Three Hundred Years of the Ming Dynasty's Rise and Fall

This book selects important historical events from the three hundred years of the Ming dynasty, spanning the reigns of its sixteen emperors. It covers twelve events from the Hongwu era, five from the Jianwen era, ten from the Yongle era, five from the Hongxi era, six from the Xuande era, five from the Zhengtong era, four from the Jingtai era, five from the Chenghua era, three from the Hongzhi era, six from the Zhengde era, nine from the Jiajing era, four from the Longqing era, five from the Wanli era, three from the Taichang era, eight from the Tianqi era, and ten from the Chongzhen era. It recounts the defining events of each period and their influence on later generations. The Ming dynasty was the last unified dynasty in Chinese history founded by the Han people. In its early years, it saw periods of prosperity such as the Hongwu and Yongle eras. Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Ocean, the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, and the publication of the Compendium of Materia Medica all demonstrated the positive contributions a great power could make to the world. But in its later years, fierce factional struggles, eunuch interference in government, natural disasters, and other factors led to relentless peasant uprisings at home and the Manchus’ ambitions to enter the Pass from beyond the borders. Beset by troubles within and without, the dynasty ultimately fell. As the saying goes, “One general’s success is built on the bones of thousands.” Dynasties rise and fall in only a few hundred years!