Li Zicheng
Li Zicheng was born on September 22, 1606. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Li Zicheng
Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known as the Dashing King (Chuang Wang), was a Chinese rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644 and claimed the imperial throne as the Yongchang Emperor of the Shun dynasty, which controlled much of North China for a short period before his death a year later. Born into an impoverished family in Shaanxi, Li became part of the growing peasant rebellions in the late Ming period in 1630. Nicknamed "the Dashing King", in the decade that followed he achieved moderate success but also on occasion came close to complete defeat. By the early 1640s he had established himself as the foremost rebel leader, and his call for the equal distribution of land brought him great popularity and a large following. In 1643, Li captured Xiangyang and declared himself king. A year later, after proclaiming a new Shun dynasty and declaring himself emperor, he entered Beijing unopposed, bringing the Ming dynasty's rule in Beijing to an end. Li's victory was short-lived, however, and a month later he was defeated at the Battle of Shanhai Pass by the joint forces of Qing prince-regent Dorgon and former Ming general Wu Sangui. After abandoning Beijing, Li suffered further defeats at the hands of the pursuing Qing army, and is generally believed to have died in Hubei in 1645, though the circumstances remain uncertain.