Zhu Yuanzhang

Zhu Yuanzhang or Chu Yüan-Chang, reign title Hongwu (1328-98), emperor of China (1368-98), the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. Born at Haozhou, the son of peasants, he was orphaned at the age of 16 and then entered a Buddhist monastery, but left it in 1352 to join a band of rebels, of which he became leader. In 1356, taking advantage of the declining power of the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty, he captured Nanjing. Having consolidated his control of the Yangtze Valley, he seized Beijing in 1368 and proclaimed himself emperor. By 1382 he had unified all China. Zhu maintained his capital at Nanjing. Much of his reign was occupied with pacifying the country and reorganizing its defenses. He also issued a new legal code designed to strengthen his personal rule.