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Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name
Hongwu Emperor
Zhu Yuanzhang (Chu Yuan-chang in Wade-Giles), was the founding
emperor of China's Ming dynasty. 1st Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

In the middle of the 14th century, with famine, plagues, and peasant revolts
sweeping across China, Zhu Yuanzhang rose to command the force that
conquered China and ended the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, forcing the
Mongols to retreat to the Central Asian steppes. Zhu claimed the Mandate of
Heaven and established the Ming dynasty at the beginning of 1368; later in
the same year his army occupied the Yuan capital, Khanbaliq (present-day
Beijing). Trusting only in his family, he made his many sons powerful feudal
princes along the northern marches and the Yangtze valley.[1] Having
outlived his first successor, the Hongwu Emperor enthroned his grandson
via a series of instructions; this ended in failure, when the Jianwen
Emperor's attempt to unseat his uncles led to the Ming Yongle Emperor (r.
1402–1424)".[2]

Most of the historical sites related to the Hongwu Emperor are in Nanjing, Portrait of the Hongwu Emperor in the
the original capital of the Ming dynasty. National Palace Museum
1st Emperor of the Ming Empire
Reign 23 January 1368[n 1] –
24 June 1398
Contents Coronation 23 January 1368
Early life
Predecessor Dynasty established
Rise to power
Successor Jianwen Emperor
Reign
Land reform Born 朱重八
Military
21 October 1328
Nobility
Consolidating control
Fengyang, Anhui,
Legal reform Yuan Empire
Economic reform Died 24 June 1398
Educational reforms (aged 69)
Religious policy Nanjing, Jiangsu, Ming
Foreign policy Empire
Vietnam
"Japanese" pirates Burial 30 June 1398
Byzantine Empire Ming Xiaoling
Development of dynasty Mausoleum, Nanjing,
Death China

Assessment Full name


In popular culture Family name: Zhu (朱)
Family
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See also Birth name: Chongba (重八)[n 2]


References Given name: Xingzong (興宗), later
Further reading Yuanzhang (元璋)[n 3]
External link Courtesy name: Guorui (國瑞)
Era name and dates
Hongwu (洪武): 23 January 1368 –
Early life 5 February 1399 (briefly, - 22
January 1403)[n 4]
Zhu was born into a desperately poor peasant tenant farmer family in
Zhongli Village in the Huai River plain, which is in present-day Fengyang, Posthumous name
Anhui Province.[3][4] His father was Zhu Shizhen (朱世珍, original name Zhu Emperor Kaitian Xingdao Zhaoji Liji
Wusi 朱五四) and his mother was Chen Erniang. He had seven older siblings, Dasheng Zhishen Renwen Yiwu
several of whom were "given away" by his parents, as they did not have Junde Chenggong Gāo
enough food to support the family.[5] When he was 16, severe drought ruined 開天行道肇紀立極大聖至神仁文義
the harvest where his family lived. Subsequently, famine killed his entire 武俊德成功高皇帝
family, except one of his brothers. He then buried them by wrapping them in
Temple name
white clothes.
Ming Taizu (明太祖)
Destitute, Zhu accepted a suggestion to take up a pledge made by his brother House House of Zhu
and became a novice monk at the Huangjue Temple,[6] a local Buddhist
Father Zhu Shizhen
monastery. He did not remain there for long, as the monastery ran short of
funds, and he was forced to leave. Mother Lady Chen
Religion Buddhism
For the next few years, Zhu led the life of a wandering beggar and personally
experienced and saw the hardships of the common people.[7] After about three
years, he returned to the monastery and stayed there until he was around 24
Hongwu Emperor
years old. He learned to read and write during the time he spent with the Chinese 洪武帝
Buddhist monks.[8] Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Rise to power Hanyu Pinyin Hóngwǔ dì

The monastery where Zhu lived was eventually destroyed by an army that was Wade–Giles Hung2-wu3 ti4
suppressing a local rebellion. In 1352, Zhu joined one of the many insurgent IPA [xʊ̌ŋ.ù tî]
forces that had risen in rebellion against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. He rose Yue: Cantonese
rapidly through the ranks and became a commander. His rebel force later
Yale Hùhng-móuh dai
joined the Red Turbans, a millenarian sect related to the White Lotus Society,
Romanization
and one that followed cultural and religious traditions of Buddhism,
Jyutping Hung4-mou5
Zoroastrianism and other religions. Widely seen as a defender of Confucianism
dai3
and neo-Confucianism among the predominant Han Chinese population in
China, Zhu emerged as a leader of the rebels that were struggling to overthrow Southern Min
the Yuan dynasty. Tâi-lô Âng-bú tē

In 1356, Zhu, and his army conquered Nanjing, which became his base of operations, and the capital of the Ming dynasty
during his reign. Zhu's government in Nanjing became famous for good governance, and the city attracted vast numbers of
people fleeing from other, more lawless regions. It is estimated that Nanjing's population increased by 10 times over the
next 10 years.[9] In the meantime, the Yuan government had been weakened by internal factions fighting for control, and it
made little effort to retake the Yangtze River valley. By 1358, central and southern China had fallen into the hands of

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different rebel groups. During that time the Red Turbans


also split up. Zhu became the leader of a smaller faction
(called "Ming" around 1360), while the larger faction,
under Chen Youliang, controlled the center of the
Yangtze River valley.

Zhu was able to attract many talents into his service. One
of them was Zhu Sheng (朱升), who advised him, "Build
high walls, stock up rations, and don't be too quick to
call yourself a king." Another, Jiao Yu, was an artillery
officer, who later compiled a military treatise outlining
the various types of gunpowder weapons. Another one,
Liu Bowen, became one of Zhu's key advisors, and edited
the military-technology treatise titled Huolongjing in Rebels and warlords at the end of Yuan Dynasty, including
later years. the territory controlled by Zhu Yuanzhang in 1363.

Starting from 1360, Zhu, and Chen Youliang fought a


protracted war for supremacy over the former territories controlled by the Red Turbans. The pivotal moment in the war
was the Battle of Lake Poyang in 1363, one of the largest naval battles in history. The battle lasted three days and ended
with the defeat and retreat of Chen's larger navy. Chen died a month later in battle. Zhu did not participate personally in
any battles after that and remained in Nanjing, where he directed his generals to go on campaigns.

In 1367, Zhu's forces defeated Zhang Shicheng's Kingdom of Dazhou, which was centered in Suzhou and had previously
included most of the Yangtze River Delta, and Hangzhou, which was formerly the capital of the Song dynasty.[10][11] This
victory granted Zhu's government authority over the lands north and south of the Yangtze River. The other major warlords
surrendered to Zhu and on 20 January 1368, Zhu proclaimed himself Emperor of the Ming dynasty in Nanjing and
adopted "Hongwu" (lit. "vastly martial") as his era name. His dynasty's mission was to drive away the Mongols and restore
Han Chinese rule in China.

In 1368, Ming armies headed north to attack territories that were still under Yuan rule. The Mongols gave up their capital,
Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), and the rest of northern China in September 1368 and retreated to Mongolia. On 15
October 1371, one of the Hongwu Emperor's sons, Zhu Shuang, was married to the sister of Köke Temür, a Bayad general
of the Yuan dynasty.[12][13][14]

The Ming dynasty defeated Ming Yuchen's Xia polity, which ruled Sichuan.[15]

The Ming army captured the last Yuan-controlled province of Yunnan in 1381, and China was unified under Ming rule.[16]

Reign
Under the Hongwu Emperor's rule, the Mongol, and other foreign bureaucrats, who dominated the government during the
Yuan dynasty along with Northern Chinese officials, were replaced by Han Chinese officials. The emperor re-instituted,
then abolished, then restored the Confucian civil service imperial examination system, from which most state officials
were selected based on their knowledge of literature and philosophy. The Ming examination curriculum followed that set
by the Yuan in 1313: a focus on the Four Books over the Five Classics, and the commentaries of Zhu Xi.[17] The Confucian
scholar-bureaucrats, previously marginalised during the Yuan dynasty, were reinstated to their predominant roles in the
government.

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Mongol-related things, including garments and names, were discontinued from use and boycotted. There were also attacks
on palaces and administrative buildings previously used by the rulers of the Yuan dynasty.[18] But many of Taizu's
government institutions were actually modelled on those of the Yuan dynasty: community schools required (not
necessarily successfully) for primary education in every village are one example.[19]

Hongwu founded Qinhuai.[20]

Land reform
As the Hongwu Emperor came from a peasant family, he was aware of how peasants used to suffer under the oppression of
the scholar-bureaucrats, and the wealthy. Many of the latter, relying on their connections with government officials,
encroached unscrupulously on peasants' lands and bribed the officials to transfer the burden of taxation to the poor. To
prevent such abuse, the Hongwu Emperor instituted two systems: Yellow Records and Fish Scale Records. They served
both to secure the government's income from land taxes and to affirm that peasants would not lose their lands.

However, the reforms did not eliminate the threat of the bureaucrats to peasants. Instead, the expansion of the
bureaucrats and their growing prestige translated into more wealth, and tax exemption for those in the government
service. The bureaucrats gained new privileges, and some became illegal money-lenders and managers of gambling rings.
Using their power, the bureaucrats expanded their estates at the expense of peasants' lands through outright purchase of
those lands, and foreclosure on their mortgages whenever they wanted the lands. The peasants often became either
tenants, or workers, or sought employment elsewhere.[21]

Since the beginning of the Ming dynasty in 1357, great care was taken by the Hongwu Emperor to distribute land to
peasants. One way was by forced migration to less-dense areas.[22] Some of those people were tied to a pagoda tree in
Hongdong (洪洞大槐樹) and moved.[23] Public works projects, such as the construction of irrigation systems, and dikes,
were undertaken in an attempt to help farmers. In addition, the Hongwu Emperor also reduced the demands for forced
labour on the peasantry. In 1370, the Hongwu Emperor ordered that some lands in Hunan and Anhui should be given to
young farmers who had reached adulthood. The order was intended to prevent landlords from seizing the land, as it also
decreed that the titles to the lands were not transferable. During the middle part of his reign, the Hongwu Emperor passed
an edict, stating that those who brought fallow land under cultivation could keep it as their property without being taxed.
The policy was well received by the people and in 1393, cultivated land rose to 8,804,623 ching and 68 mou, something
not achieved during any other Chinese dynasty.

The Hongwu Emperor instigated the planting of 50 million trees in the vicinity of Nanjing, reconstructing canals,
irrigation, and transporting southern people to the north for repopulation. He successfully managed to increase the
population from 60 to 100 million.[24]

Military
The Hongwu Emperor realised that the Mongols still posed a threat to China, even though they had been driven away after
the collapse of the Yuan dynasty. He decided to reassess the orthodox Confucian view that the military was an inferior
class to the scholar bureaucracy. He kept a powerful army, which in 1384 he reorganised using a model known as the
weisuo system (simplified Chinese: 卫所制; traditional Chinese: 衛 所 制; literally: "guard battalion"). Each military unit
consisted of 5,600 men divided into five battalions, and ten companies.[25] By 1393 the total number of weisuo troops had
reached 1,200,000. Soldiers were also assigned land on which to grow crops, whilst their positions were made hereditary.
This type of system can be traced back to the fubing system (Chinese: 府兵制) of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

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Training was conducted within local military districts. In times of war, troops
were mobilised from all over the empire on the orders of the Ministry of War,
and commanders were appointed to lead them to battle. After the war, the
army was disbanded into smaller groups and sent back to their respective
districts, and the commanders had to return their authority to the state. This
system helped to prevent military leaders from having too much power. The
military was under the control of a civilian official for large campaigns, instead
of a military general.

Nobility
When the Ming dynasty emerged, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's military officers
were given noble titles. These privileged the holder with a stipend, but in all
other aspects was merely symbolic.[26] Mu Ying's family was among
them.[27][28][29][30][31][32] Special rules against abuse of power were
implemented on the nobles.[33]

View of the Great Wall at Juyong


Consolidating control Pass, reconstructed by the Ming
Manicheanism, and White Lotus were prohibited and outlawed by Hongwu.[34] dynasty.

The Hongwu Emperor expected everyone to obey his rule[35][36] and was
infamous for killing many people during his purges.[37] His tortures included flaying, and slow slicing.[38][39][40] One of his
generals, Chang Yuchun, carried out massacres in some places in Shandong and Hunan provinces to take revenge against
people who resisted his army.[41][42][43] As time went on, the Hongwu Emperor became increasingly fearful of rebellions
and coups, even going so far as to order the execution of those of his advisers who dared criticise him.[44] He was also said
to have ordered the massacre of several thousand people living in Nanjing after having heard one talked about him
without respect.[45][46][47] In 1380, after much killing, a lightning bolt struck his palace and he stopped the massacres for
some time, as he was afraid divine forces would punish him.[48]

The Hongwu Emperor also noted the destructive role of court eunuchs under the previous dynasties. He drastically
reduced their numbers, forbidding them to handle documents, insisting that they remain illiterate, and executing those
who commented on state affairs. The emperor had a strong aversion to the eunuchs, epitomized by a tablet in his palace
stipulating: "Eunuchs must have nothing to do with the administration". This aversion to eunuchs did not long continue
among his successors, as the Hongwu and Jianwen emperors' harsh treatment of eunuchs allowed the Yongle Emperor to
employ them as a power base during his coup.[1] In addition to the Hongwu Emperor's aversion to eunuchs, he never
consented to any of his marital relatives becoming court officials. This policy was fairly well-maintained by later emperors,
and no serious trouble was caused by the empresses or their relatives.

The Hongwu Emperor attempted, and largely succeeded in, the consolidation of control over all aspects of government, so
that no other group could gain enough power to overthrow him. He also buttressed the country's defences against the
Mongols. He increasingly concentrated power in his own hands. He abolished the Chancellor's post, which had been head
of the main central administrative body under past dynasties, by suppressing a plot for which he had blamed his chief
minister. Many argue that the Hongwu Emperor, because of his wish to concentrate absolute authority in his own hands,
removed the only insurance against incompetent emperors.

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However, the Hongwu Emperor could not govern the sprawling Ming Empire all by himself and had to create the new
institution of the "Grand Secretary". This cabinet-like organisation progressively took on the powers of the abolished
prime minister, becoming just as powerful in time. Ray Huang argued that Grand-Secretaries, outwardly powerless, could
exercise considerable positive influence from behind the throne. Because of their prestige and the public trust which they
enjoyed, they could act as intermediaries between the emperor and the ministerial officials, and thus provide a stabilising
force in the court. He executed tens of thousand officials and their relatives over sedition, treason, corruption and other
charges.[49][50][51][52][53][54][55]

In the Hongwu Emperor's elimination of the traditional offices of grand councilor, the primary impetus was Hu Weiyong's
alleged attempt to usurp the throne. Hu was the Senior Grand Councilor and a capable administrator; however over the
years, the magnitude of his powers, as well as involvement in several political scandals eroded the paranoid emperor's
trust in him. Finally, in 1380, the Hongwu Emperor had Hu and his entire family arrested and executed on charges of
treason. Using this as an opportunity to purge his government, the emperor also ordered the execution of countless other
officials, as well as their families, for associating with Hu. The purge lasted over a decade and resulted in more than
30,000 executions. In 1390, even Li Shanchang, one of the closest old friends of the emperor, who was rewarded as the
biggest contributor to the founding of the Ming Empire, was executed along with over 70 members of his extended family.
A year after his death, a deputy in the Board of Works made a submission to the emperor appealing Li's innocence,
arguing that since Li was already at the apex of honour, wealth and power, the accusation that he wanted to help someone
else usurp the throne was clearly ridiculous. The Hongwu Emperor was unable to refute the accusations and finally ended
the purge shortly afterwards.

Through the repeated purges and the elimination of the historical posts, the Hongwu Emperor fundamentally altered the
centuries-old government structure of China, greatly increasing the emperor's absolutism.

The Hongwu Emperor was extremely authoritarian, a virtual dictator, and governed directly over all affairs. He wrote
essays posted in every village throughout China warning the people to behave and of the horrifying consequences if they
disobeyed.[24] The 1380s writings of Hongwu are known as the "Great warnings" or "Grand Pronouncements".[56] They
were called "Ancestral injunctions".[57][58] He wrote the Six Maxims which inspired the Sacred Edict of the Kangxi
Emperor,[59][60][61] 六諭[62] 聖諭六言[63][64][65][66][67]

Legal reform
The legal code drawn up in the time of the Hongwu Emperor was considered one of the great achievements of the era. The
History of Ming mentioned that as early as 1364, the monarchy had started to draft a code of laws. This code was known
as Code of the Great Ming or Laws of the Great Ming ( 大 明 律 ). The emperor devoted much time to the project and
instructed his ministers that the code should be comprehensive and intelligible, so as not to allow any official to exploit
loopholes in the code by deliberately misinterpreting it. The Ming code laid much emphasis on family relations. The code
was a great improvement on the code of the Tang dynasty in regards to the treatment of slaves. Under the Tang code,
slaves were treated as a species of domestic animal; if they were killed by a free citizen, the law imposed no sanction on the
killer. Under the Ming dynasty, the law protected both slaves and free citizens.

Economic reform
Supported by the scholar-bureaucrats, he accepted the Confucian viewpoint that merchants were solely parasitic. He felt
that agriculture should be the country's source of wealth and that trade was ignoble. As a result, the Ming economic
system emphasised agriculture, unlike the economic system of the Song dynasty, which had preceded the Yuan dynasty
and had relied on traders and merchant for revenues. The Hongwu Emperor also supported the creation of self-supporting
agricultural communities.
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However, his prejudice against merchants did not diminish the numbers of traders. On the contrary, commerce increased
significantly during the Hongwu era because of the growth of industry throughout the empire. This growth in trade was
due in part to poor soil conditions and the overpopulation of certain areas, which forced many people to leave their homes
and seek their fortunes in trade. A book titled Tu Pien Hsin Shu, written during the Ming dynasty, gave a detailed
description of the activities of merchants at that time.

Educational reforms
Quan Tang, the Minister of Justice, stood up against Hongwu over his command to downgrade Mencius.[68]

At the Guozijian, law, math, calligraphy, equestrianism, and archery were emphasized by the Hongwu Emperor in
addition to Confucian classics and also required in the Imperial Examinations.[69][70][71][72][73][74] Archery and
equestrianism were added to the exam by Hongwu in 1370 like how archery and equestrianism were required for non-
military officials at the 武舉 College of War in 1162 by the Song Emperor Xiaozong.[75] The area around the Meridian Gate
of Nanjing was used for archery by guards and generals under Hongwu.[76] A cavalry based army modeled on the Yuan
military was implemented by the Hongwu and Yongle Emperors.[77] Hongwu's army and officialdom incorporated
Mongols.[78]

Equestrianism and archery were favorite pastimes of He Suonan who served in the Yuan and Ming militaries under
Hongwu.[79] Archery towers were built by Zhengtong Emperor at the Forbidden City.[80] Archery towers were built on the
city walls of Xi'an erected by Hongwu.[81]

Around 1384, the Hongwu Emperor ordered the Chinese translation and compilation of Islamic astronomical tables, a
task that was carried out by the scholars Mashayihei, a Muslim astronomer, and Wu Bozong, a Chinese scholar-official.
These tables came to be known as the Huihui Lifa (Muslim System of Calendrical Astronomy), which was published in
China a number of times until the early 18th century,[82]

Religious policy
The Hongwu Emperor ordered the construction of several mosques in Nanjing,
Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian provinces,[83] and had inscriptions praising
the Islamic prophet Muhammad placed in mosques. He rebuilt the Jinjue
Mosque (literally meaning: Pure Enlightenment Mosque) in Nanjing and large
numbers of Hui people moved to the city during his rule.[84]

Chinese sources claim that the Hongwu Emperor had close relations with
Muslims and had around ten Muslim generals in his military,[85] including Lan
Yu, Ding Dexing, Mu Ying, Feng Sheng and Hu Dahai, and that "His Majesty
The Jinjue Mosque in Nanjing was
ordered to have mosques built in Xijing and Nanjing [the capitals], and in
constructed by the decree of the
southern Yunnan, Fujian and Guangdong." He also personally wrote a 100
Hongwu Emperor.
word praise (baizizan) on Islam, Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.[86]

During the war fighting the Mongols, among the Ming Emperor Zhu
Yuanzhang's armies was the Hui Muslim Feng Sheng.[87]

Foreign policy

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Vietnam
The Hongwu Emperor was a non interventionist, refusing to intervene in a Vietnamese invasion of Champa to help the
Chams, only rebuking the Vietnamese for their invasion, being opposed to military action abroad.[88] He specifically
warned future Emperors only to defend against foreign barbarians, and not engage in military campaigns for glory and
conquest.[89] In his 1395 ancestral injunctions, the emperor specifically wrote that China should not attack Champa,
Cambodia or Annam (Vietnam).[90][91] He was advised to concentrate on defending against the Rong and Di "Barbarians",
rather than attacking.[92] With the exception of his turn against aggressive expansion, much of Taizu's foreign policy and
his diplomatic institutions were based on Yuan practice.[93]

"Japanese" pirates
The Hongwu Emperor sent a harsh message to the Japanese that his army would "capture and exterminate your bandits,
head straight for your country, and put your king in bonds".[94] In fact, many of the "dwarf pirates" and "eastern
barbarians" raiding his coasts were Chinese[95][96] and the Hongwu Emperor's response was almost entirely passive. The
Ashikaga shogun cheekily replied that "Your great empire may be able to invade Japan but our small state is not short of a
strategy to defend ourselves"[97] and the necessity of protecting his state against the Northern Yuan remnants[98] meant
that the most the Hongwu Emperor was able to accomplish was a series of "sea ban" measures. Private foreign trade was
made punishable by death, with the trader's family and neighbors exiled;[99] ships, docks, and shipyards were destroyed
and ports sabotaged.[100] The initial conception seems to have been to use the Japanese need for Chinese goods to force
them to terms,[97] but it was at odds with Chinese tradition and extremely counterproductive: it tied up resources (74
coastal garrisons were established from Guangzhou to Shandong, albeit mostly manned by local gangs) and limited tax
receipts,[100] impoverished and provoked both coastal Chinese and Japanese against the regime,[97] increasing piracy,[96]
and offered too little, decennial tribute missions comprising only two ships, as a reward for good behavior and enticement
for Japanese authorities to root out their smugglers and pirates.[97] In fact, piracy dropped to negligible levels upon the
abolition of the policy in 1568.[96]

Nonetheless, the sea ban was added by the Hongwu Emperor to his Ancestral Injunctions[100] and so continued to be
broadly enforced through most of the rest of his dynasty: for the next two centuries, the rich farmland of the south and the
military theaters of the north were linked only by the Jinghang Canal.[101]

Byzantine Empire
The History of Ming, compiled during the early Qing dynasty, describes how the Hongwu Emperor met with an alleged
merchant of Fu lin (拂菻; the Byzantine Empire) named "Nieh-ku-lun" (捏古倫). In September 1371, he had the man sent
back to his native country with a letter announcing the founding of the Ming dynasty to his ruler (i.e. John V
Palaiologos).[102][103][104] It is speculated that the merchant was actually a former bishop of Khanbaliq (Beijing) called
Nicolaus de Bentra, sent by Pope John XXII to replace Archbishop John of Montecorvino in 1333.[102][105] The History of
Ming goes on to explain that contacts between China and Fu lin ceased after this point, and diplomats of the great western
sea (the Mediterranean Sea) did not appear in China again until the 16th century, with the Italian Jesuit missionary
Matteo Ricci.[102]

Development of dynasty
Although the Hongwu era saw the introduction of paper currency, its development was stifled from the beginning. Not
understanding inflation, the Hongwu Emperor gave out so much paper money as rewards that by 1425, the state was
forced to reintroduce copper coins because the paper currency had sunk to only 1/70 of its original value.

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During the Hongwu era, the Ming Empire was characterised by rapid and
dramatic population growth, largely due to the increased food supply from the
emperor's agricultural reforms.[106] By the end of the Ming dynasty, the
population had risen by as much as 50%. This was stimulated by major
improvements in agricultural technology, promoted by the pro-agrarian state
which came to power in the midst of a pro-Confucian peasants' rebellion.
During his reign, living standards also greatly improved.

Death
The Hongwu Emperor died on June 24, 1398, after reigning for 30 years at the
age of 69. After his death, his physicians were penalized. He was buried at
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum on the Purple Mountain, east of Nanjing.

Assessment A stele carried by a giant stone


Historians consider the Hongwu Emperor to have been one of the most tortoise at the Hongwu Emperor's
Mausoleum
significant emperors of China. As historian Ebrey puts it, "Seldom has the
course of Chinese history been influenced by a single personality as much as it
was by the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang."[107] His rise to power was fast despite his having a poor and
humble origin. In 11 years, he went from being a penniless monk to the most powerful warlord in China. Five years later,
he became emperor of China. Simon Leys described him this way:

'an adventurer from peasant stock, poorly educated, a man of action, a bold and shrewd tactician, a visionary
mind, in many respects a creative genius; naturally coarse, cynical, and ruthless, he eventually showed
symptoms of paranoia, bordering on psychopathy.'[108]

In popular culture
Novels

The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記), a 1961–63 wuxia novel by Louis Cha. Zhu Yuanzhang appears
as a minor character in the novel. Zhu Yuanzhang has been portrayed by various actors in the films and television
series adapted from this novel.

Television series

Born to be a King (大明群英), a 1987 Hong Kong television series produced by TVB and starring Simon Yam as Zhu
Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋), a 1993 Chinese television series produced by Beijing TV and starring Lü Qi as Zhu
Yuanzhang.
Empress Ma With Great Feet (大腳馬皇后), a 2002 Chinese television series about Zhu Yuanzhang's wife, Empress
Ma. Tang Guoqiang starred as Zhu Yuanzhang.
Chuanqi Huangdi Zhu Yuanzhang (傳奇皇帝朱元璋), a 2006 Chinese television series starring Chen Baoguo as Zhu
Yuanzhang.
Founding Emperor of Ming Dynasty (朱元璋), a 2006 Chinese television series directed by Feng Xiaoning and starring
Hu Jun as Zhu Yuanzhang.
The Legendary Liu Bowen (神機妙算劉伯溫), a 2006–2008 Taiwanese television series about Zhu Yuanzhang's
adviser, Liu Bowen. It was produced by TTV and starred Huo Zhengqi as Zhu Yuanzhang.

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Zhenming Tianzi (真命天子), a 2015 Chinese television series produced by Jian Yuanxin and starring Zhang Zhuowen
as Zhu Yuanzhang.
Love Through Different Times (穿越时空的爱恋), a 2002 Chinese television comedy-drama that is considered the first
time-travel television series produced in mainland China.

Family
The Hongwu Emperor treated his ladies-in-waiting badly, forcing them to live in the palaces for life without freedom and
behind cemented walls.[109][110] He massacred thousands of them.[111][112][113] He restricted the freedom of many
concubines and killed several.[114][115][116] He also forced many of them to commit suicide and ordered that they will be
buried with him after his death.[117] He had several Korean concubines, including Lady Han, who bore him a son, and
Lady Gong.[118]

One of the Princes was noted for delinquent behavior. Zhu Shuang 朱樉 (Prince Min of Qin 秦愍王) while he was high on
drugs, had some Tibetan boys castrated and Tibetan women seized after a war against minority Tibetan peoples and as a
result was reprimanded after he died from overdose.[119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128] 征西番,將番人七八歲幼女
擄到一百五十名,又將七歲,八歲,九歲,十歲男童,閹割百五十五名,未及二十日,令人馱背赴府,致命去處所傷未好,
即便挪動,因傷致死著大 Hongwu had a "mirror" 宗藩昭鑒錄 宗藩昭鉴录 宗藩昭鑑錄 written for Ming Princes to educate
them and stop misbehavior after having to discilpine his nephew Zhu Wenzheng's son, grandnephew Zhu
Shouqian.[57][129]

Princesses who killed their husbands include Princess Anqing and Princess Runing. Descendants of Princess Lin'an and
Princess Shouchun were exempted from execution due to their descent from Emperor Gao.

