Early life

Born in 1328, Zhu Yuanzhang is the youngest of four sons in Zhongli Village (Zhongli, now Fengyang, Anhui). [5] His family is a poor peasant and grew up under very difficult conditions. Because his family didn't have enough food, his brothers and sisters gave it to his parents. When he 16 years old, the Yellow River burst its banks and flooded the land, where his family lived. Then came the plague. His father (formerly known as Zhu Zhu) died, followed by his mother Chen Erniang and a younger brother, but not for long. He was as poor as a church mouse and accepted the proposal. He built a temple promised by his father and became a new Buddhist temple, Huang Jue Temple. [6] Zhu didn't stay in the temple for a long time and used up all the money in the temple. He was forced to leave.

Work hard in the next few years. He went to beg for food and saw people's troubles for the first time. About three years later, he returned to the monastery and stayed there until he was about 24 years old. He learned to read and write during his time with Buddhist monks. In the following years, although he still sympathized with Buddhism, he did not become a Buddhist himself. In order to destroy the local rebellion, the Mongolian army burned Zhu's temple. On 1352, Zhu joined the local rebels, and was one of many groups that appeared all over China. Zhu's talent (leadership, determination, military skills and smart heart) made him rise to this position quickly in the command group. Zhu and local rebels joined the red headscarf movement as soon as possible. A thousand-year-old sect has something to do with Bailian religion, and a sect combines Buddhism, Zoroastrian culture and religious traditions, as well as other religions. By portraying himself as a defender of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism, Zhu became the country's collapse in the Yuan Dynasty.

The unification of the Chinese empire

Main article: the war to unify Zhu Yuanzhang.

In 1356, Zhu's army occupied Nanjing, one of the major cities in China. This became the basis of his actions and the official capital of the Ming Empire in his life. The Zhu government quickly became famous in Nanjing and its surrounding areas, attracting more lawless people from other regions with its good governance and city. It is estimated that the population growth of this city will be 10 times in the future. [7] The Mongolian government was almost completely paralyzed in the internal factional struggle, and made little effort to recapture the Yangtze River basin and 1358. The central government and almost all of southern China are in the hands of different rebel groups. The red headscarf split by itself, and Zhu became the leader of the smaller faction (Mingyao 1360), while the larger faction controlled the center of the Yangtze River basin under Chen Youliang.

Zhu Neng attracted many talented followers. Zhu () is such a follower, and he has opinions on this issue. Zhu Ji: "Build a high wall and ration stocks year by year. Don't be king too early." Another follower was Jiao Yulu, an artillery officer, who later wrote a military paper outlining various gunpowder weapons. However, another person is Liu Ji, who is an important consultant. In the following years, he edited a paper on military technology, entitled "The Fire Dragon Classic".

From 1360, Zhu Chen Youliang fought a protracted war for the Red Scarf Army's dominion over the territory. The critical moment of the war is the Battle of Poyang Lake (1363), one of the biggest naval battles in the world history. The fighting continued until the third day, when Chen Youliang's larger navy broke away and retreated. One month after Chen Youliang's death, Zhu was still the single strongest leader in China. He is 35 years old. Zhu didn't fight again on the battlefield. From this point of view, his generals play sports, and he listens to his instructions at Nanjing Palace.

1367, Zhu's army defeated Zhang Shicheng, another great warlord, and his kingdom of Dazhou was centered on Suzhou. Previously, it included most of the Yangtze River Delta, including Hangzhou, the capital of the old Song Dynasty. [8] [9] This conquered the government agencies in Zhu Ming and the land along the Yangtze River, most of which are rivers in the north and south. Other warlords surrendered to Zhu, while in China, Xin1368 (1368 65438+1October 20th), Zhu proclaimed himself emperor in Nanking and adopted "Hongwu" as the title. He used the slogan "Exile Mongols and Restore China".

1368, his motto Zhu fulfilled his promise because his army went north to take Mongols. The Mongols, strangely enough, gave up Beijing (1September 368) and China in the north and fled to the north, which is now Outer Mongolia. [10] Finally, the loyal Yunnan Yuan Province was captured, and the unification of China in 1380 became clear again.

ascend the throne

1368 Zhu Yuanzhang claimed to be the emperor. The capital stayed in Nanjing, "Hongwu" because his title was passed on.

During Hong Wushi's reign, the Mongols who ruled the Yuan government for nearly a hundred years were changed to the Han nationality. Wu Hong updated the traditional Confucian imperial examination system, and selected state bureaucrats or civil servants who mainly focused on literature and philosophy. Candidates for civil service positions, or officers with 80,000 people, must pass the traditional competitive examination again, according to the classic requirements. The gentry and Confucian scholars who were marginalized for nearly a century in the Yuan Dynasty once again assumed the leading role of the country in China.

