Although the peasant rebel army led by Li Zicheng once invaded Beijing and overthrew the Ming Dynasty, it was quickly defeated by the Qing army and destroyed the Dashun regime. Such an ending, in fact, can be seen from Li Zicheng's team members.
Some of Li Zicheng's advisers were down-and-out people in the late Ming Dynasty, such as Niu Jinxing (who was removed from his reputation for crimes); Some are fortune tellers on the street, such as Song Xiance. Although they have some strategizing, they lack political experience and management ability, and they are not respected by the military and civilians.
Li Zicheng's generals, some are Liu Zongmin, who was born in ironsmiths, and some are peasants, shepherds, pawns and other people from grassroots backgrounds. Although they are brave and good at fighting, they lack culture and literacy, and do not know how to govern and pacify the people.
Li Zicheng's only adviser with status and talent was Li Yan, a man of the late Ming Dynasty, whose father had been the governor of Shandong. Li Yan advised Li Zicheng and established the basic system of the Dashun regime, and was also a close confidant of Li Zicheng. Unfortunately, Li Yan was killed by Li Zicheng's subordinates in the internal strife, and Li Zicheng did not protect him.
How can such a peasant regime without a solid base, without loyalty and unity, and without civilized and martial arts be able to last? The peasant uprisings in history have long been told to posterity that without these conditions, it is difficult to succeed. Li Zicheng did not learn the lessons of history, but only relied on robbery and killing to expand his power, but did not think about how to build and develop his own regime. Such a regime is doomed to be short-lived and doomed to failure.
Li Zicheng's Dashun regime took less than a year from the occupation of Beijing to its collapse. In this short year, he lost to the Qing army in two key battles at Shanhaiguan and Tongguan, thus losing control of the entire north. In contrast, the Ming Dynasty, though corrupt and incompetent, was able to withstand the Qing army's attack and trap it on the Liaodong Peninsula for twenty-six years. Li Zicheng's defeat not only showed that he could not compete with the Qing army, but even the Ming Dynasty was inferior.
There were many reasons for Li Zicheng's failure, the most important of which was that he had no strategic vision and no military talent. His rebel army, from the very beginning, was a group of rogues, with no fixed base, no stable logistics, no regular military discipline, and no clear goals. His military operations were also blindly attacking cities, without taking into account long-term development, not noticing the enemy's movements, and not developing effective response strategies.
In fact, as early as 1638, Li Zicheng was besieged and annihilated by Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengzhuo of the Ming army in the Battle of Nanyuan in Tongguan, and only eighteen cavalry escaped. This fiasco should have sounded the alarm for him, let him change the style of rogues and improve his military quality. However, he did not learn his lesson, but continued to follow the old way, thinking that with the power of the people, he could dominate the world.
He also did not pay attention to the threat of the Qing army. Since its establishment in 1636, the Qing army has launched continuous attacks on the Ming Dynasty on the Liaodong Peninsula, causing huge losses to the Ming Dynasty and forcing the Ming Dynasty to pay a large amount of Liao wages to the Qing army every year in exchange for temporary peace. It is impossible for Li Zicheng not to know such a situation, but he did not regard the Qing army as his real enemy, but aimed the spearhead at the Ming Dynasty.
In April 1644, after Li Zicheng captured Beijing, he complacently declared himself emperor, did not consolidate his rule in time, did not adjust his army in time, but indulged in pleasure and indulged in luxury. He did not realize that the Qing army had already gathered more than 100,000 troops on the Liaodong Peninsula and prepared for the sixth southward operation. He also did not receive any information about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army reached Shanhaiguan, he knew nothing.
In May 1644, Li Zicheng was completely defeated by the Qing army at the Battle of Shanhaiguan, lost a large number of troops and equipment, and was forced to retreat to Beijing. He did not organize a counterattack in time and did not evacuate Beijing in time, but there was internal strife within Beijing, which led to a decline in his authority and prestige. He also did not receive any information about the Ming Dynasty, and even when Wu Sangui of the Ming Dynasty surrendered to the Qing army, he knew nothing.
