Battle of Beijing (1644)

The Battle of Beijing took place between February and April 1644 in the areas surrounding Beijing, and was fought between forces of the Ming Dynasty and rebel forces led by Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng led his rebel army to attack the Ming capital Beijing from two directions (north and south). The eunuch official Du Zhizhi (杜之秩) ordered the Ming forces defending Beijing to open the city gates and let Li Zicheng's army in. After the fall of Beijing, the last Ming ruler, the Chongzhen Emperor, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree near the Forbidden City. No actual battle was fought in Beijing itself because the rebels marched on the capital unopposed, and even after occupying Beijing, the rebels did not face any resistance. Li Zicheng then proceeded to establish the short-lived Shun Dynasty, which was subsequently defeated by forces of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty.