Person

Li Zicheng

1606–1645 · 17th century

Li Zicheng was the leader of a peasant rebellion that overthrew the Ming Empire. His forces captured Beijing in 1644, after which the last Ming emperor took his own life. Li was soon defeated by the Manchus and Ming general Wu Sangui, opening the way for the Qing Empire to take power in China.

Li Zicheng
Image: Sunatnight · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Ming EmpireDeclineQing EmpireFoundation

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Shun dynastySouthern MingGreat Xi

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Li Zicheng. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-zicheng
MLA
“Li Zicheng.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-zicheng. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Li Zicheng.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-zicheng.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Li Zicheng’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/li-zicheng (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