Ming dynasty facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Great Ming

大明

1368–1644

Ming China around 1580

Capital

Nanjing (Yingtian prefecture)
(1368–1644)
Beijing (Shuntian prefecture)
(1403–1644)

Common languages

Official language:
Mandarin
Other Chinese languages
Other languages:
Turki (Modern Uyghur), Old Uyghur language, Tibetan, Mongolian, Jurchen, others

Religion

Heaven worship, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Islam, Roman Catholicism

Government

Absolute monarchy

• 1368–1398 (first)

• 1402-1424

• 1627–1644 (last)

Senior Grand Secretary

• 1402–1407

Xie Jin

• 1644

Wei Zaode

History

• Established in Nanjing

23 January 1368

• Beijing designated as capital

28 October 1420

• Fall of Beijing

25 April 1644

• End of the Southern Ming

1683

Area

1415

6,500,000 km² (2,500,000 sq mi)

Population

• 1393

65,000,000

• 1403

66,598,337¹

• 1500

125,000,000²

• 1600

160,000,000³

Currency

Paper money (1368–1450)
Bimetallic:
copper cashes (文, wén) in strings of coin and paper
Silver taels (兩, liǎng) in sycees and by weight

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Yuan dynasty

Shun dynasty
Southern Ming dynasty

Today part of

Burma

China

Laos

Russia

Vietnam

North Korea

Remnants of the Ming dynasty ruled southern China until 1662, and Taiwan until 1683 a dynastic period which is known as the Southern Ming.
¹The numbers are based on estimates made by CJ Peers in Late Imperial Chinese Armies: 1520–1840
²According to A. G. Frank, ReOrient: global economy in the Asian Age, 1998, p. 109
³According to A. Maddison, The World Economy Volume 1: A Millennial Perspective Volume 2, 2007, p. 238

The Ming dynasty was a powerful family of emperors who ruled China from 1368 to 1644. This period is also known as the Ming Empire. It lasted for 276 years in Chinese history.

The Ming dynasty is also famous for its beautiful pottery. This pottery came from places like Jingdezhen in Jiangxi and Dehua in Fujian.

What Does "Ming" Mean?
The Rise of the Ming Dynasty
Important Ming Emperors
- The Jianwen Emperor and His Uncle
- The Yongle Emperor's Reign
The End of the Ming Dynasty
Why the Ming Dynasty Was Important
Images for kids
See also

What Does "Ming" Mean?

In Chinese, the Ming dynasty is called Míng (明). This Chinese character is made up of two parts: the sun (日) and the moon (月). Together, they mean "bright".

In English, we use "dynasty" to talk about both the ruling family and the time they ruled. In Chinese, they use different words. The government was called Míng cháo (大明帝國), and the historical period was called Míng dài (明代).

The family name of the Ming emperors was Zhū (朱). This name is a common Chinese family name today. Back then, it also meant a type of red dye made from cinnabar.

The Rise of the Ming Dynasty

How the Ming Dynasty Began

Before the Ming, China was ruled by the Yuan dynasty. The Yuan emperors were Mongols, who were part of the huge Mongol Empire started by Genghis Khan. Most people in China, however, were Han Chinese.

The Yuan rulers tried to use a Chinese style of government. They even used imperial examinations to choose officials. But their laws gave special powers to Mongols. Other groups of people had less power.

Many people in China were unhappy with the Yuan dynasty. In the 1340s, a terrible sickness spread, and the government didn't do enough to fix problems like the Yellow River flooding.

The Red Turban Rebellion

In 1351, a group called the Red Turbans started a rebellion. Their best leader was Zhu Yuanzhang. He was a smart and strong leader. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang forced the Yuan emperor, Toghon Temür, to leave the capital city, Khanbaliq (which is now part of Beijing).

When Zhu Yuanzhang took Khanbaliq, he announced that the Yuan dynasty was over. He declared that his family would start a new dynasty called the Ming. He became known as the Hongwu Emperor, and 1368 was the first year of his rule. Even though some Mongols still fought, the Ming became the main government of China.

Hongwu Emperor's Rule

The Hongwu Emperor had many sons. He made them leaders of different parts of China. He moved the capital from Khanbaliq to his old base, Yingtian (which is now Nanjing).

He wanted China to return to its traditional Chinese ways. He stopped most government support for other religions and made Christianity illegal. He also wanted China to be self-reliant, so he largely stopped trade with other countries. He created a set of rules for his family, and they mostly followed these rules throughout the Ming dynasty.

Important Ming Emperors

The Jianwen Emperor and His Uncle

The Hongwu Emperor's oldest son died before him. So, his grandson, the Jianwen Emperor, became the next ruler. The Jianwen Emperor was young, about 20 years old. He didn't like how much power his many uncles had. He started taking away their power and sending them away.

One of his uncles, Zhu Di, was leading the area around Beiping (the old Khanbaliq, now Beijing). Zhu Di pretended to be sick or crazy so that the Jianwen Emperor wouldn't be afraid of him. The emperor even let Zhu Di's three sons, who were kept in the capital as a way to ensure their father's loyalty, go visit him. Soon after, Zhu Di started a war against his nephew.

The Yongle Emperor's Reign

At first, Zhu Di said his war was only against the "bad helpers" who were telling his nephew to hurt their family. But when he won the war and took Yingtian (Nanjing), he made himself the Yongle Emperor. He claimed his nephew had never been the true emperor and punished many people in the old government.

The Yongle Emperor didn't trust the people in Yingtian. So, he made Beiping the main capital city. This southern capital became known as Nanjing, and the northern capital became Beijing, names they still use today. In Beijing, he built a magnificent new home called the Forbidden City.

The Yongle Emperor didn't like many government officials who got their jobs by passing difficult tests. He gave more power to the eunuchs, who were male servants in the palace. One famous eunuch was Zheng He. He was a Muslim who led huge "treasure ships" on seven big trips. These trips sailed south from Suzhou and Nanjing between 1405 and 1433. The first trips might have been to search for the Jianwen Emperor. But they also taught China a lot about the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. These voyages helped open up more trade between China and other countries.

The End of the Ming Dynasty

The Ming dynasty's main capital, Beijing, fell in 1644. A rebellion led by Li Zicheng took over the city. Li Zicheng started his own short-lived Shun dynasty. However, this new dynasty was quickly replaced by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty.

People who still supported the Ming dynasty continued to fight in southern China. This period is known as the Southern Ming. They fought until 1683, when the Ming dynasty finally ended completely.

Why the Ming Dynasty Was Important

The Ming Empire is often called "one of the greatest periods of stable government and social peace in human history." It was the last major Chinese dynasty led by the Han Chinese, who are the main ethnic group in China.

The Ming dynasty is also famous for its beautiful pottery. This pottery came from places like Jingdezhen in Jiangxi and Dehua in Fujian.

Images for kids

Portrait of the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–98)
The Great Wall of China: Most of the brick and stone Great Wall seen today was built during the Ming dynasty.
Portrait of the Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–24)
The Ming tombs located about 50 km (31 mi) north of Beijing; the site was chosen by Yongle.
A Bengali envoy presenting a giraffe as a gift to the Yongle Emperor of Ming China (r. 1402–24).
The Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620) in state ceremonial court dress
Tianqi-era teacups, from the Nantoyōsō Collection in Japan.
Spring morning in a Han palace, by Qiu Ying (1494–1552); this painting shows the luxury of the late Ming period.
An imperial throne carpet with a double dragon design, Ming dynasty, 16th century.
Shanhai Pass along the Great Wall, where the Manchus were stopped many times before entering China in 1644.
The Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing was rebuilt in the Ming dynasty.
Portrait of the Chongzhen Emperor (r. 1627–44)
Lofty Mount Lu, by Shen Zhou, 1467.
Decorated back of a pipa (a Chinese musical instrument) from the Ming dynasty.
Poetry of Min Ding, 17th century.
Painting of flowers, a butterfly, and rock sculpture by Chen Hongshou (1598–1652).
Ming dynasty Xuande period (1426–35) imperial blue and white vase.
Chinese glazed stoneware statue of a Daoist deity, from the Ming dynasty, 16th century.
Bodhisattva Manjusri in Blanc-de-Chine (white porcelain), by He Chaozong, 17th century.
Wang Yangming (1472–1529), an important Confucian thinker.
A Ming dynasty print drawing of Confucius on his way to the Zhou dynasty capital of Luoyang.
A Ming dynasty red "seal paste box" made of carved lacquer.
Map of Beijing in the Ming Dynasty.
An illustration showing how iron ore was smelted to make iron, from the Tiangong Kaiwu encyclopedia, 1637.
Map of the known world by Zheng He: India at the top, Ceylon at the upper right and East Africa along the bottom.
A 24-point compass chart used by Zheng He during his explorations.
Portrait of Matteo Ricci by Yu Wenhui, dated 1610.
A cannon from the Huolongjing, a book compiled before 1375.
Appreciating Plums, by Chen Hongshou (1598–1652) showing a lady enjoying plum blossoms.
The Xuande Emperor (r. 1425–35).