Shortly after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Ming Taizu wantonly enfeoffed his sons and generals. Ming Taizu successively enfeoffed 25 sons and 1 subordinate sons as kings, and some of them were granted military power. At the same time, Ming Taizu held a ceremony in Fengtian Hall, which was a great tribute to the hero. It played a great role in consolidating the rule in the early Ming Dynasty, but it also laid the groundwork for the future "Jingnan War".
After the Heroic Biography of Children was sealed, in October of the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), Ming Taizu also set up a local headquarters. Zhu Yuanzhang ordered that the provincial governor be changed to the governor (hereinafter referred to as the governor), and that * * * be changed to 13 director and 2 director, and then it was supplemented. Dusi is subordinate to DuDu House, and each Dusi has a commander who is in charge of the military and political affairs of one side and is responsible for the training, reclamation, weapons, grain transportation, defense and other affairs of the division. In case of war, all officers and men can be called to participate in the war, and they can be dispersed to the headquarters on weekdays.
In order to supervise lawlessness and honor, Ming Taizu established the Royal Guard. In April of the 15th year of Hongwu (1382), Zhu Yuanzhang abolished Yiluan Division and set up a Royal Guards instead. Besides the power of the Guards, the Royal Guards also have the power to inspect, arrest and judge prisons. Zhen Fu Division under the Royal Guards handled cases ordered by the emperor, and they used cruel punishment. In the 20th year of Hongwu (1387), Ming Taizu ordered the burning of the instruments of torture of Royal Guards, and the prisoners were transferred to the Ministry of Justice for trial. At the same time, all internal and external prisons were ordered to be tried by the Third Law Division, and Jinyi Prison was abolished.
Ming Taizu also cracked down on corruption and cleaned up powerful officials, the most famous of which were the four major cases in the early Ming Dynasty. Namely, the "empty seal case" and the corruption case of Guo Huan, Assistant Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Although these two cases were initiated to punish corruption and abuse of power, they implicated many other people. Among them, the case of Prime Minister Hu and the case of General Lan Yu (known as "Hulan's Prison" in history) were the most influential. In these two cases, more than 50,000 people were executed by * * *, including nearly 40 officials and Hou. After this major case, a generation of founding heroes were wiped out. military affairs
In the first month of the first year of Hongwu (1368), Ming Taizu adopted Liu Ji's suggestion of "building the army and defending the army" and formally established the garrison system. In the seventh year of Hongwu (1374), when the army was re-established to defend the government, 5,600 people were taken as a guard, which was divided into five thousand households, each consisting of1000 households. White Tiger Institute is the basic establishment of the Ming army, with *** 1 12 people, two general flags and 10 small flags, which are used for daily management and military training. Hongwu twenty-six years (1393), headquarters 17, left-behind headquarters 1, Wei 329, Wei 65. There are more than 65438+800,000 troops in China. economy
In the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), in March, Ming Taizu ordered the seal of Daming Baodian, which was loved by the people. At the beginning of Hong, most of the currencies in circulation in the market were drum-cast copper coins "Hongwu" coins. However, in the early Ming Dynasty, there was an extreme shortage of copper materials, and copper coins could not meet the market demand. For this reason, Ming Taizu used the paper money system implemented in Yuan Dynasty for reference, and printed "Daming Treasure Paper Money" in parallel with copper coins, with paper money as the main part and copper coins as the supplement. Treasure notes in Ming Dynasty are divided into 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and consistent six grades. culture
(1) Establish a school.
In October of the second year of Hongwu (1369), Ming Taizu ordered local counties and counties to set up schools, which clearly defined the scale of schools at the prefecture, state and county levels and the contents of students' study. Students trained by local schools who are knowledgeable can be sent to imperial academy, the capital, for further study on a regular basis, or they can take the imperial examinations to gain fame. 1375 set up sociology to teach folk children. The school in Beijing is Guo Zi School (1382 changed to imperial academy), which is the highest institution of learning in China. Their students are called Guo Jian students, mostly children of bureaucrats and landlords, and their majors are "Four Books", "Five Classics" and laws and regulations. You can be an official directly after graduation.
