Tumu Crisis

Crisis of the Tumu Fortress
Map showing the Tumu campaign, 1449
Date 1 September 1449 Location Huailai County, North Zhili, Ming China 40°23′N 115°36′E / 40.383°N 115.600°E / 40.383; 115.600 Result Mongol victory Capture of the Ming Emperor Yingzong Return to status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Oirat Mongols Eastern Mongols Uriankhai	Ming dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Esen Taishi Toghtoa Bukha Khan	Emperor Yingzong (POW) Wang Zhen †
Strength
20,000[1]	Unknown, but often estimated to be around 500,000[2]
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	土木堡之變
Simplified Chinese	土木堡之变
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Tǔmùbǎo zhībiàn
Tumu Crisis
Traditional Chinese	土木之變
Simplified Chinese	土木之变
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Tǔmù zhībiàn
Jisi Incident
Traditional Chinese	己巳之變
Simplified Chinese	己巳之变
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jǐsì zhībiàn
class=notpageimage| Location in China

The Crisis of the Tumu Fortress, also known as the Tumu Crisis, or the Jisi Incident, was a border conflict between the Oirat Mongols and the Ming dynasty. In July 1449, Esen Taishi, leader of the Oirat Mongols, launched a large-scale, three-pronged invasion of China. Despite having capable generals, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, under the influence of eunuch Wang Zhen who dominated the Ming court at the time, made the decision to personally lead his armies into battle against Esen. On 1 September, the Ming army suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the much weaker Mongols, and the emperor was captured.^[3] This defeat was one of the biggest military failures in the Ming dynasty's three centuries of existence, and it was largely attributed to the poor leadership of the Ming army.

Esen, for his part, was not prepared for the scale of his victory or for the capture of the Ming emperor. Initially, he attempted to use the captured emperor to raise a ransom and planned to conquer the undefended Ming capital of Beijing. His plan was foiled due to the steadfast leadership of the Ming commander in the capital, Yu Qian, and the ascension of the captured emperor's brother, the Jingtai Emperor. Emperor Yingzong was eventually released in 1450, but he was placed under house arrest by his brother. Esen himself faced growing criticism for his failure to exploit his victory over the Ming and was assassinated six years after the battle in 1455.