Moon

Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forever more
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore

Sources:
Barlett, Scarlett. The Mythology Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Tales.
Masaka, Mori. “Restoring the ‘Epic of Hou Yi’” in Asian Folklore Studies, vol. 52, no. 5.
Yang, Lihui, Demin An, and Jessica Anderson Turner. Handbook of Chinese Mythology.
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Special - Mid-Autumn Festival: Fly Me to The Moon

Manchu occupation of the lands south of the Yangtze River proceed smoothly... right up until Prince Dorgon is convinced by some of his advisors that everyone needs a haircut.
Within Southern Ming, multiple princes vie for power - such as it it - at pretty much the worst possible time to be having a throne-fight.

Time Period Covered:
1645-1646 CE

Major Historical Actors:
Qing:
Prince Dorgon, Regent of Great Qing [1612-1650]
Dodo, Prince of Yu [1614-1649]
Bolo, Prince Duanzhong [1613-1652]
Hong Chengchou [1593-1665]

Southern Ming:
Zhu Yujian, Prince of Tang/Longwu Emperor [1602-1646]
Zhu Yihai, Prince of Lu, Regent of Great Ming [1618-1662]
General Zheng Hongkui [d. 1654]
Zheng Zhilong (Nicholas Iquan Gaspard), Marquis of Tong'an [1604-1661]
Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) [1624-1662]

Major Works Cited:
Dennerline, Jerry. "The Shun-chih Reiegn" in The Cambridge History of China, Volume 9, Part One: The Ch'ing Empire to 1800
Struve, Lynn A. "The Southern Ming, 1644-1662" in The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7 The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, part I.
Wakeman, Frederic. The Great Enterprise: The Manchu Reconstruction of Imperial Order in Seventeenth-Century China.
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#257 - Qing 3: Lose Your Hair, Or Lose Your Head

Beijing has been brutally captured, with the Ming emperor committing suicide rather than face the bandit army of Li Zicheng. However, before he can get comfortable, the full might of the Qing are on their way to "liberate" the Chinese empire from, well, the Chinese. What follows is as chaotic as it is lightning swift, as the Manchu hordes, chase the fleeing remnants of the fallen Ming court south to what they pray will be a refuge: Nanjing.

Time Period Covered:
Apr. 1644- Nov. 1645

Major Historical Figures:
Qing:
The Shunzhi Emperor (Aisin Gyoro Fulin) [r. 1643-1661]
Dorgon, Prince Ruizhong [1612-1650]
Ajige, Prince Ying [1605-1651]
Dodo, Prince Yu [1614-1649]
Prime Minister Fan Wencheng [1597-1666]

Ming:
The Chongzhen Emperor [r. 1627-1644]
General Wu Sangui [1612-1678]
General Hong Chengchou [1593-1665]
General Zuo Liangyu [1599-1645]
General Shi Kefa [1601-1645]

Bandit:
Li Zicheng [d. 1644]
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#256 - Qing 2: Greeted As Liberators

It's been a hot summer, and a long break for me! Let's get back into things with a little extra Mongol action...

“The imperial city was ripped open … Zhongdu was not one but four cities. We took each of them in turn, methodically killing and razing everything that dared stand upright under Tenggeri. The palaces and gardens of the King of Gold [Jin] were ransacked, revealing such riches that the tribute paid three seasons before by the Jin emperor now seem derisory and humiliating.
“A whole moon was needed to collect the bodies and count them. And the city burned for another moon still, creating such a stench that even the scavengers kept away.”
- Jöchi, ca. 1215
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Bonus - Mongol 6: Agent of Chaos

For the once-great Ming, the 1630s... suck. Manchus are battering down the creaky northern defenses, foreign silver has dried up, the treasuries are empty, famine, plague and locust swarms are ripping through the populace, and bandit warlords are causing a ruckus in the west... with an increasing eye on the capital itself.

Time Period Covered:
ca. 1638-1644 CE

Major Historical Figures:
Great Ming:
The Chongzhen Emperor (Zhu Youjian) [r. 1627-1644]
Xiong Wencan, Supreme Commander of Bandit Pacification [d. 1639]
General Yang Sichang [d. 1641]
General Sun Chuanting [d. 1643]
General Wu Sangui [1616-1678]

Great Qing:
Hong Taiji [1592-1643]
Prince Abatai [1589-1646]
Prince Dorgon [1612-1650]

Rebels/Bandits:
Li Zicheng, "The Dashing King" [1606-1645]
Zhang Xiangzhong, "The Yellow Tiger" [1606-1647]

Major Sources Cited:
Atwell, William. "The T'ai-ch'ang, T'ian-ch'i, and Ch'ung-chen reigns" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.
Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
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#255 - Ming 39: It's the End of the World As We Know It

What does the aftermath of a massacre entail, on the world stage?
CIA Memo 6/10/89 - Begins: 2:25
US Beijing Embassy Cable 7/11/89 - Begins: 6:05
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05/35: Tiananmen Revisited

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Rebroadcast: 6/4: UK Cable on Tiananmen Square Massacre

We're releasing one from the paid vaults to share with everyone! (Don't worry, there's still plenty more exclusive Mongol content)... consider heading on over to Patreon.com/thehistoryofchina to support the show and catch up with all things steppe-rider!

