The Brilliance and Paranoia of the First Ming Emperor

Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the 276-year Ming Dynasty, is the second of only two Chinese Emperors who were born ordinary peasants.
For a long time, I have been fascinated by his unique, against-all-odds story. In a previous video, I talked about the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Here, I want to wind back the clock and explore China's last peasant emperor and one of its greatest historical figures.
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[@MH-ms1dg]

there was an account in a book on the history of chopsticks that on his first day, he executed an official who pointed out he was using his chopsticks wrong having grown up a peasant, the emperor was especially embarrassed about not knowing chopstick customs

[@captainbongwater7790]

12:45 I like that little quip at the end. Great vid!

[@captainbongwater7790]

@Damon Konnor I’m reporting you.

[@chuabohao7354]

A sentence to describe the ming dynasty 'started with a bowl and ended with by a tree'

[@sodadrinker89]

You get a similar situation in England, where the Black Prince dies, then Richard II happens, then Henry IV overthrows him. All happening at more or less the same time.

[@zhubajie6940]

His tomb in the springtime is a quite beautiful spot in Nanjing.

[@niqai.5523]

Best portrait in history.

[@wenzhicai5130]

Thre relationship between Zhu Yuanzhang and his wife Empress Ma, his son Zhu biao was very interesting. Empress Ma saved Zhu when he was under Guo Zixing's commond, and she also helped Zhu a lot when he became Emperor. She was Zhu's emational stabler in some sense. Many officers got away from deth by begging Empress Ma for their lives. As for Zhu Biao, the cwon price was the most dangerous job in Chinese history. But Zhubiao and Zhu Yuanzhang sheared their subordinae. The top there prime ministers in Zhu's governemnt were aslo the top three offciers in Zhu Biao's governor. (Li shanchang,Xuda,Chang Yuchun).It is one of the kind in Chinese history. Ma and Zhu Biao were the wife and son to Zhu Yuanzhang. Other concumbines and offsprings were more like giveaway as an Emperor. Zhu was on a ranpage after Ma and Zhu Biao died. In another way ,he was pitiful. He lost parents when he was young. He lost his wife when he was strong and he lost son when he was old.

[@TheWoodstock2009]

OOOk so the point you make at the end about the growth in household registration stopping is interesting but might be flawed. I'll preface by saying I know next to nothing about the early Ming, but during the Qing a similar phenomenon happened of quick recovery of registration which then plateau'd and "stopped" generally around the late Yongzheng reign. (Emperor Yongzheng, coincidentally, was quite similar to Hongwu in that he was a strict rules-first authoritarian). The thing is, during the rule of Kangxi, he became dismayed at the seeming lack of population growth (which, in a predominantly agrarian society, is pretty parallel to overall economic growth as the court knew)...until someone decided that maybe the figures could be wrong somehow. During the Qing (presumably so under the Ming too) household registration was also tax calculation, so if your household was not registered you would not pay taxes, and this of course created all sorts of corruption. So Kangxi eventually decided to announce that henceforth tax targets would be capped at the amount of people (by then the government was registering individuals and not households) existing at the year of the declaration. In other words, the state would collect the same amount of taxes even if the population grew. Mysteriously, during the officially registered population grew by tens of millions. Of course, both the tax waiver and the fact that by the Kangxi reign the Qing was quite stable are equally useful in explaining this growth. Now of course this meant that the state revenues would not grow as long as the promise was held and that turned out to be a big issue in the long run... So, in conclusion, around the later Hongwu reign growth was "stagnating", but it's quite possible that simply the state was becoming too good at enforcing taxes and so passive resistance was making people (and lower officials who could collect taxes from all their residents and then keep the extra from unregistered households) avoid the registration. Again, I know nothing about Hongwu, but this seems very likely

[@Asianometry]

Interesting answer. Thanks for sharing. You know your stuff.

[@wongkeehan]

Oh hey. I think I remembered that. Qing bad some serious issues getting revenue for themselves. Which meant that everything they did eventually crumbled to dust due to lack of money

[@Argentarius11]

Well done!!!

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@dtenca5341]

The first picture of the guy looks like he could be a Habsburg

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@thecia4202]

Idk, I think there's plenty of evidence the jianwen emperor is still alive

[@kvnrthr1589]

Last seen in Argentina with Tupac

[@ginolaislam]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5qqmZqcgdOBopY

[@Lukeclout]

Still ; his uncle deserved the throne better.