Father: Zhu Shizhen, Emperor Chun (淳皇帝 朱世珍; 1283 – 1344)

Grandfather: Zhu Chuyi, Emperor Yu (裕皇帝 朱初一)


Grandmother: Empress Yu of the Wang clan (裕皇后 王氏)
Mother: Empress Chun of the Chen clan (淳皇后 陈氏; 1286 – 1344)

Consorts and their Respective Issue:

1. Empress Xiaoci Gao of the Ma clan (孝慈高皇后 马氏; 1332 – 1382)[130]

1. Zhu Biao, Crown Prince Yiwen (懿文皇太子 朱标; 1355 – 1392)

1. Zhu Yunwen
2. Zhu Shuang, Prince Qin Min (秦愍王 朱樉; 1356 – 1395)
3. Zhu Gang, Prince Jin Gong (晋恭王 朱㭎; 1358 – 1398)
4. Zhu Di, Chengzu (成祖 朱棣; 1360 – 1424)
5. Zhu Su, Prince Zhou Ding (周定王 朱橚; 1361 – 1425)
6. Princess Ning (宁公主; 1364 – 1434)
7. Princess Anqing (安庆公主)
2. Noble Consort Chengmu of the Sun clan (成穆贵妃 孙氏; 1343 – 1374)

1. Zhu Yufeng, Princess Lin'an (临安公主 朱玉凤; 1360 – 1421)


2. Princess Huaiqing (怀庆公主; d. 1425)
3. Unnamed daughter
4. Unnamed daughter
3. Noble Consort of the Zhao clan (贵妃 赵氏)

1. Zhu Mo, Prince Shen Jian (沈简王 朱模; 1380 – 1431)


4. Noble Consort of the Jiang clan (贵妃 江氏)

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5. Consort Shu of the Li clan (淑妃 李氏; b. 1345)


6. Consort Ning of the Guo clan (宁妃 郭氏)

1. Princess Runing (汝宁公主)


2. Princess Daming (大名公主; 1368 – 1426)
3. Zhu Tan, Prince Lu Huang (鲁荒王 朱檀; 1370 – 1390)
7. Consort Zhaojing Chong of the Hu clan (昭敬充妃 胡氏)

1. Zhu Zhen, Prince Chu Zhao (楚昭王 朱桢; 1364 – 1424)


8. Consort Ding of the Da clan (定妃 达氏; d. 1390)

1. Zhu Fu, Prince Qi Gong (齐恭王 朱榑; 1364 – 1428)


2. Zhu Zi, Prince Tan (潭王 朱梓; 1369 – 1390)
9. Consort An of the Zheng clan (安妃 郑氏)

1. Princess Fuqing (福清公主; 1370 – 1417)


10. Consort Hui of the Guo clan (惠妃 郭氏)

1. Zhu Chun, Prince Shu Xian (蜀献王 朱椿; 1371 – 1423)


2. Zhu Gui, Prince Dai Jian (代简王 朱桂; 1374 – 1446)
3. Princess Yongjia Zhenyi (永嘉贞懿公主; 1376 – 1455)
4. Zhu Hui, Prince Gu (谷王 朱橞; 1379 – 1428)
5. Princess Ruyang (汝阳公主)
11. Consort Shun of the Hu clan (顺妃 胡氏)

