Li Zicheng

Li Zicheng

 or Li Tzu-ch'eng

(born Oct. 3, 1605?, Mizhi, Shaanxi province, China—died 1645, Hubei province) Rebel leader who brought about the fall of China's Ming dynasty (1368–1644). A former postal worker, he joined the rebel cause in 1631 following a great famine in the northern part of the country. In 1644 he proclaimed himself the first emperor of a new dynasty and marched on Beijing, which he took easily. His victory was short-lived; Wu Sangui, a general loyal to the Ming, called on the Manchu tribes to drive him out, and he fled north, where he was probably killed by local villagers. See also Dorgon.