(2) Formulate the imperial examination system
In the third year of Hongwu (1370), in May, due to the country's urgent need for talents, Ming Taizu issued an imperial edict and set up a department to recruit scholars in August. In the Ming Dynasty, Kexing Examination was divided into two subjects, namely, after having obtained the provincial examination, the senior high school entrance examination and palace examination. Those who succeed in the provincial examination are called juren, and those who succeed in the imperial examination are eligible to take the palace examination. Once every three years, the imperial palace examination was personally checked by the emperor, and he passed the examination and was admitted as a scholar. Anyone who has passed the examination of Jinshi can be awarded an official. The content of liberal arts examination is mainly limited to the four books and five classics, and the examination style is generally eight-part essay, with empty content and heavy form, so the imperial examination system in Ming Dynasty is also called eight-part essay examination. Wushu examiners pay attention to skills and courage, and the examination content changes according to the requirements of the current situation. There is a big exam every six years, and the first place in the senior high school entrance examination is Wu Zhuangyuan.
(3) Set up the distinction between monk books and Taoist books.
In the 15th year of Hongwu (1382), Ming Taizu set up two divisions, Sanglu and Lu Dao, and set up local branches in other counties, such as Sanggang and Dao Ji. All the monks and Taoist officials were selected to be proficient in classics and to keep quiet. The number of monks and Taoists in the temple is also sent to the government for record by the Department of Monks and Taoists. At the same time, the government gave monasteries and Taoist temples a large number of fields and tenants for their use, and exempted them from all land taxes and corvees. Influenced by Zhu Yuanzhang, the later emperors of the Ming Dynasty formed an atmosphere of being good at Buddhism and Taoism in the Ming Palace.
From the first year of Wenjian (1399) to the tenth year of Xuande (1435), the Ming Dynasty experienced four dynasties: Wen Jian, Yongle, Hongxi and Xuande, and achieved unprecedented unity and prosperity by establishing more institutions, perfecting the system, moving the capital to Beijing and developing the frontier. On the other hand, in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, which was known as "the family was rich" and "the world was peaceful", a crisis lurked behind "wealth" and "peace".
After Ming Taizu's death, Zhu Yunwen, the great grandson of the emperor, became emperor, and the second year (1399) was his first year of work. In order to carry out the New Deal, Wen Jian first adjusted the central power. Subsequently, a series of reform measures were introduced one after another, including: saving punishment and reducing prison; Jiangsu and Zhejiang land taxes are available; Adjust the government bureaucracy. Especially the latter, Wen Jian's rule has never stopped, and this adjustment involves many aspects of the official system. Although the reform in Wen Jian has only been carried out for four years, it has still achieved remarkable results. Zhu Lu, a historian in the Ming Dynasty, called it "four years of lenient politics and severe frost". politics
1June, 402, Yan Jun entered Beijing. The next day, the kings laid off by Wen Jian led civil and military officials to persuade Judy to serve. On June 17, at the prompt of Yang Rong, the editor-in-chief, Judy paid a visit to the Ming Tombs first, and then the princes, officials and bureaucrats prepared to drive, presented precious seals and stood in front of the road, shouting long live. Judy boarded the palace and was greeted by ministers headed by Ruai, the minister of the Ministry of War. She officially proclaimed herself emperor and changed to Yongle, becoming the ancestor of Ming Dynasty.
(1) cut the vassal and move the capital.
After Ming Taizu acceded to the throne, he announced the abolition of all patriarchal clan systems modified by Wen Jian, and ordered the official system set by Wen Jianshi to be changed back to the old system of Hongwu. Ming Chengzu became a hero of fortification twice. After the restoration of princes and princes, Ming Chengzu secretly began to "cut princes". Move the frontier fortress kings back to the mainland, reduce the withdrawal of the guards by the kings, and at the same time recover the control and command of the generals and guards by the kings; Reiterate that the king is forbidden to serve military and political officials privately and not to ask about local affairs; For kings who made mistakes, we should first warn them with books, then punish them, and finally abolish them as Shu Ren or punish them. Compared with Wen Jian's strategy, this strategy of "reducing vassals" is more stable and the implementation steps are more leisurely, and the effect of reducing vassals will not lead to disaster.
In the first year of Yongle (1403), Ming Chengzu changed Beiping to Beijing, set up various yamen in Beijing, and moved Daning to Baoding.
(2) create a cabinet
After Ming Chengzu boarded the pole, he decided to use a group of shallow and capable civil servants to participate in the maintenance. He was ordered to read and edit Huang Huai into the museum, discuss the secrets of the imperial court, read, edit and edit, and comment on Jin Youzi and Hu Yan participating in the maintenance of the museum, with Xie and Huang as attendants. As advisers, they are called the Cabinet. They are responsible for copywriting, making comprehensive regulations, and the cabinet system is established. But at this time, the rank of cabinet ministers is far lower than that of six ministers, with only five ministers, no government officials and no jurisdiction over the affairs of various departments. After Hongxi and Xuande dynasties, the cabinet system tended to be complete.
(3) establish a factory hygiene system
After Judy ascended the throne, she restored the Royal Guards, which was later abolished during the Taizu period. In addition, he also set up another spy organization-Dongchang. Factory hygiene system was established in Ming Dynasty. military affairs
① Five signs of Mongolia
Although the Mongols were driven out of the Central Plains, the northern security of the Ming Dynasty was greatly threatened, and several fierce wars occurred from the early Ming Dynasty to the middle of Yongle.
(2) expedition to Annan to the south.
During the war at the end of Yuan Dynasty, Annan took the opportunity to leave the territory of China. During the Hongwu period, Zhu Yuanzhang attached importance to war and appeasement, and was unwilling to fight again. Therefore, the symmetrical soldier Nan 'an ignored it, and Annan was in a semi-independent state from then on.
Later, Ming Taizu sent troops to attack Nan 'an, and finally Annan became independent. Li Li was named King of Annan by the Ming Dynasty, and the tribute never stopped. culture
In July of the first year of Yongle (1403), Ming Taizu ordered Hanlin and other bachelors to refer to the examples of Yunyu and Shi Yun, collect the contents contained in each book, sort them out according to their categories, and unify them with rhyme. Jie Jin and others were ordered to do so, and compiled and submitted in the following year 1 1 month, with the name "Documentary Masterpiece". Soon, thinking that there were many omissions in the book, Yao and Liu Ji were ordered to re-edit it together. He specially appointed five presidents, including Wang Jing and Wang Da, and twenty vice presidents, including Zou Ji, and Chen Ji as the president. He recruited Chinese and foreign officials and literary scholars from all directions to compile, selected imperial academy and county students who were good at books to write, and Guanglu Temple provided food. At the same time, officials were sent around the world to search for suicide notes for inclusion. It took five years to complete and was renamed Yongle Dadian, with a total volume of ***22937 and binding volume of 1 1095. It is the largest kind of book in the history of China, and it is also recognized as a large encyclopedia in the world so far. diplomacy
(1) Zheng He went to the Western Ocean.
In order to strengthen ties with overseas countries, Ming Chengzu sent eunuch Zheng He to the Western Seas. 1405, Zheng He went to the Western Ocean for the first time. He led more than 27,000 people on more than 200 seagoing ships and successfully set off from Liujiagang. By 1433, Zheng He had made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, experienced more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa, and reached the east coast of Africa and the coast of the Red Sea as far as possible. This is a feat in the history of world navigation. Zheng He's ship is full of gold and silver treasures, and silk and celadon tableware are the best sellers. They exchange products from different countries, such as jewelry, spices and medicinal materials. Zheng He's voyages to the West promoted the economic exchanges between China and Asian and African countries.
King Sulu came to Korea.
Sulu is an archipelago country, with prime ministers such as East King, West King and East King. In August of the fifteenth year of Yongle (14 17), King Sulu led his relatives and accompanying leaders to form a mission of more than 340 people, who crossed the ocean and came with pearls, precious stones and tortoise shells. This is Sulu's return visit to Zheng He's ambassador Sulu, and another overseas leader personally led a delegation to visit China after Bernie and Malaga. During their stay in Beijing, the three kings received the highest standard reception. Dong Wang died of illness while passing through Texas in the south. Ming Chengzu ordered the burial in accordance with the royal ceremony and built a spectacular mausoleum for Dongwangying in Texas. In the 16th year of Yongle (14 18), on September 1st, Ming Chengzu wrote an inscription for the tombstone of Sulu Dongwang, expressing his deep memory and mourning. In the early Ming Dynasty, the social economy experienced the recovery and development of Hongwu, Wen Jian and Yongle dynasties, and the social economy flourished in Renzong and Xuanzong periods. Renzong acceded to the throne
Zhu Gaochi, the eldest son of Ming Chengzu, was generous and kind because of his foot disease, which made him inconvenient to walk and was not good at riding and shooting. But Ming Chengzu doesn't like him very much. He has a good impression on his second son Zhu, and thinks he is very much like himself. In April of the second year of Yongle (1404), Judy officially declared Zhu Gaochi as the Prince. After Judy's death, Prince Zhu Gaochi acceded to the throne and changed Hongxi to Renzong.
