Jiajing Explained

Jiajing (; 28 January 1522 – 8 February 1567) was the era name (nianhao) of the Jiajing Emperor, the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty. The Jiajing era lasted for 45 years, making it the second-longest era of the Ming. The era name "Jiajing" comes from the phrase "" (jiajing yin bang; translated by James Legge, 1879: ..., but admirably and tranquilly presided over the regions of Yin, ...) in the chapter of Wuyi (Against Luxurious Ease) in the Book of Documents. When the Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne, the Cabinet's candidate era names were the first "Mingliang" (; meaning 'a wise emperor and virtuous officials'), followed by "Shaozhi" (; meaning 'inheriting the Hongzhi Restoration'), and the third "Jiajing".^[1]

On 4 February 1567 (Jiajing 45, 14th day of the 12th month), the Longqing Emperor ascended to the throne and continued to use the Jiajing era name. The following year, the era was changed to Longqing.^[2]

Comparison table

Jiajing	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
AD	1522	1523	1524	1525	1526	1527	1528	1529	1530	1531
Sexagenary cycle	Rénwǔ	Guǐwèi	Jiǎshēn	Yǐyǒu	Bǐngxū	Dīnghài	Wùzǐ	Jǐchǒu	Gēngyín	Xīnmǎo
Jiajing	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
AD	1532	1533	1534	1535	1536	1537	1538	1539	1540	1541
Sexagenary cycle	Rénchén	Guǐsì	Jiǎwǔ	Yǐwèi	Bǐngshēn	Dīngyǒu	Wùxū	Jǐhài	Gēngzǐ	Xīnchǒu
Jiajing	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
AD	1542	1543	1544	1545	1546	1547	1548	1549	1550	1551
Sexagenary cycle	Rényín	Guǐmǎo	Jiǎchén	Yǐsì	Bǐngwǔ	Dīngwèi	Wùshēn	Jǐyǒu	Gēngxū	Xīnhài
Jiajing	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
AD	1552	1553	1554	1555	1556	1557	1558	1559	1560	1561
Sexagenary cycle	Rénzǐ	Guǐchǒu	Jiǎyín	Yǐmǎo	Bǐngchén	Dīngsì	Wùwǔ	Jǐwèi	Gēngshēn	Xīnyǒu
Jiajing	41	42	43	44	45
AD	1562	1563	1564	1565	1566
Sexagenary cycle	Rénxū	Guǐhài	Jiǎzǐ	Yǐchǒu	Bǐngyín

Other regimes' era names that existed during the same period

• China
  • Tianyuan (1546): Ming period—era name of Tian Bin, leader of the Wenshang uprising in Shandong
  • Zaoli or Longfei (1560–1562): Ming period—era name of Zhang Lian, leader of the peasant revolt in Guangdong
  • Dabao (1565): Ming period—era name of Cai Boguan, leader of the peasant revolt in Sichuan
• Vietnam
  • Quang Thiệu (1516–1522): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Chiêu Tông
  • Thống Nguyên (1522–1526): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Cung Hoàng
  • Nguyên Hòa (1533–1548): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Trang Tông
  • Quang Chiếu (1533–1536): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Hiến, Prince Đại
  • Thuận Bình (1548–1556): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Trung Tông
  • Thiên Hựu (1557): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Anh Tông
  • Chính Trị (1558–1571): Later Lê dynasty—era name of Lê Anh Tông
  • Minh Đức (1527–1529): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Đăng Dung
  • Đại Chính (1530–1540): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Thái Tông
  • Quảng Hòa (1541–1546): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Hiến Tông
  • Vĩnh Định (1547): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Tuyên Tông
  • Cảnh Lịch (1548–1555): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Tuyên Tông
  • Quang Bảo (1555–1564): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Tuyên Tông
  • Thuần Phúc (1565–1568): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Mậu Hợp
  • Sùng Khang (1568–1578): Mạc dynasty—era name of Mạc Mậu Hợp
• Japan
  • Daiei (1521–1528): era name of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara and Emperor Go-Nara
  • Kyōroku (1528–1532): era name of Emperor Go-Nara
  • Tenbun (1532–1555): era name of Emperor Go-Nara
  • Kōji (1555–1558): era name of Emperor Go-Nara and Emperor Ōgimachi
  • Eiroku (1558–1570): era name of Emperor Ōgimachi

See also

• List of Chinese era names
• List of Ming dynasty era names

Bibliography

• Book: Li, Chongzhi. zh:中國歷代年號考. Li Chongzhi (李崇智). Zhongguo Lidai Nianhao Kao. zh .

  zh:中國歷代年號考

  . December 2004. Zhonghua Book Co.. Beijing. 7101025129.
• Book: Deng, Hongbo. Deng Hongbo (鄧洪波) .

  zh:鄧洪波

  . zh:東亞歷史年表. Chronology of East Asian History. Chinese. http://www.eastasia.ntu.edu.tw/chinese/05_a04.htm. March 2005. 26 November 2021. 25 August 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070825002742/http://www.eastasia.ntu.edu.tw/chinese/05_a04.htm. National Taiwan University Program for East Asian Classics and Cultures. Taipei. 9789860005189.

Notes and References

1. Chinese. Yao shan tang wai ji, Su Huangdi. 堯山堂外紀·肅皇帝. Jiang Yikui . zh:堯山堂外紀/卷096.
2. History of Ming, Volume 19: