HIST 106g Study Guide - Final Guide: Wang Yangming, The Peony Pavilion, Ming Dynasty
Document Summary
When he was 16, a flood took the lives of both his parents. He presented himself to a buddhist monastery, but was soon sent out to beg. In 1352, taizu joined one of the rebel groups. He rose quickly, then took over command of the troops and the following year captured the major city of nanjing. In 1368, gaining control of beijing, taizu razed the palaces and declared the establishment of the ming dynasty. Influenced by daoist notions of heavenly autocrats, taizu made every effort to exalt the position of emperor. He edited mencius to remove sections that implied curbing the authority of the ruler. Unable to put his trust in a prime minister, taizu acted as his own chief executive, going through huge piles of paperwork himself. He turned his palace guard into a secret police force to spy on officials. He executed his chief minister and almost anyone remotely connected with him.
