41 Facts About Hongwu Emperor

The Hongwu Emperor, known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Ming, personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, courtesy name Guorui, was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398.

Hongwu Emperor formed his own government, consisting of both generals and Confucian scholars, rejecting Mongol rule over China.

Hongwu Emperor adopted the concept of country administration from them and implemented it in the territory he controlled, eventually expanding it to the entire country.

Hongwu Emperor gradually defeated rival rebel leaders, with the decisive moment being his victory over Chen Youliang in the Battle of Lake Poyang in 1363.

Hongwu Emperor decided on the name Da Ming, which translates to "Great Radiance", for his empire.

Hongwu Emperor prioritized the safety of his people and the loyalty of his subordinates, demonstrating pragmatism and caution in military affairs.

Hongwu Emperor maintained a disciplined army and made efforts to minimize the impact of war on civilians.

Hongwu Emperor's descendants continued to rule over all of China until 1644, and the southern region for an additional seventeen years.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the future Hongwu Emperor, was born in 1328 in Zhongli village, located in Haozhou.

Hongwu Emperor was the youngest of four sons in a poor peasant family.

Hongwu Emperor was given the name Zhu Chongba at birth, but later used the name Zhu Xingzong in adulthood.

Hongwu Emperor's paternal grandfather was a gold miner, and his maternal grandfather was a fortune-teller and seer.

Hongwu Emperor managed to survive by entering a local Buddhist monastery, which was later closed due to a lack of funds.

Hongwu Emperor then returned to the monastery in 1348 and stayed for four years, during which he learned to read, write, and study the basics of Buddhism.

Hongwu Emperor swiftly recruited 24 companions, who would eventually become generals in the Ming army, from his acquaintances who had already joined the rebels, and became their leader.

Hongwu Emperor was now in command of an army of 100,000 soldiers, which was divided into divisions or wings.

Hongwu Emperor achieved this by working closely with local elites and understanding the needs of the villagers, having grown up as the son of a poor peasant himself.

Hongwu Emperor quickly raised an army of 300,000, outnumbering Zhu's remaining forces.

Hongwu Emperor followed the Mongol tradition of elevating titles and named the empire "Great Ming".

Hongwu Emperor renamed the upcoming "second year of the Wu era" as the "first year of the Hongwu era".

Hongwu Emperor often referred to himself as a villager from the right bank of the Huai River.

Hongwu Emperor's difficult upbringing never left his mind, and even as emperor, he held onto the ideal of a self-sufficient village life in peace, a dream that was unattainable in his youth.

Hongwu Emperor made every effort to make this dream a reality for his subjects.

The ultimate goal of the Hongwu Emperor's reforms was to achieve political stability for the state.

Hongwu Emperor was a dynamic and innovative legislator, constantly issuing, revising, and modifying laws throughout his reign, but these frequent changes sometimes sparked protests from officials.

In 1369, the Hongwu Emperor proposed a debate on the relocation of the capital.

Hongwu Emperor surrounded himself with a group of military and civilian figures, but the civil officials never attained the same level of prestige and influence as the military.

The villages were self-governing communities that resolved internal disputes without interference from officials, as the Hongwu Emperor did not recommend their presence in the countryside.

The Hongwu Emperor's guiding principle was one of parsimony and simplicity.

The Hongwu Emperor himself set an example by contenting himself with simple food and palace furnishings.

Hongwu Emperor viewed the pursuit of comfort, luxury, and property as unacceptable self-centeredness and a sign of corruption.

Hongwu Emperor sent graduates from state schools and technical specialists to oversee flood protection structures throughout the country.

In 1361, the Hongwu Emperor began minting coins, but the small amount produced did not have a significant economic impact.

Hongwu Emperor viewed weakening the influence of the merchant class and large landowners as a top priority for his government.

Hongwu Emperor himself came to power through the betrayal of the heirs of Guo Zixing and later faced conspiracies from his subordinates.

Hongwu Emperor was buried in the Xiao Mausoleum, located on the southern side of Purple Mountain, east of Nanjing.

In traditional Chinese historiography, the Hongwu Emperor was revered as a typical founder of a dynasty.

Hongwu Emperor is credited with bringing China out of the chaos of civil war and freeing it from foreign rule.

The Hongwu Emperor is widely regarded as one of the most influential and remarkable rulers in Chinese history, regardless of which aspect of his life is emphasized.

Hongwu Emperor's reforms had a lasting impact on the Chinese state and society for centuries to come.

The Hongwu Emperor had many Korean and Mongolian women among his concubines along with his Empress Ma and had 16 daughters and 26 sons with all of them.