Genghis Khan rules the steppe. Yet before he'll be able to expand beyond its vast, rolling expanse, he'll have to deal with several in-house issues, particularly the ambitions of a powerful shaman named Teb Tengri, who may have designed on Genghis' power and position...  

Time Period Covered: 1206-1209CE 

Major Historical Figures: 
Borjigin:
Genghis Khan (Temujin)
Börte, Temujin's First Wife
Ho'elun, Temujin's Mother
Khasar, Temujin's Second Brother
Temuge Otchigin, Prince of the Hearth, Temujin's Youngest Brother
Chaga, Temujin's 11th Wife 

Mongol:
Kokhchu Teb Tengri, Shaman
Monglik 

Jurchen Jin:
Emperor Zhangzong of Jin
Wanyan Yongji, Prince Shao of Wei
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Bonus - Mongol 5: The Shaman

As the newly enthroned Khan of the Manchus, Hong Taiji has a lot of plates to keep spinning. Conquest of Joseon Korea to the east, conquest of the Chahar Mongols to the west, and continuing to pound against the ever-weakening Ming Dynasty to the south. But he still has time for aesthetic considerations, such as the fact that names like "Jurchen" and "Jin" are so passé, while names like "Manchu" and "Qing" are the new hotness.

Time Period Covered:
1626-1643 CE

Major Historical Figures:
Qing:
Hong Taiji (Emperor Taizong of Qing) [r. 1626-1643]
Prince Amin [1585-1640]
Prince Haoge [1609-1648]
Prince Dorgon [1612-1650]
Prince Fulin (The Shunzi Emperor) [r. 1643-1661]

Ming:
Gen. Mao Wenlong [1576-1629]
Gen. Yuan Chonghuan [1584-1630]
Gen. Zu Dashou [d. 1656]
Gen. Hong Chenchou [1593-1665]
Gen. Wu Sangui [1612-1678]

Joseon:
King Injo [r. 1623-1649]

Northern Yuan:
Ligdan Khan [r. 1603-1634]
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#254 - Qing 1: Build Me An Army Worthy of Manchu

The Chongzhen Emperor takes command of the Ming, but things are not going well... and they're not going to get any better. After purging his government of partisan elements, he find he's now condemned it to hopeless deadlock. Along the southern coasts, pirate fleets and Dutch privateers prowl the water, making trade all but impossible. Economic and currency woes lead, combined with repeated natural catastrophes lead to widespread banditry and rebel factions doing what they must to survive... and through it all, the Manchu threat to the north continue to press its advantage, breaking through the Great Wall, and going so far as to raid around Beijing itself!

Time Period Covered:
1628-1636

Major Historical Figures:
Ming Empire:
The Chongzhen Emperor (Zhu Yujian) [r. 1628-1644]
General Yuan Conghuan [1584-1630]
Zheng Zhilong, Admiral of the South Seas [1604-1661]
Grand Secretary Wen Tiren [1584-1639]

Qing Dynasty:
Hong Taiji (Emperor Taizong of Qing) [r. 1626-1643]
Amin [1585-1640]
Commander Kong Youde [d. 1562]
Geng Zhongming [1604-1649]

Rebels:
Li Zicheng [1606-1649]
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#253 - Ming 38: Manchus, and Pirates, and Rebels, Oh My!

Great Ming's 15th emperor steps up to bat at the tender age of 15, but he's not terribly interested in tackling the challenges facing the empire. He'd rather sit in his room and... build models. As if that weren't enough, things go from already-bad to even-worse when a certain eunuch with a mountain of a chip on his shoulder manages to wrangle the reins of power from the teenage monarch.

Time Period Covered:
1620-1627 CE

Major Historical Figures:
The Tianqi Emperor (Zhu Youjiao) [r. 1620-1627]
Exalted Duke Wei Zhongxian [1568-1627]
Madame Ke [1605-1627]
Minister of War Cui Chengxiu [1571-1627]
Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao [1559-1627]
Minister Liu Zongzhou [1578-1645]
Vice Censor-in-Chief Yang Lian [1572-1625]
Xu Hengru, White Lotus rebel leader [d. 1623]
The Chongzhen Emperor (Zhu Yujian) [r. 1627-1644]
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#252 - Ming 37: The Donglin Debacle

WE today join the host of The History Daily Podcast, Lindsay Graham, as he recounts the harrowing 1281 invasion of Japan by the fearsome combined force of Mongols, Chinese, and Koreans. All seems lost for the archipelagic kingdom... until a most unusual wind begins to blow...
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Special: History Daily - The Storm That Saved Japan

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We revisit the pivotal Battle of Sarhu of 1619/20, but this time from the Ming perspective. Then we'll finally send the Wanli Emperor into his tomb and take stock of his reign and legacy, before getting into our final few emperors Great Ming has left in the tank.

