HongWo09

= Emperor Hong Wu [Zhu Yuanzhang] =

By: Cameron Lowry
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Script
Emperor Hong Wu, also known as Zhu Yuanzhang, founded the Ming dynasty. The name Hong Wu means "Vast Military". He was born in 1328 in the Pei County as the youngest of four brothers. His family was very un-wealthy, and the conditions that he grew up in were poor as well. Because of the fact that there was no food, many of his brothers were given away. When he was 16 years old, the yellow river flooded the land, killing his entire family. He was then left alone to fend for himself. For years he traveled and begged for food. He eventually found shelter in a Buddhist monastery, and he lived there until he was 24. It was there where he learned to read and write. The Mongol army eventually destroyed the monastery, burning it to the ground. In an act of revenge, Zhu Yuanzhang joined a local rebel group to fight back. His natural leadership abilities and talents allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks and he eventually became their leader. This group soon joined the Red Turban movement and by the time Yuanzhang was 27 he became their leader as well. The Red Turbans were a sect that had a mixed up belief in Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. Although he became their leader it is unknown how much he was involved in their actual beliefs, because once he became emperor, he was a supporter of Confucianism. It was in 1366 when Zhu Yuanzhang went on to take the rest of China. After defeating some smaller territories and getting the allegiance of others, he marched against the Mongol army and after a halfhearted fight, the Mongols fled back to their homeland, the place we now know of as Mongolia. In 1368 he led a peasant revolution that pushed the Yuan dynasty back and established the Ming Dynasty. He then went on to become the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. By 1382 he had ended Mongol rule and unified all of China. Hong Wu maintained a strong military because it was essential while the Mongols were still a threat to the empire. Hong Wu largely succeeded in increasing the country's defenses against the Mongols and consolidating control of all aspects of government, so that no other group could gain enough power to overthrow him. When the Chinese emperorship became hereditary, they recognized this and established the office of prime or chief minister. While incompetent emperors could come and go, the prime minister could guarantee a level of continuity and competence in the government. Hong Wu, wishing to concentrate absolute authority in his own hands, abolished the office of prime minister and so removed the only insurance against incompetent emperors. Hong Wu's rule saw the introduction of paper currency. Not understanding inflation, Hong Wu gave out so much paper money as rewards that by 1425 the state was forced to reintroduce copper coins given that the currency was worth 1/70 of its original value. During Hong Wu's reign, however, the early Ming dynasty was characterized by rapid and dramatic population growth, largely due to the increased food supply and Hong Wu's agricultural reforms. Population probably rose by at least 50 percent by the end of the Ming dynasty. Under his command, living standards greatly improved. His reign was also marked by the consolidation of imperial power, agrarian reconstruction, and intimidation of the landed and scholarly elite, a recollection of his commoner roots. Hong Wu died after a reign of 30 years.

Overview:

 * Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as Hong Wu, founded the Ming dynasty.
 * He was born in 1328 in the Pei County as the youngest of four brothers. His family was very poor, and the conditions that he grew up in were to say the least very bad. Because of the fact that there was no food, many of his brothers were given away.
 * When he was 16 years old, the yellow river flooded the land, killing his whole family. He was then left alone to fend for himself. He found shelter in a Buddhist monastery but ironically, the monastery ran out of money as well and again he was forced to leave and fend for himself.
 * For years he traveled and begged for food, eventually returning to the monastery and living there until he was 24. It was there where he learned to read and write. The Mongol army eventually destroyed the monastery, burning it to the ground.
 * In an act of revenge, Zhu Yuanzhang joined a local rebel group to fight back. His natural leadership abilities and talents allowed him rise quickly through the ranks and he eventually became their leader. This group soon joined the Red Turban movement and by the time Yuanzhang was 27 he became their leader as well.
 * The Red Turbans were a sect that had a mixed up belief in Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, even though he became their leader it is unknown how much he was involved in their actual beliefs, because once he became emperor he supported Confucianism.
 * It was in 1366 when Zhu Yuanzhang went on to take the rest of China. After defeating some smaller territories and getting the allegiance of others, he marched against the Mongol army and after a halfhearted fight, the Mongols fled back to their home, the place we now know of as Mongolia.
 * Led a peasant revolution that pushed the Yuan dynasty back and established the Ming Dynasty in 1368.
 * He became a great leader of an army and forced the Mongols to retreat, he then went on to become the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China.
 * By 1382 he had ended Mongol rule and unified all of China.
 * Hong Wu reassessed the orthodox Confucian view regarding the military as an inferior class to be subordinated by the scholar bureaucracy. Simply put, maintaining a strong military was essential since the Mongols were still a threat. As also the name Hong Wu means "Vast Military".
 * Hong Wu attempted to, and largely succeeded in, increase the country's defenses against the Mongols and to consolidate control of all aspects of government so that no other group could gain enough power to overthrow him. As emperor, Hong Wu increasingly concentrated power in his own hands and abolished the Imperial Secretariat, which had been the main central administrative body under past dynasties. When the emperorship became hereditary, the Chinese recognized this and established the office of prime or chief minister. While incompetent emperors could come and go, the prime minister could guarantee a level of continuity and competence in the government. Hong Wu, wishing to concentrate absolute authority in his own hands, abolished the office of prime minister and so removed the only insurance against incompetent emperors.
 * Hong Wu's rule saw the introduction of paper currency. Not understanding inflation, Hong Wu gave out so much paper money as rewards that by 1425 the state was forced to reintroduce copper coins given that the currency was worth 1/70 of its original value.
 * During Hong Wu's reign, however, the early Ming dynasty was characterized by rapid and dramatic population growth, largely due to the increased food supply and Hong Wu's agricultural reforms. Population probably rose by at least 50 percent by the end of the Ming dynasty, stimulated by major improvements in agricultural technology promoted by the pro-agrarian state, which came to power in midst of a pro-Confucian peasant's rebellion. Under his tutelage, living standards greatly improved.
 * His reign was marked by the consolidation of imperial power, agrarian reconstruction, and intimidation of the landed and scholarly elite, a recollection of his commoner roots.
 * Hong Wu died after a reign of 30 years.

Sources:
Andrew, A.A., & Rapp, J.R. (2000). //Autocracy and China//. Oxford, England: Rowman & Littlefield Inc. (n.d.). Hongwu Emperor. //Wikipedia//. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongwu_Emperor Miclaus, C.M. (2008). Zhu Yuanzhang - The Hongwu Emperor. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/wade-giles-the-hongwu-emperor.html (2000). Zhu Yuanzhang. Retrieved from http://virtualology.com/virtualmuseumofnaturalhistory/hallofanthropology/china/emperorzhuyuanzhang.com/ (n.d.). Hongwu Emperor of China. Retrieved from http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Hongwu_Emperor_of_China/