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Zhu was born into a poor peasant family, and was the only one of his siblings (six in total) to not be adopted out of the family, or married into another family, at a young age. His family was officially classed as "gold panners" under the Yuan system which required people to continue the occupations of their fathers; this despite the fact that there were no gold mines in that local area.  

Zhu was born into a poor peasant family, and was the only one of his siblings (six in total) to not be adopted out of the family, or married into another family, at a young age. His family was officially classed as "gold panners" under the Yuan system which required people to continue the occupations of their fathers; this despite the fact that there were no gold mines in that local area.  

When he was sixteen, Zhu lost his entire family - with the exception of one brother - to the [[Black Death]], and had to scrape and beg to survive for a time. He had been promised to a monastery when he was a child, and in [[1345]]-[[1352]] joined that monastery, becoming an itinerant monk & beggar. It was during that time that he was first exposed to the philosophy of the bandit/rebel group known as the [[Red Turbans]]. He joined the Red Turbans, and married a daughter of one of the rebel leaders.

When he was sixteen, Zhu lost his entire family - with the exception of one brother - to the [[Black Death]], and had to scrape and beg to survive for a time. He had been promised to a monastery when he was a child, and in [[1345]]-[[1352]] joined that monastery, becoming an itinerant monk & beggar. It was during that time that he was first exposed to the philosophy of the bandit/rebel group known as the [[Red Turbans]]. He joined the Red Turbans at the age of 24,<ref>Robert Tignor, [[Benjamin Elman]], et al, ''Worlds Together, Worlds Apart'', vol B, Fourth Edition, W.W. Norton & Co (2014), 430.</ref> and married a daughter of one of the rebel leaders.

In [[1355]], his father-in-law died, and Zhu succeeded him as head of the Red Turbans, and began launching raids and attacks against the Mongol establishment. By [[1368]], he had taken Beijing, toppled the Yuan Dynasty, and set himself up as emperor of a new dynasty, which he declared the Ming Dynasty, making [[Nanjing]] his capital.

In [[1355]], his father-in-law died, and Zhu succeeded him as head of the Red Turbans, and began launching raids and attacks against the Mongol establishment. By [[1368]], he had taken Beijing, toppled the Yuan Dynasty, and set himself up as emperor of a new dynasty, which he declared the Ming Dynasty, making [[Nanjing]] his capital.