How to evaluate Emperor Chongzhen of the late Ming Dynasty? Was he positive or negative?
Emperor Chongzhen was the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. During his reign, he experienced a series of political, military and economic crises that led to the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, people had different opinions about him. Some commentators and historians believe that Emperor Chongzhen was a wise and far-sighted monarch who took some measures to deal with the crisis facing the Ming Dynasty, such as strengthening the central power, reducing the tax burden, and strengthening military defense. However, he also over-relied on the central power and neglected the role of local autonomy and civil power, which led to the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Others thought that Emperor Chongzhen was a cold, selfish, and stupid emperor. During his reign, he continued to reduce the power and treatment of officials, resulting in corruption and incompetence of officials. He took excessive resistance and defense measures against external enemies and ignored internal reforms and economic development. In general, Emperor Chongzhen was the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. During his reign, he experienced a series of political, military and economic crises, which could not be shirked from the responsibility of the Ming Dynasty's demise. Whether his performance was positive or negative depended on his personal views and standpoints.