1. Zhu Bai, Prince Xiang Xian (湘献王 朱柏; 1371 – 1399)


12. Consort Xian of the Li clan (贤妃 李氏)

1. Zhu Jing, Prince Tang Ding (唐定王 朱桱; 1386 – 1415)


13. Consort Hui of the Liu clan (惠妃 刘氏)

1. Zhu Dong, Prince Ying Jing (郢靖王 朱栋; 1388 – 1414)


14. Consort Li of the Ge clan (丽妃 葛氏)

1. Zhu Yi, Prince Yi Li (伊厉王 朱㰘; 1388 – 1414)


2. Zhu Nan (朱楠; 1394)
15. Consort Zhuangjing Hui of the Cui clan (庄靖惠妃 崔氏)
16. Consort of the Han clan (妃 韩氏)

1. Zhu Zhi, Prince Liao Jian (辽简王 朱植; 1377 – 1424)


2. Princess Hanshan (含山公主; 1381 – 1462)
17. Consort of the Yu clan (妃 余氏)

1. Zhu Zhan, Prince Qing Jing (庆靖王 朱㮵; 1378 – 1438)


18. Consort of the Yang clan (妃 杨氏)

1. Zhu Quan, Prince Ning Xian (宁献王 朱权; 1378 – 1448)


19. Consort of the Zhou clan (妃 周氏)

1. Zhu Pian, Prince Min Zhuang (岷庄王 朱楩; 1379 – 1450)


2. Zhu Song, Prince Han Xian (韩宪王 朱松; 1380 – 1407)
20. Beautiful Lady of the Zhang clan (美人 张氏)[131]

1. Princess Baoqing (宝庆公主; 1394 – 1433)


21. Lady of the Lin clan (林氏)

1. Zhu Yuhua, Princess Nankang (南康公主 朱玉华; 1373 – 1438)


22. Lady of the Gao clan (郜氏)

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1. Zhu Ying, Prince Su Zhuang (肃庄王 朱楧; 1376 – 1420)


23. (Unknown)

1. Zhu Qi, Prince Zhao (赵王 朱杞; 1369 – 1371)


2. Zhu Ying, Prince An Hui (安惠王 朱楹; 1383 – 1417)
3. Princess Chongning (崇宁公主)
4. Princess Shouchun (寿春公主; 1370 – 1388)

See also
Chinese emperors family tree (late)
Huang Ming Zu Xun, the "Ancestral Instructions" written by the Hongwu Emperor to guide his descendants
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
Rags to riches
Sino-Tibetan relations during the Ming dynasty

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131. personal name Xuanmiao (玄妙)

1. The Hongwu Emperor was already in control of Nanjing since 1356 and was conferred the title of "Duke of Wu" (吳國
公) by the rebel leader Han Lin'er (韓林兒) in 1361. He started autonomous rule as the self-proclaimed "Prince of Wu"
(吳王) on 4 February 1364. He was proclaimed emperor on 23 January 1368 and established the Ming dynasty on
that same day.
2. Name given by his parents at birth and used only inside the family and friends. This birth name, which means "double
eight", was allegedly given to him because the combined age of his parents when he was born was 88 years.
3. He was known as "Zhu Xingzong" when he reached adulthood and renamed himself "Chu Yuan-Chang" in 1352
when he started to become famous among the rebel leaders.
4. Upon his successful usurpation in 1402, the Yongle Emperor voided the Jianwen era of his predecessor and
continued the Hongwu era posthumously until the next New Year when his own new era was declared. This dating
continued for a few of his successors until the Jianwen era was reëstablished in the late 16th century.

This article incorporates text from China and the Roman Orient: researches into their ancient and mediæval
relations as represented in old Chinese records, by Friedrich Hirth, a publication from 1885 now in the public domain
in the United States.
This article incorporates text from Cathay and the way thither: being a collection of medieval notices of China, by
COLONEL SIR HENRY YULE, a publication from 1913 now in the public domain in the United States.
This article incorporates text from Institutes of ecclesiastical history: ancient and modern ..., by Johann Lorenz
Mosheim, James Murdock, a publication from 1832 now in the public domain in the United States.

Dreyer, Edward. (1982). Early Ming China: A Political History. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-
1105-4.
Stearns, Peter N., et al. (2006). World Civilizations: The Global Experience. AP Edition DBQ Update. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.
History of Ming, vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3

Further reading
Anita M. Andrew; John A. Rapp (1 January 2000). Autocracy and China's Rebel Founding Emperors: Comparing
Chairman Mao and Ming Taizu (https://books.google.com/?id=YQOhVb5Fbt4C&pg=PA110&dq=john+dardess#v=one
page&q=john%20dardess&f=false). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 110–. ISBN 978-0-8476-9580-5.
Brook, Timothy. (1998). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of
California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0 (Paperback).
John W. Dardess (1983). Confucianism and Autocracy: Professional Elites in the Founding of the Ming Dynasty (http
s://books.google.com/?id=OvdqvKxbCc4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+dardess#v=onepage&q=john%20dardess&f
=false). University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-04733-4.
John W. Dardess (1968). Background Factors in the Rise of the Ming Dynasty (https://books.google.com/?id=FSwyn
QEACAAJ&dq=john+dardess). Columbia University.

External link
Media related to Hongwu Emperor at Wikimedia Commons

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Hongwu Emperor
House of Zhu
Born: 21 October 1328 Died: 24 June 1398

Regnal titles
Preceded by Emperor of the
Dynasty Ming dynasty
established 1368–1398
Succeeded by
Preceded by The Jianwen
Emperor Emperor
Emperor of China
Huizong of
1368–1398
the Yuan
dynasty

Chinese royalty
Prince of Wu Merged in the
Unknown
1364–1368 Crown

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