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Zhenjin

Type Figure Region Yuan capital Dadu Time 1243–1286 Also known as Borjigin Zhenjin、Emperor Yuzong of Yuan

Zhenjin (1243–1286), eldest legitimate son of Kublai Khan and Chabi, was made crown prince in 1273 and headed the Central Secretariat, leading the Yu…

Timeline

  1. 1273Dadu · North ChinaKublai adopted Han officials' advice and invested his eldest son Zhenjin as crown prince, sending Bayan with jade tablets and golden seals, appointing him concurrently as head of the Central Secretariat and judge of the Bureau of Military Affairs, establishing a Central Plains-style primogeniture succession system.
  2. 1279–1282Dadu · North ChinaAfter taking charge of government, Zhenjin became leader of the Han-law faction, advocating light taxes and respect for Confucian scholars, sharply opposing Ahmad's financial group. Ahmad was assassinated in 1282, and the Eastern Palace faction gained a temporary political advantage.
  3. 1285–1286Dadu · North ChinaIn 1285 a censor memorialized requesting Kublai to abdicate to the crown prince; remnants of Ahmad's faction exposed the matter, and Kublai was furious. Though not the mastermind, Zhenjin fell ill from fright and died in early 1286 at age forty-three. Kublai posthumously titled him Crown Prince Mingxiao; later Emperor Chengzong honored him as Emperor Yuzong.

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