Southern Ming Dynasty

The Southern Ming Dynasty (Chinese: 南明; pinyin: Nán Míng) was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644.

On April 24, 1644, Li Zicheng's rebel soldiers, of the recently proclaimed Great Shun dynasty, breached the walls of Beijing. The Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide the next day to avoid humiliation at their hands. Remnants of the Ming imperial family and some court ministers then sought refuge in the southern part of China and regrouped around Nanjing, the Ming auxiliary capital, south of the Yangtze River. Four different power groups emerged:

• The Shun Dynasty, led by Li Zicheng, ruled north of the Huai river.
• Zhang Xianzhong's Great West (Ch:大西) regime controlled Sichuan province.
• The Manchu-founded Qing Dynasty controlled the north-east area beyond Shanhai Pass, as well as many of the Mongol tribes.
• The remnants of the Ming Dynasty could only survive south of the Huai river.