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李自成 Li Zicheng (1606-45) Shortsighted military genius
January 13, 2012, Friday
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LI Zicheng, a poor shepherd-turned-rebel leader, has been described in history books, novels, movies, TV dramas and video games as a "Dashing King" who helped to bring down the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and then proclaimed himself emperor of a short-lived new dynasty.
Li was born into a poor peasant family in Mizhi county in today's Shaanxi Province in northwest China. When he was a child, he was hired as a shepherd and then worked as an apprentice of a village blacksmith. When he reached the age of 20, he was recruited as a runner for a government posthouse.
It was during that time that Li began to learn horse riding and archery. However, two years later Li was sacked, so he returned to his home village to work as a tenant peasant. But the harvest was very poor and he and his family had to live by borrowing.
One day, Li was sued by a local loan shark in front of the county magistrate for failing to pay back his debts. The magistrate ordered soldiers to parade Li in shackles through the streets and considered sentencing him to death.
During the street parade, Li was rescued by his relatives and friends. The following day, Li killed the loan shark and ambushed soldiers sent by the magistrate to arrest him.
At that time, the northern part of the country had been struck by a severe famine and rebellions against Ming Dynasty rule were rampant. In order to escape from the law, Li joined the rebel force led by Gao Yingxiang, the original "Dashing King."
Due to his military talent and outstanding bravery and tactics in the battlefield, Li later inherited the title "Dashing King" and the rebel army after Gao died in a battle.
In the following years, Li and his rebel army won a series of battles against government troops and his forces grew rapidly. Also, a number of scholars and military advisors had joined Li's army. They advised the "Dashing King" to adopt policies such as distributing grains confiscated from greedy landlords and government barns to poor peasants to win their support.
As a result, the slogan "Welcoming the Dashing King, paying no grain tax anymore" spread rapidly in vast areas devastated by the famine and long plagued by the Ming government's exorbitant taxes and levies.
After capturing a few key areas from government troops, Li proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Shun Dynasty in 1643.
In April next year, Li's forces seized the Ming capital of Beijing and the Ming Emperor Chongzhen committed suicide by hanging himself in an imperial garden.
However, Li's stay in Beijing short-lived. After his army was defeated by Wu Sangui, a Ming general defector, and the Manchurians at the Shanhai Pass, Li fled the capital after only 40 days and retreated to central China.
One year later, Li was killed at the age of 39 by militiamen of local landlords when he was passing through a mountainous area in today's Hubei Province. He was accompanied by less than 30 bodyguards.
However, according to some stories, Li disappeared during a battlefield and was never seen again.
Another story says that after his forces were defeated, Li fled to Shashan Temple in today's Hunan Province and became a monk for the rest of his life.
Today, Li is often praised by historians for his bravery and great military talent, but criticized for his shortsightedness and lack of lofty ambition, which are often labeled as characteristics of Chinese peasants.
Li was born into a poor peasant family in Mizhi county in today's Shaanxi Province in northwest China. When he was a child, he was hired as a shepherd and then worked as an apprentice of a village blacksmith. When he reached the age of 20, he was recruited as a runner for a government posthouse.
It was during that time that Li began to learn horse riding and archery. However, two years later Li was sacked, so he returned to his home village to work as a tenant peasant. But the harvest was very poor and he and his family had to live by borrowing.
One day, Li was sued by a local loan shark in front of the county magistrate for failing to pay back his debts. The magistrate ordered soldiers to parade Li in shackles through the streets and considered sentencing him to death.
During the street parade, Li was rescued by his relatives and friends. The following day, Li killed the loan shark and ambushed soldiers sent by the magistrate to arrest him.
At that time, the northern part of the country had been struck by a severe famine and rebellions against Ming Dynasty rule were rampant. In order to escape from the law, Li joined the rebel force led by Gao Yingxiang, the original "Dashing King."
Due to his military talent and outstanding bravery and tactics in the battlefield, Li later inherited the title "Dashing King" and the rebel army after Gao died in a battle.
In the following years, Li and his rebel army won a series of battles against government troops and his forces grew rapidly. Also, a number of scholars and military advisors had joined Li's army. They advised the "Dashing King" to adopt policies such as distributing grains confiscated from greedy landlords and government barns to poor peasants to win their support.
As a result, the slogan "Welcoming the Dashing King, paying no grain tax anymore" spread rapidly in vast areas devastated by the famine and long plagued by the Ming government's exorbitant taxes and levies.
After capturing a few key areas from government troops, Li proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Shun Dynasty in 1643.
In April next year, Li's forces seized the Ming capital of Beijing and the Ming Emperor Chongzhen committed suicide by hanging himself in an imperial garden.
However, Li's stay in Beijing short-lived. After his army was defeated by Wu Sangui, a Ming general defector, and the Manchurians at the Shanhai Pass, Li fled the capital after only 40 days and retreated to central China.
One year later, Li was killed at the age of 39 by militiamen of local landlords when he was passing through a mountainous area in today's Hubei Province. He was accompanied by less than 30 bodyguards.
However, according to some stories, Li disappeared during a battlefield and was never seen again.
Another story says that after his forces were defeated, Li fled to Shashan Temple in today's Hunan Province and became a monk for the rest of his life.
Today, Li is often praised by historians for his bravery and great military talent, but criticized for his shortsightedness and lack of lofty ambition, which are often labeled as characteristics of Chinese peasants.
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