Emperors of the Ming dynasty

The Xuande Emperor (Chinese: 宣德帝; pinyin: Xuāndédì; 16 March 1399 – 31 January 1435), personal name Zhu Zhanji (朱瞻基), was the fifth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1425 to 1435. His era name "Xuande" means "Proclamation of Virtue".

The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398) Zhu Yuanzhang (Chinese: 朱元璋; Wade–Giles: Chu Yuan-chang), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398.

The Yongle Emperor (pronounced yong-luh; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424) — personal name Zhu Di (WG: Chu Ti) — was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.

Zhu Yihai (Chinese: 朱以海; pinyin: Zhū Yǐhǎi; 1618–1662), courtesy name Juchuan (巨川), art name Hengshan (恆山) and Changshizi (常石子), was a regent of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1645 to 1653.

Zhu Changqing (Chinese: 朱常清; died 1649), Prince of Huai (淮王), courtesy name Xiaxin (霞新), was claimed to be regent of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1648 to 1649. His regime name was "Dongwu" (東武), which means "east valiant".

The Tianqi Emperor (Chinese: 天啓帝; pinyin: Tiānqǐ Dì; 23 December 1605 – 30 September 1627), personal name Zhu Youjiao (Chinese: 朱由校; pinyin: Zhū Yóujiào), was the 16th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1620 to 1627. He was the eldest son of the Taichang Emperor and a elder brother of the Chongzhen Emperor, who succeeded him. "Tianqi", the era name of his reign, means "heavenly opening".

The Jiajing Emperor (Chinese: 嘉靖帝; pinyin: Jiājìng Dì; Wade–Giles: Chia-ching Ti; 16September 1507 – 23January 1567) was the 12th Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin. His father, Zhu Youyuan (1476–1519), Prince of Xing, was the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor (reigned from 1464 to 1487) and the eldest son of three sons born to the emperor's concubine, Lady Shao. The Jiajing Emperor's era name, "Jiajing", means "admirable tranquility".

The Hongzhi Emperor (Chinese: 弘治帝; pinyin: Hóngzhì Dì) (30 July 1470 – 9 June 1505) was the tenth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1487 to 1505. Born Zhu Youcheng, he was the eldest surviving son of the Chenghua Emperor and his reign as emperor of China is called the "Hongzhi Restoration" (弘治中興). His era name, "Hongzhi", means "great governance". A peace-loving emperor, the Hongzhi Emperor also had only one empress and no concubines, granting him the distinction of being the sole perpetually monogamous emperor in Chinese history, besides Emperor Fei of Western Wei.

Zhu Yuyue (Chinese: 朱聿鐭; pinyin: Zhū Yùyuè; 1605 – 20 January 1647), the Prince of Tang (Chinese: 唐王; pinyin: Táng Wáng), reigned as the Shaowu Emperor (Chinese: 紹武帝; pinyin: Shàowǔ Dì) of the Southern Ming from 1646 to 1647.

The Yongli Emperor (simplified Chinese: 永历帝; traditional Chinese: 永曆帝; pinyin: Yǒnglì Dì; 1623–1662; reigned 18 November 1646 – 1 June 1662), personal name Zhu Youlang, was a royal member to the imperial family of Ming dynasty, and the fourth and last commonly recognised emperor of the Southern Ming, reigning in turbulent times when the former Ming dynasty was overthrown and the Manchu-led Qing dynasty progressively conquered the entire China proper. He led the remnants of the Ming loyalists with the assistance of peasant armies to resist the Qing forces in southwestern China, but he was then forced to exile to Toungoo Burma and eventually captured and executed by Wu Sangui in 1662. His era title "Yongli" means "perpetual calendar".