Yongle

Yongle Emperor, personal name Zhu Di (1360–1424), was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, ruling from 1402 to 1424. A prince of the house of Zhu, he seized the throne from his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, after the Jingnan Campaign (1399–1402). His reign is noted for ambitious state-building, centralization of authority, and an active foreign policy.

One of Yongle's most enduring acts was the relocation of the imperial capital from Nanjing to Beijing. He initiated the construction of the Forbidden City, a monumental palace complex that became the seat of the Ming court. He also reinforced the northern frontier with the Great Wall and other defenses to secure the realm.

Internationally, Yongle sponsored the voyages of Zheng He beginning in 1405, expanding Ming influence across the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and beyond. The fleets demonstrated imperial power and facilitated tribute diplomacy, though they continued beyond his death.

Domestically, Yongle oversaw large cultural and scholarly projects, including the compilation of the Yongle Dadian, an extensive encyclopedia completed around 1408–1409. He centralized power at court, relying more on imperial eunuchs and a security apparatus to supervise officials, and he purged rivals after taking the throne.

Yongle died in 1424 and was buried in the Changling mausoleum of the Ming tombs north of Beijing. His reign left a lasting architectural, maritime, and cultural imprint on early Ming governance, shaping state practice and imperial prestige for decades.

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