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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 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.

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. She would later come to be known as Empress Ma. He later took a number of other consorts, including Korean and Mongol women; between the Empress and his other consorts, the Hongwu Emperor would have 26 sons and 16 daughters.<ref>Elman, et al, 431.</ref>

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.

==Policies==

==Policies==

The Hongwu Emperor is known as an autocrat, who liked to exercise direct control over government policy. He abolished the Grand Secretariat which had overseen government administration in the preceding periods, and instead addressed hundreds of matters each day himself. This elimination of the Grand Secretariat would have consequences, however, as future emperors were not as active in processing memorials to the throne, and serious bottlenecks developed.<ref>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Chinese Civilization'', Third Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 105-106.</ref>

The Hongwu Emperor is known as an autocrat, who liked to exercise direct control over government policy. He abolished the Grand Secretariat which had overseen government administration in the preceding periods, and instead addressed hundreds of matters each day himself. In one eight-day period, the emperor is said to have reviewed more than 1,600 petitions dealing with nearly 3,400 separate matters.<ref name=elman432>Elman, et al, 432.</ref> This elimination of the Grand Secretariat would have consequences, however, as future emperors were not as active in processing memorials to the throne, and serious bottlenecks developed.<ref>[[Albert M. Craig]], ''The Heritage of Chinese Civilization'', Third Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 105-106.</ref>

Perhaps because of his peasant origins, the Hongwu Emperor adhered to a conservative Confucian notion of the importance of agriculture as the foundation of the State and of the economy, disparaging the merchant class. In a reversal from earlier policies, he returned the taxation system to one based on agricultural production, reducing or eliminating commercial taxes, and, at times (in [[1370]] and [[1398]]), banning private overseas voyages entirely. In accordance with these conservative attitudes, the Hongwu Emperor also had tax rates frozen at a given rate, based on land surveys from the beginning of his reign. The country's agricultural production was prosperous enough to support the population, and the State, for a time, but the State's financial needs grew over the course of the Ming period, along with agricultural and commercial production, which the frozen tax rates failed to capture.  

Perhaps because of his peasant origins, the Hongwu Emperor adhered to a conservative Confucian notion of the importance of agriculture as the foundation of the State and of the economy, disparaging the merchant class. In a reversal from earlier policies, he returned the taxation system to one based on agricultural production, reducing or eliminating commercial taxes, and, at times (in [[1370]] and [[1398]]), banning private overseas voyages entirely. In accordance with these conservative attitudes, the Hongwu Emperor also had tax rates frozen at a given rate, based on land surveys from the beginning of his reign. The country's agricultural production was prosperous enough to support the population, and the State, for a time, but the State's financial needs grew over the course of the Ming period, along with agricultural and commercial production, which the frozen tax rates failed to capture.  

Beginning in [[1387]], the emperor's government implemented a system of land registration called "fish-scale registers," under which individuals were responsible for the equivalent of one sixth-of-an-acre (''mu'', 畝) of production for each sixth-of-an-acre they owned, regardless of how much land they actually cultivated. The land surveys associated with implementing this system were successfully completed by [[1393]].

Beginning in [[1387]], the emperor's government implemented a system of land registration called "fish-scale registers," under which individuals were responsible for the equivalent of one sixth-of-an-acre (''mu'', 畝) of production for each sixth-of-an-acre they owned, regardless of how much land they actually cultivated. The land surveys associated with implementing this system were successfully completed by [[1393]].

In addition to his many great acts, the Hongwu Emperor is also known for extensive purges, in which thousands of people would be killed, or "disappear." In [[1376]], he dismissed 10,000 officials from government service for engaging in a traditional paperwork practice with which he disapproved; in [[1380]], when he eliminated the position of the chancellor and dismantled the Grand Secretariat, 30,000 people vanished. A scandal over grain led to 10,000 or so being sentenced to death in [[1385]], and 15,000 were killed in [[1393]], accused of involvement in challenges to imperial authority.

In addition to his many great acts, the Hongwu Emperor is also known for extensive purges, in which thousands of people would be killed, or "disappear." In [[1376]], he dismissed 10,000 officials from government service for engaging in a traditional paperwork practice with which he disapproved; in [[1380]], when he eliminated the position of the chancellor and dismantled the Grand Secretariat, 30,000 people vanished. A scandal over grain led to 10,000 or so being sentenced to death in [[1385]], and 15,000 were killed in [[1393]], accused of involvement in challenges to imperial authority.