In the first year of Hongxi (1425), Emperor Injong decided the number of imperial examinations. In the early years of Hongwu, there were places for candidates in the imperial examination. But the restrictions were quickly lifted. During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty, the imperial court decided to redefine the number of scholars, and Yang Shiqi, the cabinet minister, invited scholars from the north and south. In the first year of Hongxi (1425), Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty formally agreed on the number of candidates for provincial and township examinations. Anyone who is familiar with the past and doesn't like to talk can take the exam over the age of 25. Before this rule was implemented, Ming Renzong died. After Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, he sent a letter to the world, demanding that all provinces still follow this rule.
Nine months after Injong acceded to the throne, Hongxi died suddenly in May of the first year, and his son Zhu Zhanji acceded to the throne as Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. In the battle for the throne, Ming Renzong was repeatedly exposed to risks and was walking on thin ice. However, the struggle over the issue of succession to the throne is not over. Xuanzong acceded to the throne
After Emperor Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, he paid more attention to virtuous ministers and implemented the policy of sharing interest with the people. Once when I went to Beijing, I saw farmers plowing the land. He personally went to the field to talk with the farmers, took the plow handle from the farmers and pushed it a few times. He said to his entourage with emotion, "I only pushed the plow three times and I felt very tired." Ordinary people work endlessly all year round, and the hard work is even more imaginable! "When building the mausoleum of Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty, we followed the will of Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty, adhered to frugality, and completed the mausoleum project in three months. After Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, the tombs of several generations of Ming Di were built frugally. It was not until the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty that a luxurious mausoleum was built.
There are several famous sayings in Xuanzong of Ming Dynasty. One sentence is "it is better to save trouble than to save officials." That was when criticizing a governor. The governor asked for an additional official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was in charge of food management in Hangjiahu area. Ming Xuanzong thought that the country had regular taxes and could not keep redundant officials, and refused his request. There is also a saying that "it is better for the people to be safe." That was when criticizing a minister of industry. The Minister of Industry suggested that the stupa of Guoyuan Temple be built in Shanxi for the benefit of the country. Ming Xuanzong believes that the stability of the people is the blessing of the country, and there is no need to "seek happiness" by repairing stupas.
There is a magistrate in Henan Province. When there was a famine in the local area, thousands of stone grain in the post station were distributed to the victims indiscriminately. Ming Xuanzong praised him: "If we kept our manners and declared at different levels, the people would have starved to death." He also inherited his father's willingness to accept opinions. He asked Yang Pu, a college student, to try his best to help himself. Yang Pu kowtowed and replied, "I will never forget to repay your kindness." He told Yang Pu: "Pointing out my fault directly is the best reward for me."
It is precisely because the ideas of Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji of Ming Renzong were more enlightened that "administering Ren Xuan" was praised by historians. Zhu Gaoxu rebellion
Zhu, the second son of Ming Dynasty, made great achievements in the battle of "Jingnan" and saved Ming from danger many times. However, he is arrogant, fierce and lawless, and wants to usurp the position of the prince. In the second year of Yongle (1404), Zhu was named Hanwang. Later, Zhu refused to go, moping all day and scheming. In June of the first year of Hongxi (1425), he tried to ambush Ming Xuanzong, but failed.
In the first year of Xuande (1426), Zhu took advantage of the Beijing earthquake to rebel in Le 'an (now northeast of Guangrao, Shandong Province), set up outposts and appointed different officials, and colluded with Zhang Fu, a British public servant. At the suggestion of Yang Rong, a great scholar, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty sent someone to personally expedition Zhu. The army arrived in the north of Le 'an and sent letters to Zhu. Unable to resist, Zhu He surrendered and the remaining party was captured. Ming Xuanzong won a great victory without bloodshed, changed Le 'an to Wuding, and placed Zhu under house arrest in Anmen Xiaoyao Building. Anti-thieves in Wang Bin, Zhu Heng, Tientsin and Shantung who participated in the rebellion were either executed or sent to the border.