Things related to Mongolians also refused to continue in other fields. These include Mongolian surnames that are subdued, discarded and no longer used. In fact, attacks on related projects and places in Mongolia also include attacks on palaces and administrative buildings used by rulers of the Yuan Dynasty. [ 1 1]

Land reform and farmers

Wu Hong was born in a peasant family, and he knew how many peasants suffered greatly from the gentry and the rich. Many of the latter rely on the influence of judges, not only encroaching on farmers' land unscrupulously, but also reducing the tax burden by bribing officials and passing it on to small farmers. In order to prevent this abuse, Wu Hong mentioned two very important systems: "Yellow River Records" and "Fish Scale Records". These systems help to ensure the government's land tax and people's property income.

However, although the original intention of the reform was good, it did not eliminate the threat of gentry to farmers. On the contrary, the gentry's expansion and growing popularity translate into more wealth and tax exemption for government officials. Gentlemen have gained new privileges, which enable them to show off their wealth frequently. They are usually regarded as money lenders and casino managers. Taking advantage of their power, scholars who are often absorbed into the expansion of houses need time to sacrifice their small-scale houses by directly buying farmers' land, their mortgages and foreclosure. These farmers often become families and workers, or leave to find employment opportunities elsewhere. [ 12]

Since 1357, his government has adopted a very cautious policy of hongwu, distributing land to small farmers. It seems that his policy is to benefit the poor and try to help them support themselves and their families. Public works, such as irrigation systems and dam construction projects, have been implemented in an attempt to help poor farmers. In addition, farmers' demand for forced labor has also decreased in Wu Hong. 1370 issued an order to distribute part of the land in Hunan and Anhui to adult young farmers. This order is to partially exclude this illegal landlord's land absorption. As part of this law, it declares that land ownership will not be transferred. In the middle of his reign, a decree was issued to the effect that those who fallow farmland could take it as their own property without paying taxes. The people actively responded to this policy, and in 1393, it rose to 8,804,623 cultivated land and 680,000 mu of land, which was larger than any dynasty in China.

military affairs

Wu Hong realized that the Mongols still posed a real threat to China. He decided to re-evaluate the orthodox army of Confucianism as a bureaucrat of the inferior class, because it is necessary to maintain a strong army. Hongwu maintained a strong army as a famous military system, similar to the Fuping system in the Tang Dynasty. Although the original Ming army was very effective, it soon lost its offensive ability after the death of Ming Chengzu, and now it was defeated in the civil fort battle in the hands of Mongols in 1449.

Military training is to develop its own military area within the army. During the war, the troops mobilized all the orders of a Ministry of War empire all over the country and elected commanders to lead them. As soon as the war was over, the commanders who returned to their respective regions and troops lost their military orders. The system largely avoided this trouble to destroy the Tang Dynasty: that is, the military commander who directly controlled a large number of soldiers under his personal control. However, the disadvantage is that the military operations of the Ming Dynasty were always under the control of civilian officials from the capital.

Consolidate control

Hongwu is famous for killing many people. [13] He used a lot of torture, especially slow sectioning. He wants everyone to obey his rule. [17] [18] His general Chang Yuchun carried out massacres in some places, [19] [20] in Shandong and Hunan, in order to retaliate against his army. [2 1] [22] [23] [24] [25] As time goes by, I am more and more afraid of Hongwu rebellion and coup. He even made it his consultant, and any criticism of him is a capital crime. There is a story about a Confucian scholar and Hong Wu who decided to register their capital and denounce the emperor because of the policy of the Federal Reserve. When he was received by the emperor, he brought his own coffin. In his speech, he climbed into the coffin, hoping that the emperor would execute him. On the contrary, the emperor was deeply moved by his bravery, and he risked his life. He also said that it was disrespectful to hear that a man who had lived for thousands of years in the Nanjing Massacre was ordered. [26] [27] [28]

Wu Hong also pointed out that according to the destructive role of eunuchs in past dynasties. He greatly reduced their number, forbade them to deal with documents, and insisted that they were still illiterate, those who expressed their opinions on the implementation of state affairs. Wu Hong has a strong antipathy to the eunuch empire, which is reflected in his Gong Gui. Eunuchs must have nothing to do with the authorities. However, this aversion to eunuchs being employed by the emperor was not welcomed by Hongwu's heirs, and the court of Emperor Hongwu quickly recovered after eunuchs. Apart from Hongwu's aversion to eunuchs, he never agreed to be a relative of a court official. This policy is quite good, which guarantees the future emperors and does not cause serious problems because of the queen or her relatives.

