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Zhu Yuanzhang

Type Figure Region China Time 1328–1398 Also known as Hongwu Emperor、Taizu of Ming、Zhu Guorui、Zhu Chongba

Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398), founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, temple name Taizu, era name Hongwu.…

Timeline

  1. 1328–1355Zhongli, Haozhou (modern Fengyang, Anhui) · AnhuiZhu Yuanzhang was born into a peasant family in Haozhou in the late Yuan; he lost his parents young and at one point became a monk at Huangjue Temple. Around 1352 he joined Guo Zixing's Red Turban forces, gradually gaining trust for his bravery and skill, and married Lady Ma.
  2. 1356–1367Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · JiangsuIn 1356 Zhu Yuanzhang captured Jiqing Circuit and made Yingtian Prefecture his base, gradually eliminating separatist forces like Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, unifying Jiangnan and laying the groundwork for a northern expedition into the Central Plains.
  3. 1368–1398Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · JiangsuIn 1368 Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor at Yingtian, state name Great Ming, era name Hongwu. During his reign he drove the Mongol remnants north, pacified Yunnan in the south, rebuilt the centralized system, enfeoffed his sons as princes, and made his eldest son Zhu Biao crown prince. Around 1371 he continued to refine the imperial clan vassal and household registration systems.

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