Ming Six Ministries

Timeline

1. 1368–1369Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · JiangnanAfter proclaiming himself emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang followed Yuan precedent in establishing the Central Secretariat and the Six Ministries, then swiftly abolished the Central Secretariat, placing the Six Ministries directly under the emperor, each with a minister and vice ministers, laying the skeleton of Ming civil administration.
2. c. 1371–1376Nanjing · JiangnanDuring the Hongwu era Zhu Yuanzhang strengthened imperial authority, clearly defining the responsibilities of the Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works ministries, restricting officials' powers; the Six Ministries, Censorate, and Office of Transmission formed a mutually checking central administrative structure.
3. 1377–1380Nanjing · JiangnanBy around the tenth year of Hongwu, the staffing of the Six Ministries, memorial procedures, and mechanisms for coordinating with local authorities had stabilized, becoming the core institutions for handling national affairs, household registration and taxation, rites and imperial examinations, and judicial and engineering matters.