In June 1644, Li Zicheng was attacked by the Qing and Ming forces during the Battle of Beijing and was forced to abandon Beijing and flee to the southwest. He did not rectify his army in time, nor did he unite with the remnants of the Ming Dynasty in the southwest and the rebel army in various places in time, but carried out a series of plunder and killing on the way, which aroused the disgust and resistance of the people. He also did not receive any intelligence about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army pursued him, he did not know anything.
In January 1645, Li Zicheng was again completely defeated by the Qing army at the Battle of Tongguan, lost control of Shaanxi, and was forced to flee to Hubei. He did not find a new base in time, nor did he join forces with the rebel army of Huguang and Zhang Xianzhong of the Ming Dynasty in time, but fought a series of senseless battles on the way, consuming his own troops and material resources. He also did not receive any information about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army surrounded him, he did not know anything.
In May 1645, Li Zicheng was completely destroyed by the Qing army in the Battle of Jiugong Mountain in Hubei, and he was shot by a small soldier of the Qing army. He did not protect his safety in time, nor did he keep in touch with his subordinates and cronies in time, but wandered deep in the mountains without any precautions and vigilance. He also did not receive any information about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army killed him, he knew nothing.
Li Zicheng's life is a process of constantly making mistakes, and every mistake is fatal. He has no strategic vision, no military talent, no intelligence capability, no political wisdom, no people's support, no allied strength, no follow-up development, no self-improvement, no merits and hopes. His Dashun regime, that is, a bubble with an empty name, burst at the touch of a button, was vulnerable to a single blow, and had no value or meaning.
Li Zicheng's evaluation is based on his historical deeds and different views. He was a failed peasant rebel leader who lacked the ability and wisdom to establish and maintain a stable regime, as well as the ability and wisdom to resist foreign aggression, which eventually led to his own demise and the entry of the Manchus. This evaluation has the following basis:
He has no strategic vision, no military talent, no intelligence capability. After capturing Beijing, he did not organize a counterattack in time and did not withdraw from Beijing in time, but internal strife occurred within Beijing, which led to the decline of his authority and prestige. He also did not receive any information about the Ming Dynasty, and even when Wu Sangui of the Ming Dynasty surrendered to the Qing army, he knew nothing.
After he was forced to abandon Beijing, he did not rectify his army in time, nor did he unite with the remnants of the Ming Dynasty in the southwest and the rebel armies in various places, but carried out a series of plundering and killing on the way, which aroused the disgust and resistance of the people. He also did not receive any intelligence about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army pursued him, he did not know anything. In the process of being surrounded and suppressed by the Qing army, he did not find a new base in time, nor did he join forces with the rebel army in Huguang and Zhang Xianzhong of the Ming Dynasty in time, but carried out a series of senseless battles on the way, consuming his own troops and material resources. He also did not receive any information about the Qing army, and even when the Qing army surrounded him, he did not know anything.
There is no political wisdom, no popular support, no allied power. After capturing Beijing, he did not formulate and implement a reasonable political system and social policy in a timely manner, but took some unrealistic and unpopular measures, such as abolishing the imperial examination, abolishing the Eight Banners, abolishing official positions, abolishing household registration, abolishing currency, abolishing commerce, abolishing local government, abolishing the army, abolishing religion, abolishing culture, and abolishing everything. These measures, not only did not solve the suffering of the people, but also aroused opposition and resistance from all sides, causing him to lose his original supporters and allies, and did not win new supporters and allies. He was also not able to unite and use the remnants of the Ming Dynasty and the rebel armies everywhere, but clashed and contradicted them, leaving him in a situation of isolation and passivity.
There is no follow-up development, no self-improvement, no merit and no hope. After capturing Beijing, instead of establishing a stable regime and social order, he fell into chaos and anarchy. Nor was he able to change his character and style, but continued his brutal and suspicious behavior, mercilessly killing and torturing his subordinates and people. He also did not learn and draw on the experience and lessons of history and reality, but stubbornly adhered to his mistakes and illusions. Nor has he been able to show any merit or hope, but has always been a symbol of failure and tragedy.
To sum up, the evaluation of Li Zicheng is that of a failed peasant rebel army leader, inferior to Lao Zhu, and is destined to become a historical tragedy. This evaluation is based on his historical deeds and different views, and it is also my personal opinion, which is not necessarily correct, and you are welcome to put forward your views and refutations in the comment area.