Zhu Zhifan

Zhu Zhifan (Chinese: 朱寘鐇; pinyin: Zhū Zhìfán; died 1510) was a member of Ming Dynasty's Royal family. He held the title "Prince of Anhua" from 1492 until 1510; his major power was in central Shaanxi.

Uprising

The Prince of Anhua had long thought himself a suitable candidate to become the Ming Emperor. He shared his views with several military commanders, officials, local scholars and shamans, and also recruited a handful of soldiers.

In 1510, the court official Liu Jin was dispatched to Shaanxi in order to implement the new rate of taxation on military areas. He punished corrupt tax officials; all of them were the Prince of Anhua's men. The Prince of Anhua seized this opportunity and stirred up his supporters to rebel.

On 12 May 1510, all the high officials of the region were invited to a banquet held at the prince's residence. During the banquet, his soldiers rushed in and slaughtered several officers, officials, and eunuchs. Soldiers also were sent to kill officials who had refused to attend the banquet. Then their offices were wrecked and burned.

Zhu

Zhu or ZHU may refer to:

Zhu (string instrument)

The zhu (筑; pinyin: zhù) was an ancient Chinese string instrument. Although it is no longer used, three very old specimens in varying degrees of preservation survive. One with five strings, dating to approximately 433 BC, was discovered in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, in the Hubei province of central China.

It first became popular during the Warring States period, when its most famous player was Gao Jianli, a citizen of the state of Yan who attracted the attention and played for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

The instrument remained popular through the Sui and Tang dynasties, and was lost during the Song Dynasty.

Little is known about the instrument but it is believed to have been a zither with a rectangular wooden body, with silk or gut strings that were played with a slender stick. Although ancient sources state that the instrument was struck (implying that the stick was bounced on the string in the manner of a hammered dulcimer in order to elicit sound), it is possible that it was actually plucked with the stick in the manner of the Korean komungo.

Zhu (surname)

Zhu is the pinyin romanization of four Chinese surnames: 朱, 祝, 竺, and 諸. It is spelled Chu in the Wade-Giles romanization system mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

The most common of the four, 朱, was the surname of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Today it is the 13th most common surname in the People's Republic of China, with a population of over fifteen million.

Origination and distribution

The Zhu (朱) family originated from the minor state of Zhu (邾, later renamed Zou) (p. 43, Chao) in present-day southwestern Shandong Province. King Wu of Zhou granted Cao Xie, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor through his grandson Zhuanxu, control over the small state. He was a vassal ruler under the Lu (state) (魯) and held the feudal title Viscount (子), but later held the title Duke of Zhu (邾公) during the Spring and Autumn Period. (p. 138, Li Chi; p. 239, Tan & p. 306, Wu).

The ancestral surname (姓) of the ruling family was Cao). (p. 144, Li Xueqin). The state of Zou was conquered and annexed by the state of Chu during the reign of King Xuan of Chu (楚宣王) (369–340 BC). (p. 43, Chao). The ruling family and its descendants adopted Zhu (朱) as their surname in memory of their former state of Zhu (邾). (p. 43, Chao & p. 239, Tan).