Hong Wu -Greatest Emperor of China

Hung Wu, founder of Ming dynasty. He is a person with great foresight and favour the poor. He is like a Robin Hood to me but a cruel one. In my opinion, I think Hong Wu was greater than most chinese Emperor even Yongle Emperor and Kang xi. I would rank him as one of the greatest Emperor of china.

1. Even he remove the prime minister post, it was being repaced by another position called "Grand secretary". This position later become powerful and even equal the power of the prime minister.

2. About the agriculture policies, he did far more better than any emperor I can think of. In 1393, the cultivated land throughout the country amounted to 8,507,623 ching and 86 mou. No dynasty can match that figure. The development of farming was water conservancy.

3. For me, neo-confucianism that he brought in did a good job in stopping Zheng He voyages becuase it is bankrupting the nations.

4. Hong Wu recongnizes the "war-lord state" faces by the Tang dynasty in later years. His set a policies that make a general power greatly limited so that soilders obey the Emperor not their general. He also eliminates most of his capable general in order to ensure the stability of his Empire.

5. He never allow any eunuchs to hold important position and warn his descendents about it. He knew their destructive power. However, Yongle ignore his father advice.

6. The Legal code "Ta Ming Lu" was the greatest achievement. Human rights was hugely improve compare to previous dynasties.

7. He created the first census to measure for the purpose of taxing and population

8. He created a most powerful army since Tang dynasty. Also, he ensure that people doesn't have to pay anything to support the army. Instead, his creates a policies which allow the army totally self-support itself and even contribute surplus for the government revenue. However, the situation change after the Ming army defeat at battle of tumu.

9. His hardworking and cruelty forces the official to work hard and help reduces corruption.

10. He reconginzes the threat come from the north not the south. He launch several expedition against the mongol. He set up three important  posts commaneded by his trusted men ouside of Great Wall to deter mongol. However, his son Yongle handed this posts to faction of mongol that loyal to him. This is a grave mistake as these factions of mongol join forces with QIrat to attack the Ming Empire.

11. He recongnizes the suffering of the people. He keep the taxes really low for the farmers and give many pieces of land to poor.

12. He recongnizes the threat posed by the Imperial clan in previous dynasties. He forbidden anyone Empress and their relatives to involve in the government.

13. His Yellow Record and Fish Scale Record prevent the rich from evading paying taxes and protect injustice aginst the poor.


Sorry, I can't see any Emperor can beat his records.

Okay, there are many things that I should explained about Hong Wu that misunderstood by many people.

Many argue that Hong Wu decision to abolish the prime minister posts  eliminate the only insurance against incompete Emperor. This is totally INCORRECT because another new post was created call "Senior Grand secretary" which look powerless on paper but actually have significant influence and power. Professor huang Ray further clarify this in many of his books. The senior grand secretary are getting more powerful as time go by. For example, during jiajing long reign, Senior Grand secretary(Y��n S��ng) make almost all important decision. However, it turn out that  Y��n S��ng was the a very corrupted minister and abuse his power. Jiajing later found out and dismiss him. During Wan-li reign, Zhang JuZheng (������) make most of the decision with no opposition from the Emperor.

The Hong Wu trusted no one but his sons because he understand history. History has keep repeating itself when capable general turn against their soft-hearted Emperor. This is true for many dynasties - Sui dynasty (Overthrown by Li Yuan), Tang dynasty (fall due to Warlord state creadted by its military system), Ming dynasty ( Wu sangui) and Qing dynasty (Oboi, Yuan Shikai). The second Ming Emperor manage to eliminate all the power held by Princes but he fails to stop only one Hong Wu son, Yongle. Hong Wu are extremely worry because his son and later grandson are soft-hearted person. Hong Wu son, once questioned his father why many of the ministers and generals who were being killed. His father told them they were "like thorns on a vine, and he was removing the thorns before passing the vine (crown) to his son."

Japanese piracy was not even a threat or bring any problem to the Empire during Hong Wu time. The rise of the japanese wokou happen during jiajing reign. After the death of Xuande Emperor, most of the ocean-fleet ships dismantled and ban on building a large ships. The navy was hugely decline after Yongle because less attention is being given by the government as they focus on bigger threat on the mongol.

Yes, Hong Wu impose trade ban but it does not decrease the number trader. On the contrary, commence was in much greater scale as the previous centuries. Also, the government failing to tax the private menchants encourage many to turn to trade. Also, Hong Wu continue to trade with the menchants when he needs them. Hong Wu favor the poor and see the menchants as the richer. At that time, China is totally self-sufficient country and there was no need for the menchants.