Time Period Covered:
1619-1621 CE

Major Historical Figures:
Ming:
The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yujin) [r. 1572-1620]
The Taichang Emperor (Zhu Changluo) [r. 1620-1620]
The Tianqi Emperor (Zhu Youjiao) [r. 1620-1627]
Consort Li
Supreme Commander Yang Hao [d. 1629]
General Du Song, "The Madman" [d. 1619]
General Ma Lin [d. 1619]
General Li Rubo [d. 1621]
General Liu Ting [d. 1619]

Manchu/Later Jin:
Nurhachi [r. 1616-1626]
Amba Beile Daisan [1583-1648]
Hong Taiji [1592-1643]
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#251 - Ming 36: The Final Showdown

With Manchuria all but tapped out, Nurhachi and his Manchus seek to expand in the only direction that makes any sense - south into Ming territory. It's time for the Airing of Grievances! He's got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about it!!

Time Period Covered:
~1618-1626 CE
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#250 - Ming 35: Nurhachi, Part 2

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In the frigid wilds beyond the Great Wall, a young warrior will begin a grand campaign to establish himself as the sovereign of All Under Heaven, and overthrow an ancient rival.

Time Period Covered:
1559-1619 CE

Major Historical Figures:
Ming:
The Wanli Emperor
General Li Chengliang

Aisin-Gioro/Later Jin/Manchu:
Nurhachi, Heavenly Mandated Khan of Jin [1559-1626]
Giocangga [d. 1582]
Surhaci [d. 1611]
Cuyen [d. 1615]
Hong Taiji
Nikan Wilan
Dragon-Tiger General Meggebulu

Check out the French History Podcast by Dr. Gary Girod:
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#249 - Ming 34: Nurhachi, Part 1

Ming China gets down and dirty with a Miao Rebellion the the Southwest, a Mongol(-ish) urprising in the Northwest, and a newly re-unified Japan gettin just a little too big for their britches in Korea.

Time Period Covered: 1587-1600 CE
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#248 - Ming 33: Dragon Head, Snake Tail

As Ming China enters the 16th century, the Wanli Emperor, his ministers, a new canal, Portuguese & Spanish explorers, the usual gaggle of Chinese neighbors, the Philippines, the Christian Church, The White Lotus, and - of course - the Jesuits all start becoming one another problems...

Time Period Covered:
~1600-1617 CE

Major Historical Figures:
MING:
The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yizhun) [r. 1572-1620]
Li Zhi, persecuted Neo-Confucian philosopher [1527–1602]
Li Rusong, Ming Commander in Chief [d. 1598]
Wang Yangming, Master of the "School of the Mind" [1472–1529]
Wang Zhicai, politician & assaultee [d. 16??]
Zhang Zha, the "Attack With the Club" Intruder [d. 1617]

OTHERS:
Limahong (Lin Feng), Pirate Leader out of Manila [1499-1574]
Wang Wang Gao, Ming Captian/Spanish Liason [15??]
Fr. Martin de Rada [1533-1578]
Nurhaci, Mysterious Aisin Gyoro Leader [1559- 1626]
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#247 - Ming 32: State On the Wane

First a brief lookback on the crazy, nutso year that was 2022, as our intrepid host deals with an unfortunate year-end bout of COVID... Then, a reach deep into the archives for an oldie, but goodie from a few centuries ago...
This short episode covers the life of one of the great mathematicians, astronomers, and engineers of ancient China: Zu Chongzhi. In his life from 429-500 CE, he will re-create an ancient precursor to the compass that had been lost for centuries, calculate the motions of the celestial objects with a degree of accuracy in excess of 99.9%, design a comprehensive new calendar system, and derive the value of π to a degree of accuracy that would not be surpassed the world over for another millennium.
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#246 - 2022 Retrospective/Archive: The Mathematician of Heaven

Being the most powerful person in the empire must be nothing but the good life, right? Well... not so much. And especially with the truly dysfunctional Ming system facing the newly-adult Wanli Emperor, it's a system that promises all the perks, but delivers only drudgery, frustration, and disappointment. Not even 5,000 concubines can make up for that...

Time Period Covered:
1582-1600 CE

Major Historical Figures:
The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yizhun) [r. 1572-1620]
Empress Xiaoduan (Wang Xijie) [1564-1620]
Noble Consort Wang [1565-1611]
Prince Zhu Changluo, "First Imperial Son" [1582-1620]
Noble Consort Zheng [1565-1630]
Prince Zhu Changxun, "Third Imperial Son" [1586-1641]
Grand Secretary Zhang Zhuzheng [d. 1582]

Major Sources Cited:
Duhalde, Marcelo. “Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service” in South China Morning Post (July 12, 2018).
Huang, Ray. 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline.
Huang, Ray. “The L’ung-ch’ing and Wan’li Reigns, 1567-1620” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.
Toshima, Yoriko [Su Chung]. Court Dishes in China. 
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#245 - Ming 31: Event Horizon

Protests erupt across Chinese cities in perhaps the largest demonstration of public outcry in more than 30 years. Today, we look at some of the major reasons why.

[WARNING: Disturbing Content - audio clips of deadly fire, protests, clashes with police]
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