Six Ministries of the Ming Dynasty

Timeline

1. 1368Yingtian Prefecture · Ming dynastyAfter founding the dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor retained the six ministries—Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works—each with a shangshu (minister) and vice ministers, adjusting their functions on the Yuan model as the backbone of central administration.
2. 1380Nanjing · Ming dynastyIn the thirteenth year of Hongwu, the Central Secretariat and the chancellorship were abolished; the six ministries were elevated into an administrative hub directly responsible to the emperor, fundamentally transforming the power structure.
3. 1381–1390Nanjing · Ming dynastyAfter the abolition of the chancellorship, the six ministries further refined their subdivisions, regulations, and performance reviews; statutes of the Revenue and Justice ministries were applied nationwide, forming the basic framework of Ming administrative operations.