The Prince of Ning rebellion was a revolt during the Ming dynasty in China led by Zhu Chenhao, Prince of Ning, against the reigning Zhengde Emperor. It took place in northern Jiangxi and southwestern Nanzhili (present-day northern Jiangxi and southern Anhui) and lasted from 10 July to 20 August 1519. The rebellion was ultimately quelled when the government army, led by Wang Yangming, the grand coordinator of southern Jiangxi, captured the Prince of Ning. The Prince of Ning revolt was one of two princely rebellions during the Zhengde Emperor's reign; it was preceded by the Prince of Anhua rebellion in 1510.

Zhu Chenhao, who was ambitious and eager for power, attempted to gain control of his home province of Jiangxi. With the support of his followers at court, he offered his son as a potential heir to the childless Zhengde Emperor. By the summer of 1519, the Prince of Ning's illegitimacy was exposed to the Emperor, causing the former to fear arrest and openly rebel. His plan was to gather an army and march on Nanjing, the Ming's secondary capital, three days after the uprising began. He aimed to reach Nanjing five days later and officially claim the throne.

The rebels' plan ultimately failed. Grand coordinator Wang Yangming managed to escape the rebels at the start of the rebellion. He then organized resistance in Ji'an, southern Jiangxi, and gathered an army. In an attempt to deceive the rebels, he fed them false information. This caused the prince to delay his march on Nanjing, and he didn't set out from Nanchang until 27 July. Meanwhile, Wang Yangming had gathered troops from prefects and county magistrates throughout Jiangxi. He then marched on Nanchang and easily captured it on 14 August. The rebel army, which had returned, was defeated by Wang Yangming's forces in a three-day battle on Lake Poyang, north of Nanchang. The prince was captured during this battle.

Upon hearing news of the rebellion, the Zhengde Emperor traveled south from Beijing with his army, arriving in Nanjing only in January 1520. From there, he launched an investigation into the rebellion, which lasted until the end of 1520. The investigation resulted in the execution of the most significant participants and their supporters at court. The prince was allowed to commit suicide. In September 1520, the Emperor returned to Beijing but fell ill on the way and died in the spring of 1521.

Zhu Chenhao, Prince of Ning was a member of a branch of the Ming dynasty. He resided in Nanchang, the capital of the southern Chinese province of Jiangxi. Driven by ambition and a desire for power and influence, he sought to gain control and authority. In order to achieve this, he initially resorted to bribery, targeting influential figures such as Liu Jin, who effectively controlled the Beijing government from 1507 to 1510. After Liu Jin's downfall, Zhu Chenhao turned to other allies in the Ming government, including the Emperor's favorite musician, Zang Xian, the Minister of War, Lu Wan, and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Qian Ning. Through their support, he was able to establish a personal guard and gain authority over local military garrisons and members of the imperial family.

He also built his own armed force by recruiting "strongmen" from the local area, often known for their involvement in banditry. His actions were met with disapproval from local officials who complained about his behavior, which included seizing land, collecting taxes, and intimidating officials. He even went as far as appropriating imperial privileges, such as calling his residence the imperial palace and referring to himself as a ruler. As time went on, the number of complaints against him increased, both from local officials and from censors in Nanjing, the secondary capital. Despite the fact that princes were typically punished severely for even minor offenses, his behavior was overlooked. He used his power to intimidate local authorities, resorting to violence against anyone who openly opposed him. Those who dared to speak out against him were either killed or falsely accused of crimes by his allies in Beijing and subsequently removed from their positions.

Among the local gentry who supported the prince were Li Shishi (李士實) and Liu Yangzheng (劉養正). Li Shishi was a retired official who, at the peak of his career, served as the head of the Censorate. He was also a renowned military expert, modeling himself after famous warriors such as Jiang Ziya and Zhuge Liang. Additionally, he was related to the prince through the marriage of their children. Although Liu Yangzheng did not pass the civil service examinations, he was highly respected for his literary skills and military knowledge.

In the spring of 1516, he took advantage of the fact that the Zhengde Emperor had no children and bribed Qian Ning and other imperial favorites to bring his eldest son to Beijing as a potential candidate for heir to the throne, but this plan was thwarted by local officials.