Hongwu

Hongwu, born Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398), known posthumously as the Hongwu Emperor and commonly called Taizu of the Ming, was the founder of the Ming Dynasty of China and its first emperor, ruling from 1368 to 1398. He rose from poverty in the late Yuan period, joined the Red Turban Rebellion, and gradually defeated rival forces to consolidate authority over most of China proper. In 1368 he established the Ming Dynasty, proclaiming the era name Hongwu and setting the capital at Nanjing.

His reign was marked by centralization and systematic state-building. He reestablished a bureaucratic system centered on a strengthened civil service and military in which power was concentrated at court; eunuchs and secret police, notably the Jinyiwei, played a prominent role in governance and security. He compiled and enforced a comprehensive legal code (Da Ming Lu) and undertook extensive land surveys and tax reform to stabilize revenue. He also promoted infrastructure and agricultural development and, at times, imposed strict controls on maritime trade, including intermittent sea bans to curb piracy and the movement of private merchants.

The Hongwu era solidified the Ming's institutional framework and territorial consolidation, with the capital remaining in Nanjing during his reign. He died in 1398 and was succeeded by his grandson Zhu Yunwen, who became the Jianwen Emperor. The Hongwu Emperor’s legacy includes a strong centralized state and a governance model that shaped Ming rule for generations, even as later rulers sought to balance centralized authority with court factions.