If you study the history of Ming dynasty carefully. The downfall of Ming dynasty is due to the collaspe of the Agriculture system set up by Hong Wu NOT commence. Also, you tend to ignore what I telling you about the commence during Ming dynasty. Historian already states that commence during Hong Wu are growing rapidly and in much greater scale compare to Yuan dynasty. In the 1560s-1570s, the trade level actually excceeds the levels of Song dynasty. Don't trust the internet websites written by people that is not qualified to comment. Hong Wu was the only Ming Emperor and one of the chinese that have great foresight. Famous historian like Huang Ray and Alberta Chan praise his great foresight ability. He did the right thing by focusing on Agriculture. I hope you read my point below very careful. The lists below are several of his brilliant decision

1. Recongnize the destructive power of the Eunuchs and thereby trying to make sure that they doesn't involve in state affair. He himself laid a stone tablet sinscribed with warnings that Eunuchs weren't supposed to interfere with court affairs. However, Yongle gives significant power to them lead to the downfall of Ming dynasty.

2. Recongnize that corruption and nobility abuse will bring down a dynasty. In his reign, corruption and nobility abuse was keep at minimal with corrupt and ineffective official are given severe punishments. He also prevent any Imperial relatives to become court officials. So, the problem causes by the empresses and their relatives on the dynasty was minimal compare to other dynasties.

3. Recongnize the importance of Agriculture. Hong Wu did the right thing to focus on agriculture than commence. He believe massive starvation will bring down the entire dynasty. This is true for the Ming dynasty as later years government no longer able to feed its army and people lead to Rebellion and finally lead to its downfall. In 1393, cultivated land rises to  8,804,623 ching and 68 mou and food so abundant that rebelion almost non-existant. However, Hong wu descendent fails to maintain his agriculture policy. By the time jiajing reign, cultivated Land was only 4300,000 ching evethough commence is booming. At later years, commence revenue increase 5-6 times but the agriculture continue to decline causing dire situation making people to revolts. This is cleary shows that booming commence fails to save Empire.

4. Recongnize the threat posed by his capable general to his empire. This is true for later Ming dynasty as general no longer obey their Emperor. Hong Wu created Wei-So military system with totally self-support army and greatly limit the power of the generals thereby prevent the problem that faced by the Tang dynasty. However, his descendent abandon his policy leading to a war-lord state faces by the Tang dynasty. Historian actually point out that Southern Ming could have survives if the Hong Wu military policy is not abandoned because in term of manpower, materials and supplies, it is several times more than the Manchu because the northern china is extremely poor and dependant on the sourthern china for its support.

5. Recongnize the biggest threat come from the north. So, he continue to launch several expedition against the mongol outside the Great Wall. He further set up three strategic important military post outside Great wall to deter the mongol. However, his descendants again ruin his plan by abandon everything outside of great wall making Beijing, capital of Ming vulnerable. This is true as mongol tribe under wala (1449) and Althan Khan (1550) almost capture Capital city.

6. Actually, Hong Wu tries to consolidate the power in his hands so that no one can oppose or overthrown him. For example, in three kingdom, cao cao fought so hard to conlidated his Empire but it fall into the hands of the sima family. SIma Zhao as the prime minister become extremely powerful manipulate the Emperor. Finally his son, sima yen declared new dynasty overthrown the Wei. For Ming dynasty, the power of the Emperor reduced as time went by. The Ming officials often team up to control and forces the Emperor to listen what they says. Wan-li Emperor once says that evethough he is an emperor, he is actually a prisoner in the forbideen palace. For example, his appointment of official often turned down, and officers tearm up to forces wan-li to agree with their suggestion. Wan-li finally frustrated and give up totally ignore state affairs. 

7. Hong Wu Yellow Records and Fish scale Record prevent the rich people evading taxes and prtect injustice aginst the poor thereby making sure the survival of the dynasty. However, this policy was no longer enforced by the later government angered the poor leading to massive revolts later.

"I just hate when people keep saying that Ming dynasty is the chinese weakest and darkest time without spending more time actually studying its history."

Most people actually say it's Southern Song. I have to say I agree with them militarily on this one(although Northern Song was incredibly powerful), but economically, they were the strongest of all Chinese dynasties.