Li Zicheng
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Lǐ Zìchéng (李自成) (September 22, 1606 - 1644), born Li Hóngjī (鴻基), was a rebel in late Ming Dynasty China who proclaimed himself Chuǎng Wáng (闖王), or "The Roaming King".
Born in Mizhi District (米脂縣), Yan'an Subprefecture (延安府), Shaanxi, Li grew up as a shepherd. Li started to learn horseriding and archery at age 20 and started gathering peasants in 1630. In three years, he gathered more than 20,000 soldiers. The Li rebels then attacked and killed leading officials in places in Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi.
In April 1644, Li's rebels sacked the Ming capital of Beijing, and the last Ming emperor committed suicide. He proclaimed himself as the Emperor of Shun Dynasty (大順皇帝). Li died after his army was defeated on May 27, 1644 by the Manchus and Wu Sangui, either by committing suicide or was killed by pro-Ming militia during his escape at the age of 40. Some folk tales hold that Li didn't die upon defeat, but instead became a monk.
Li Zicheng historiography
Although the Qing conquest of China was made possible by the Ming Dynasty being weakened by the Li Zicheng rebellion, ironically, official historiography during the Qing Dynasty regarded Li as an illegitimate usurper and bandit. This view sought to discourage and demonize any notions of rebellion against the Qing government. It tries to propogate the notion that the Qing Dynasty ended the illegitimate rule of Li and restored honor to the empire, receiving the heavenly mandate to rule China. In 20th century Maoist China, the anti-Confucian and radical inclinations of the Chinese Communist Party viewed Li Zicheng favorably, portraying him as an early revolutionary against feudalism. To this end, the government of the People's Republic of China honored Li with a large monument in Beijing.
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