Promulgation of the Hongwu Grand Pronouncements

Timeline

1. 1371Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · Yingtian PrefectureIn Hongwu 4, Censorate officials drafted forty articles of the Constitutional Outline and submitted them to the court; Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang reviewed, edited, and promulgated them empire-wide to regulate officials' duties and strengthen supervision, an important link in the early Ming parallel legal system of statutes, ordinances, pronouncements, and placards.
2. 1371Ming realm · ChinaAround Hongwu 4, the court continuously used edicts, placards, and pronouncements to impose order, with a legislative orientation toward harsh punishments and 'using clear punishments to assist instruction' becoming increasingly evident. Zhu Yuanzhang later compiled and promulgated the four parts of the Imperial Grand Pronouncements in Hongwu 18–20, the pinnacle of special legal compilations in the Ming.