[@never4ever386]

He’d be dead by now 🙄

[@ThatGmoney]

Like your voice is dry as it comes. Like watching paint dry, dry, but at least you try to be you and tell us how this is. I like that!

[@johnl.7754]

Interesting Thanks

[@hidefreek6905]

His grandson (Yvwen) and his son (Di) weren't bad. However, Zhu Yuanzhang himself crushed the economy and destroyed many prospects of the Ming Dynasty. He wished the peasants to be the first class of the empire but he destroyed the merchant class which was the main logistic system of the empire. (The reason for Merchants of Chinese to were rich was because they held logistic abilities that many government officials couldn't do or risk being framed as treason) Zhu Yuanzhang is one of the worst tyrants in Chinese history. His emotion is law and he would exterminate the entire family because he could do it. (The tale of three painters was so terrified for how he exterminated entire families because he though they're right but I don't like it) (Empress Ma was the one who stopped the meaningless massacre but after she passed away, the emperor slaughtered everyone for his own pleasure)

[@playboygoss]

Can you make a video about the Imjin war ?

[@Asianometry]

It would be out of my wheelhouse but I can take a look. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@merveillem001]

From being a monk to having hundreds of concubines👀

[@imsonicnoob2112]

That thumbnail looks like a true Habsburg

[@dianebrady6784]

"other than the chin..what's not to like????"

[@Orgil.]

Habsburg but made in china

[@tryingtomakeplaylist]

​@@Orgil. Wishburg

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@KennyDog]

I am Chinese, my favourite emperor is Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Just because he was a beggar then finally became emperor. By the way, his opponent was Mongolian.

[@ginolaislam]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5qqmZqcgdOBopY

[@ihl0700677525]

Yea, kinda similar to Chandragupta Maurya (the founder of Mauryan Empire). By the way, his opponent was the then invincible Greek/Macedonian (Maurya was a contemporary of Alexander the Great).

[@dianebrady6784]

I'm American. My favorite emperor is WuZa Tien. She started as a concubine and was China's ONLY female emperor.

[@aridutta4927]

@@dianebrady6784 It's Wu Ze Tian...

[@user-kq5pj9py9c]

@@dianebrady6784 武則天 我喜歡大明帝國 來自台灣

[@holarryho]

12:45 Who are you thinking off?

[@TheWoodstock2009]

sounds like mao zedong to me

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@Ashtereth]

'Likely dead as of 2020' had me on the floor

[@dewittbourchier7169]

This is not relevant directly to this video but why is Qin Shi Huang so often held up as a bogeyman as opposed to the man who unified China? I know he was a tyrant but he also did something people would have thought impossible and he understood well how important food was, something not every Chinese ruler has.

[@treskro3]

Probably a matter of history being written by the winners. Both the subsequent Han dynasty as well as the Confucian elite had an interest in demonizing Qin as much as possible to justify their own legitimacy in moralistic terms

[@dewittbourchier7169]

@@treskro3 Perhaps but this does not explain why the confucians turned on Cao Cao. The first drafts of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms featured him as the main hero. Then he became a 'villain' albeit from a western POV I don't see how he is. He is chivalrous, generous, merciful, he gives land to peasants instead of just weeping over their plight, he surrounds himself with people of ability - even if they used to be his enemies and he runs his kingdom for the benefit of all. I use that as an example to say, I don't understand why from a Confucian perspective that makes him a bad person.

[@dutchmilk]

@@dewittbourchier7169 Cao Cao was cruel as well. He slaughtered cities full of people. Aside from that, from a Confucian point of view, Cao Cao committed the most hideous crime - replacing the emperor power with his, and override the entire Han court. Do understand, Confucious ideology was useful to maintain a top down power structure. Cao Cao disrupted this power structure. He also killed Bian Rang and Kong Rong, both well known in the scholar class which studies and follow confucious doctrine. This was not helped when he make a habit of killing people who served him well and were well respected like Cui Yan and isolate and abandon former aid like Xun Yu when the latter advise Cao Cao against of declaring himself as King of Wei. Historically, he also killed Hua Tuo. Huo Tuo death was a great loss to the medical development in China. Cao Cao is a very complex man. He achieved great peace and also committed greater sins.

