Government in the Ming Dynasty
The government systems of the Ming dynasty, a period in China from 1368 to 1644 CE, were very structured and therefore relatively successful. The government was divided into very organized and highly functioning sections, which were able to step in and help China work more efficiently. The main reason for this was the switch to Legalism - a stricter, more regimented philosophy - which affected the entire population and was the cause of the structure the Ming dynasty is known for. As for Ming rulers, some argue that emperors in this period of China’s history were violent and oppressive; however, most of them did manage to make advancements in the areas of art, trade, and battle. The department/section system and rigid philosophy compensated for power-thirsty emperors, eventually leading Ming China to become one of the most accomplished dynasties in Chinese history.
Emperors of the Ming Dynasty
Contrary to the common belief, Ming emperors were not the root of this dynasty’s problems because they were much too power-thirsty; in fact, many of them were actually successful. Scholars claim that these emperors were much too concerned with their own power to be good rulers to their people (they were supreme rulers, after all, but always afraid of usurpation). For example, one emperor, Yongle, burned many of his political adversaries alive, including his own nephew, leaving the total number dead in the thousands when he finally stopped this purge. But then again, he is the same emperor who built the Forbidden City, which is often considered to be a symbol of China. Yongle (also known as Zhu Di) is also the same emperor who led a very successful army to drive out Mongol invaders and started the biggest trade force in the world at the time. Hongwu emperor Zhu Yuanzhang is another, similar case. He solved a lot of problems through projects centered on civil examinations, the tax system, canal and dyke repair, and reforestation projects. He also was a huge advocate for ethics and instructed his officers to do the same, thus causing a change in morality throughout the empire, as shown by this quote from his book: “In order to protect my reputation and to preserve my life, I have done away with music, beautiful girls, and valuable objects”. But in 1380, more than 30,000 of an opposing politician’s supporters and family were reportedly killed by Zhu Yuanzhang - the same person. Although it may seem hard to believe, most emperors who were oppressive during this time were actually great contributors to the government and helped accomplish most of what Ming China is known for.
Contrary to the common belief, Ming emperors were not the root of this dynasty’s problems because they were much too power-thirsty; in fact, many of them were actually successful. Scholars claim that these emperors were much too concerned with their own power to be good rulers to their people (they were supreme rulers, after all, but always afraid of usurpation). For example, one emperor, Yongle, burned many of his political adversaries alive, including his own nephew, leaving the total number dead in the thousands when he finally stopped this purge. But then again, he is the same emperor who built the Forbidden City, which is often considered to be a symbol of China. Yongle (also known as Zhu Di) is also the same emperor who led a very successful army to drive out Mongol invaders and started the biggest trade force in the world at the time. Hongwu emperor Zhu Yuanzhang is another, similar case. He solved a lot of problems through projects centered on civil examinations, the tax system, canal and dyke repair, and reforestation projects. He also was a huge advocate for ethics and instructed his officers to do the same, thus causing a change in morality throughout the empire, as shown by this quote from his book: “In order to protect my reputation and to preserve my life, I have done away with music, beautiful girls, and valuable objects”. But in 1380, more than 30,000 of an opposing politician’s supporters and family were reportedly killed by Zhu Yuanzhang - the same person. Although it may seem hard to believe, most emperors who were oppressive during this time were actually great contributors to the government and helped accomplish most of what Ming China is known for.
It is clear that the Ming dynasty had a very successful government system. This was due to many things, one being its overall arrangement of administrative offices. Another contributing factor was the influence of a structured philosophy on the population. Lastly, of course, are China’s real leaders; the Ming emperors also provided a head of government and supplied much of the ideas the dynasty needed at the time in order to succeed. And succeed it did, as it has been shown; the Ming government accomplished much during their short 276 years ruling ancient China.
did you know? read below for fun facts! |
- One emperor (the Yingzong Emperor, to be exact) took on the title of emperor when he was only nine years old!
- There were sixteen emperors during the space between 1368 and 1644 (the Ming Dynasty period).
- The last Ming emperor committed suicide and wrote these words on his coat before he hung himself: "My inadequate virtues and weak flesh have invited punishment from Heaven" - dark!
- In 1403, the Chinese capital was moved to Beijing from Nanjing. Rebuilding the capital was a project led by the Yongle emperor and took more than two hundred thousand workers sixteen years to complete.
- At one point, the Hongwu emperor worried that he was losing power. To deal with this paranoia, he set up a place which he used to spy on people - it was called the Jinyi Wei.
- Aside from moving the capital, Yongle kept eunuchs, whose ethnicities represented the multicultural influences on China at the time. He had Jurchen eunuchs as well as eunuchs from Vietnam, Korea, central Asia, and Mongolia.
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Xian Zong, Zhu Jianshen, 1465 -- 1487 Emperor Ming Dynasty. Photograph. Accessed November 20, 2014. http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Dynasty/Ming-1465-Xian-Zong.html.