Wu Hong tried and succeeded in consolidating control over all aspects of the government to a great extent, so no other group could gain enough power to overthrow him. He also cares about the national defense ability of the Mongolian people to support the country. As an emperor, Wu Hong concentrated more and more on his own power. He abolished the suppressed conspiracy as prime minister, who was the main head of the central administrative organs in previous dynasties, for which he once accused his chief minister. Many people think that Emperor Hongwu revoked the only insurance for the incompetent emperor because he wanted to concentrate his absolute power. However, Wu Hong's behavior is not completely one-sided, because he has obtained a new position, called "big secretary", and has cancelled the Prime Minister's meeting. Huang Renyu believes that a big secretary with a mediocre appearance can exert considerable positive influence from the throne behind him. Because of their prestige and public trust, they like to act as intermediaries between ministers and emperors, thus providing a stable force in court. He committed treason, bribery or other expenses to hundreds of thousands of officials and their relatives. [29] [30] [3 1] [32] [33]

Why did the emperor want to eliminate the post of Fu Commissioner, especially the post of Prime Minister? It was because Hu Weiqi usurped the throne when he was young. Member Hu Jintao was a very close friend of the senior and magnificent emperor. He was later executed. His behavior greatly shocked the emperor and led to great distrust of his senior officials. To this end, he completely eliminated all major ministers and advisers or established four major departments to work closely together, and these people can rank lower intellectually. The abolition of the Prime Minister's Office was an extraordinary move, which increased the autocratic government of the emperor.

Legal text

Emperor Hongwu's long-term formulation of legal texts is considered to be one of the great achievements of this era. As mentioned in Ming History, as early as 1364, the imperial system began to draft laws. This code is called Daming Road (Daming Law) or Code Daming. The emperor devoted great personal care to the whole project. In his instructions, ministers told them that the code of laws should be comprehensive and easy to understand, so as not to leave any loopholes for lower-level officials to distort misunderstood language and pass laws. It is very important to make it clear in family relations. Canon is a slave with improved treatment in the early Tang Dynasty. According to the Tang law, slaves are regarded as the kind of livestock; If they are free citizens, the law imposes any sanctions on their killers. However, in the Ming Dynasty, the law protected slaves and free citizens.

Confucianism

With the help of Confucian scholars and gentry, Wu Hong accepted the Confucian view that businessmen are the only parasites. Wu Hong believes that agriculture should be the source of a country's wealth, while trade is despicable. Perhaps this view holds that his result is that he has become a farmer. Therefore, the economic system of the Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture, instead of including the pre-Mongols and the economic system relying on the income of businessmen and enterprises as in the Song Dynasty. Because of this trade aversion, Hongwu supports the establishment of self-sufficient agricultural communities.

However, Wu Hong's prejudice against businessmen did not reduce the number of businessmen. On the contrary, under the torrent of commerce, the industry grew significantly, benefiting from the growth of the whole empire. The growth of this trade is partly due to the poor soil conditions and overpopulation in some areas, and many of them are forced to leave their homes to seek the fate of trade. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a book called "Painting Pi An Shu Xin", which described in detail the activities of businessmen at that time.

Growth and Death in Ming Dynasty

Emperor Hongwu made a mausoleum monument with a huge stone turtle.

Although paper money was introduced during the reign of Hongwu, its development was stifled from the beginning. Not knowing about inflation, Wu Hong gave the paper money that the country was forced to raise again in 1425, because the paper money had sunk, and its original value was only 1/70 in return.

During the reign of Hongwu, the early Ming Dynasty was characterized by rapid and huge population growth, which was mainly due to Hongwu's agricultural reform and the increase of grain supply by the end of the year [34]. The population has increased by as much as 50%. This is a great progress, which stimulated the popularization of agricultural technology in pro-agricultural countries and came to power in a pro-Confucian peasant uprising. Under his guidance, the living standard has been greatly improved.

After Wu Hong's death, 1398 ruled for 30 years at the age of 69. After he was killed, his general Xu Da and Dr. Li Wenzhong (Li Wenzhong). After his death, his doctor was punished. [35] hongzhi emperor, the doctor of Emperor Jiajing was executed. [36] His descendants in power have no place to live, as long as he works. He was buried in the Mausoleum of Zijinshan, east of Nanjing.

estimate

Historians believe that Hongwu became one of the most important emperors in China. As Ebri, a historian, said, "A single figure has little influence on the historical process of China, and it is more influenced by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding father of the Ming Dynasty." [37] Judging from his background, the arrival of the poorest people is surprisingly fast. In eleven years, he changed from a penniless monk to the most powerful war leader in China. Five years later, he became emperor. Simon Rice described him like this.

From a farmer stock adventurer, low education level, doer, a bold and shrewd tactician, a visionary mind, and in many ways, a creative genius, born rough, cynical and heartless, he finally showed paranoid symptoms and was on the verge of mental illness. [38]

The famous folk song Fengyang Flower Drum is blamed on him. [39] Controversy about his portrait. [40]

domestic

Hongwu's parents and grandparents. Great-great grandparents and great-great grandparents were awarded the title of emperor after their death.

The grandfathers of Zeng, Zeng and the emperor were posthumously knighted for Xuanzong and Dezu Temple in Tang Dynasty, while the great-grandmother of Zeng and Zeng was awarded the title of Queen Yu Xuan. Great-great-grandfather was given the title of Queen Heng because of the names of posthumous title, Emperor Heng He Yi Dian and Great-grandmother. The emperor's grandfather was given the names of Dayu and Xizu Temple, posthumous title, and his grandmother was given the title of Queen. Posthumous title Spring and Renzu Hall of the Emperor's Father, and Mother Chen of posthumous title is the Queen of the Spring. [4 1]