Ming Emperors
This founder of the Ming Dynasty rose from a peasant background to become emperor in 1368
Who was Hongwu?
This dynasty is famous for rebuilding and extending the Great Wall to defend against northern invasions.
What is the Ming Dynasty?
This famous admiral led China's treasure fleets on voyages to Southeast Asia, India, and Africa.
Who was Zheng He?
This man, born a peasant and former Buddhist monk, led a rebel army that overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and became the first Ming emperor.
Who was Zhu Yuanzhang (or the Hongwu Emperor)?
This internal problem, caused by corrupt officials and heavy taxes, weakened the Ming Dynasty from within.
What is peasant unrest (or corruption and overtaxation)?
This emperor, Hongwu’s son, moved the capital to Beijing and commissioned the Forbidden City.
Who was Yongle?
The Great Wall was primarily built to protect China from raids by this group of nomadic warriors.
Who were the Mongols?
The massive treasure fleets were launched during the reign of this Ming emperor.
Who was the Yongle Emperor?
The Ming Dynasty rose after the fall of this foreign-led dynasty, which had ruled China since the 1200s.
What was the Yuan Dynasty?
This group from the northeast invaded China and eventually overthrew the Ming Dynasty in 1644.
Who were the Manchus?
The Yongle Emperor sponsored this famous admiral's voyages across the Indian Ocean.
Who was Zheng He?
Besides the Great Wall, the Ming Dynasty built these fortified military posts along the northern borders.
What are watchtowers or garrisons?
One purpose of the treasure voyages was to expand this system, where foreign states acknowledged China's superiority in exchange for trade benefits.
What is the tribute system?
Zhu Yuanzhang was originally a member of this rebel group, known for their red headbands and opposition to Mongol rule.
What was the Red Turban Rebellion?
This last Ming emperor hanged himself on a hill outside Beijing after the capital was invaded.
Who was the Chongzhen Emperor?
This emperor's reign saw a brief flourishing of culture, but his rule ended in rebellion and the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644.
Who was Chongzhen?
This strategic waterway was expanded during the Ming era to improve transportation and defense across China.
What is the Grand Canal?
Despite their early success, the treasure fleet voyages were eventually halted due to these two main reasons: cost and this political ideology that favored isolation.
What is Confucianism (or Confucian conservatism)?
To strengthen his power after taking the throne, Hongwu moved the capital to this city in eastern China.
What is Nanjing?
Before the Manchus took over, this rebel leader captured Beijing, forcing the emperor to commit suicide.
Who was Li Zicheng?
This emperor attempted to reduce corruption by implementing harsh punishments and a centralized military system; his paranoia, however, led to widespread purges.
Who was Hongwu?
This section of the Great Wall, near Beijing, is one of the most visited and well-preserved parts today.
What is Badaling?
During the Ming Dynasty, this port city became a major center of trade and shipbuilding, serving as a base for Zheng He’s voyages.
What is Nanjing?
Hongwu implemented this kind of centralized government structure, limiting the power of court officials and abolishing the position of prime minister.
What is autocracy (or a centralized bureaucracy)?
After the fall of the Ming, this new dynasty was established by the Manchus and ruled China until 1912.
What was the Qing Dynasty?