1328-1398
First Emperor Of The Ming Dynasty

Early Life. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in Fengyang, an area under the influence of the White Lotus Society. Anticipating the coming of the future Buddha and the establishment of a "pure land," the White Lotus sect appealed to peasants. In 1351 the Yuan court enlisted thousands of men to work on rerouting the Yellow River, which incited the Red Turban rebellion. In just one year the revolt had swept through the Yangzi Valley and had restricted the Yuan army to Nanjing and the other major cities in the region. This turmoil had great impact on Zhu Yuanzhang. After the death of his parents in the famine of 1344, Zhu Yuanzhang first took refuge in a Buddhist temple, then became a beggar and finally a soldier. In 1352 he joined a Red Turban band under the leadership of Guo Zixing, which was active...