Conflicts & Resolutions · Battle

Tumu Crisis

1449 · 15th century · Also known as Battle of Tumu Fortress

The Tumu Crisis was the defeat and capture of the Ming emperor Zhengtong by the Oirat Mongols under Esen at Tumu fortress, north-west of Beijing, in September 1449. The emperor had led a large army against the Oirat under the influence of the eunuch Wang Zhen, who was killed. The Ming court enthroned his brother as the Jingtai Emperor and held Beijing, and Esen released the captive emperor in 1450.

Tumu Crisis
Image: SY · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Northern YuanFour Oirat

See also

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