CHING-T'AI

born 1428, China died 1457, China Pinyin Jingtai (reign name [nien-hao]), personal name (hsing-ming) Chu Ch'i-y, posthumous name (shih) Ching-ti, or Ch'eng-li Wang seventh emperor of the Ming dynasty after his brother, the emperor Cheng-t'ung, was captured while leading the imperial forces against the Mongol leader Esen in 1449. When Esen tried to take advantage of his victory and attack the capital at Peking, Ching-t'ai's defense minister, Y Ch'ien, drove Esen's forces back into Mongolia. In 1450 Esen released the abducted former emperor. Although his brother returned to China, Ching-t'ai continued to reign. He caused much resentment by setting up his own son, rather than his nephew, as heir apparent. Partly because of this indiscretion, when he grew ill and lay dying in 1457 his brother, with the aid of a group of palace eunuchs, reascended the throne and disposed of the dying Ching-t'ai.