[@lyhthegreat]

@@treskro3 not really, shiji was written during the han dynasty, but the writer shima qian was well- known for being turned into a castrated man because he insulted Liu bang, the founder of the han dynasty, saying he was a despicable man that broke a signed peace treaty against xiang yu...and xiang yu was both recorded as a tyrant but also a respectable man.

[@lyhthegreat]

@@dewittbourchier7169 western POV? in the novel it was obvious how the author portrayed cao cao as a villainous hero right from the get go..

[@noahpeng1689]

Zhu Yuanzhang's achievements were extraordinary. But he distrusted the bureaucracy. Like an ancient version of Mao Zedong.

[@sinoroman]

maybe the neo-han dynasty would have been a better choice? i guess we'll never know for sure the ming dynasty had minor growth which was better than absolute stagnation

[@Asianometry]

Doing better than absolute stagnation shouldn't earn you the Mandate of Heaven, I would think.

[@sinoroman]

@@Asianometry might be true but the government did its best. they tried to abolish slavery, but had to keep the practice at a minimum when they couldn't abolish it completely. i don't want to ramble on about qing, but i think the ming government did better than qing. yeah, ming wasn't the greatest in the world at that time but government tried to serve the people as much as they could and help tributary states when appropriate (looking forward to your next video!)

[@cpx9707]

Ming kicked out the Mongolian dynasty-Yuan. That was all that matters. Because the Mongolian dynasty treated Han Chinese as the lowest human being. For that only, I like Zhu Yuan Zhang, a person risen from a beggar to an Emperor was very impressive.

[@MrChrist741]

10:30 bruh XD

[@puppetguy8726]

So, what was the deal with his Habsburg chin?

[@ornature5324]

The original portrait had no Habsburg chin. However, folk tales said that he had a long chin and moles so they started painting him that way

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@shazmosushi]

I'm liking the increased comedy in the captions

[@Asianometry]

Sometimes you just gotta have fun with it. Especially when you're making so many videos each week.

[@MeetJohnnyNg]

Wonder what is the next dynasty in China.

[@rohitrai6187]

I can't hear any voice

[@EpicIEO]

Zhu Yuanzhang mog master?

[@andyv6583]

Is there a well made Hong Kong series about this story from the 80’s? I want to watch.

[@yanyanz3011]

Never watch Hong Kong made movies or tv series about Chinese historic background. They are always using wrong clothing and hair style depicting the Ming dynasty or other China's dynasty.

[@nathanmerritt1581]

Why did they drew a picture of him like that? WTF?!

[@yanyanz3011]

Oh please, the first picture is NOT the real image of Zhu Yuanzhang, he misinformed us. That image he used was the drawing by Qing era artist, that artist of course never saw the real face of the first emperor of the Ming. There's a real drawing of Zhu Yuanzhang from Ming era which is in 10:38.

[@helengao6093]

If Chen youliang thinks he can bring back the Han dynasty then I kinda wonder if the Holy Roman Empire was the reserection of the Roman Empire.

[@SonOfTheOne111]

I’d say Mao is the last peasant emperor…

[@cpx9707]

He didn’t appoint his own children to his position. Your opinion is wrong. Unless today China’s leaders all have his family name, Mao, otherwise your statement makes no sense.

[@SonOfTheOne111]

@@cpx9707 So if you don’t hand your power down to your son, you are not an emperor? Is your brain broken? I can name dozens of emperors who did not hand power to their sons! 😂

[@kokfoongsoo2480]

​​@@SonOfTheOne111how is Mao an emperor when the country is communism, not monarchy? Sometimes people labelled as they like (communist, emperor etc)..whatever suits their narrative. In life, we have to be intelligent and learn to think critically so that we can make fair and correct decision, and not be a pawn of others.

[@vintageb8]

You got the birthdate wrong

[@bellatordei3440]

Autocratic and feudal are oxymorones

[@quanzaylundy7359]

Seems a little unwise in here

[@mrniceguy7168]

Mao Zedong’s hero.

[@jmpht854]

Sounds like Mao...

[@rockandroll7017]

Don't understand why u american love to study n know china why not american history😅

[@prateeksharma6706]

Because evreyone loves to know about each other