Royals › Monarch / Emperor

Zhu Di

Fourth son of the Ming founder who seized the throne from his nephew in the Jingnan war, reigned as the Yongle Emperor and moved the capital to Beijing

Also known as Mingcheng Zu · Yongle Di · Ming Taizong

Zhu Di, fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was made Prince of Yan in 1370 and later took up his fief at Beiping, from where he led campaigns against the Mongols. When his nephew the Jianwen Emperor began stripping the princes of power, Zhu Di rose in 1399 claiming to rid the throne of evil ministers, a campaign called Jingnan, and in 1402 he took Nanjing and became emperor, adopting the reign title Yongle the next year. From 1405 he sent Zheng He's fleets on repeated voyages to the Western Ocean, had Xie Jin, Yao Guangxiao and others compile the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian), and built new palaces at Beijing, formally moving the capital there in 1421. He led five campaigns into the Mongolian steppe and died at Yumuchuan in 1424 on the way back from the last. His temple name, first Taizong, was changed to Chengzu in 1538; his posthumous title is Emperor Wen, and his Changling was the first of the Ming Tombs north of Beijing.

Life and times

  1. 1360 CEBornYuanMing
  2. 1399Jingnan CampaignTook partage 39Prince Zhu Di rebelled under the banner of Jingnan, captured Nanjing, displaced the Jianwen emperor, and took the throne as Yongle.
    1. Zhu Di Launches the Jingnan CampaignPrince of Yan Zhu Di rose in rebellion from Beijing in 1399 CE, capturing Nanjing four years later to ascend as the Yongle Emperor.
    2. Jinchuang Gate Opened to Zhu Di1402age 42On the 13th day of the sixth lunar month of 1402, Li Jinglong and Zhu Hui opened Jinchuang Gate to the Yan army; Nanjing fell and the Jingnan campaign reached its conclusion.
  3. 1403Compilation of Yongle EncyclopediaTook partage 43Compiling 370 million characters across 22,877 volumes, constructing the largest paper encyclopedia in history.
    1. Xie Jin Compiling Yongle EncyclopediaScholars under Xie Jin compiled over 22,800 volumes into the monumental Yongle Encyclopedia.
  4. 1405Zheng He's VoyagesTook partage 45Zheng He led seven Ming voyages through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, conducting diplomacy and trade as far as East Africa.
    1. Zheng He's Maritime ExpeditionsAdmiral Zheng He's Seven Treasure Fleet Voyages to 30+ Nations
  5. 1406Yongle Capital RelocationTook partage 46Relocating the capital to Beijing, realigning the imperial geopolitical center and anchoring six centuries of national governance.
    1. Yongle Builds the Forbidden CityEmperor Yongle constructed the magnificent Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, officially relocating the imperial capital to Beijing in 1421 CE.
    2. Yongle Founds Changling at Tianshou1409age 49Emperor Yongle surveyed Mount Huangtu in Changping, renaming it Mount Tianshou to found Changling as the ceremonial core of the Ming Tombs.
    3. Completion of Changling Ling'en Hallc. 1413age 53The Underground Palace and the monumental Nanmu Ling'en Hall of Changling were completed, interring Emperor Yongle and Empress Xu.
    4. 1 more
      1. Temple of Heaven Completed in Beijing1420age 60In 1420 the Great Sacrifice Hall of Heaven and Earth was completed in Beijing, forerunner of the Temple of Heaven.
  6. 1424 CEDied

Works

  1. Literature · Prose1
    1. Yongle Encyclopedia: Imperial Preface to the Yongle EncyclopediaMing

Family tree

  1. Direct kin
    Zhu Yuanzhang
    Father
    Zhu QuanYounger brother
    Zhu SuYounger brother
    Mu YingSibling · older
    Zhu Di
    Son
    Zhu Gaochi
    Children
    Zhu Zhanji
  2. Other kin2
    1. Zhu YunwenNephew · 1377 CE–death unk…
    2. Xu DaFather-in-law · 1332 CE–1385 CE

Connections

  1. Shared events2
    1. Wu Zhong1373 CE–1442 CE
    2. Kuai Xiang1398 CE–1481 CE
  2. Interactions1
    1. Li JinglongPolitical: Surrender at Jinchuan Gate · Dates unknown; di…Jinchuang Gate Opened to Zhu Di
  3. Rulers and officials3
    1. Zheng HeFleet commander · c. 1371 CE–c. 143…
    2. Jie JinScholar-compiler · 1369 CE–1415 CE
    3. Yao GuangxiaoAdviser · 1335 CE–1418 CE