THE MING GOLDEN AGE - THE YONGLE EMPEROR'S LEGACY

From atop his throne, a warrior emperor dreams of his saddle. Reaching the second half of his reign, the Yongle emperor had yet much to accomplish. While propelling the Ming dynasty to its zenith, he would continue to crave the battlefield, eventually launching campaigns which would lead to his untimely death. 1411 Ming Dynasty After seizing the throne from his nephew, the 51-year-old Yongle emperor has now ruled over the empire with absolute control for nearly a decade. He has secured the borders, annexed northern Vietnam and plans to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, his fiefdom as a prince. But in preparation for this significant change, Yongle has to ensure efficient logistics between south and north. The emperor will restore the Grand Canal. By the early 15th century, much of the Grand Canal had fallen into disrepair, severely hindering long-distance trade, grain transport and military operations. In 1411, the emperor launched a massive restoration campaign, mobilising an immense workforce of around 165,000 men. A pivotal section of the project was digging the Huitong Canal to connect Xuzhou to Linqing, which was completed in 1412. The construction of the Qingjiang Canal around Huai'an would allow ships to travel more efficiently from the Yangtze River to the Yellow River, bolstering the region's economy. This monumental endeavour was entrusted to Chen Xuan, a fleet commander who had defected to Yongle in a crucial turning point during the civil war, allowing the at the time rebel prince of Yan to cross the Yangtze and take Nanjing. In a brilliant feat of hydraulic engineering, Chen Xuan efficiently organised the restoration of the Grand Canal and would proudly serve as its supreme commander until his death. By 1415, the amount of rice transported via the Grand Canal more than doubled and surrounding areas experienced a significant economic boost. While the ambitious restoration of the Grand Canal was carried out, Ming influence on the world stage would extend farther than ever before. Since 1405, the emperor had sent his trusted eunuch admiral Zheng He on three formidable seafaring missions at the head of the legendary Treasure Fleet to discover distant lands and bring back exotic goods into the empire. Yongle's foreign ambitions were not yet satisfied. In December 1412, he ordered Zheng He to embark on his fourth voyage. With a formidable crew of 27,000 men, the fleet also carried many envoys from foreign nations previously contacted to be escorted home. In August 1413, the immense armada set sail once more. In addition to now familiar stops in Southeast and South Asia, including present day Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, Zheng He would venture farther than ever before, reaching the Maldives and even the Persian Gulf, where he arrived at the port of Hormuz just 121 years after Marco Polo during his return to Europe. Following months of tiring adventure, the expedition returned to Nanjing in August 1415, bringing yet more exotic goods and diplomats to the Ming court. Among the curiosities was a very strange animal that no one had ever seen before, a giraffe. The astounding beast's description somewhat matched the legendary Qilin, a creature which only appeared in prosperous times during the reign of great rulers. The giraffe would be a great source of pride for the emperor. After an extended stay in Beijing, Yongle returned to Nanjing in November 1416, where a lavish ceremony was organized. During the event, the emperor distributed titles and gifts to princes, officials and foreign ambassadors. Evidently eager to discover even more of the outside world, Yongle issued orders for Zheng He's fifth voyage. It would be the admiral's most daring one. This time Zheng He would sail to the eastern shores of Africa, bringing the Chinese ships as far as Malindi. While Zheng He was bringing Ming influence westwards, Yongle's attention turned to his three children Zhu Gaozhi, the crown prince, Zhu Gaoxu, prince of Han, and Zhu Gaosui, prince of Zhao. While Gaozhi was diligently embracing his duties despite a fragile health, his younger brother Gaoxu was far less cooperative. Although being ordered to settle in his fief in Yunnan in 1404, Gaoxu had defied his father and refused to comply. When in 1416 he was instructed to move to Qingzhou instead, the prince disobeyed once more. This repeated insubordination coupled with Gaoxu's frequent counterproductive meddling in court politics pushed Yongle's patience to its limit. The emperor demoted the unruly prince and banished him to La'an the following year. Isolated from the capital, Zhu Gaoxu's resentment would steadily grow and would culminate into a Ever attentive to all of his endeavours, Yongle returned to Beijing in April 1417. The forbidden city's immense construction site, which was somewhat stagnating, would be put to full speed. Around 200,000 labourers toiled tirelessly to erect the most ambitious imperial palace complex in world history. By the end of the year, most palaces had been completed. Yongle's empire was in full bloom, yet events were about to take a far more complex turn. Some of the emperor's ambitions would entail blowback for the Ming. In 1407, following military campaigns in the northern region of Vietnam, known as Annam, to depose a usurper, the state had been annexed into the empire as Jiaozhu province. Since then, the Vietnamese had frequently risen in rebellion against the Ming occupiers, though these revolts had been suppressed thus far. But their spirit of independence could not be extinguished. In February 1418, a young aristocrat named Le Loi launched the Lam Sun Uprising. Ming forces, led by unit commander Ma Qi, sought to crush the rebellion with harsh repression and mobilised. But despite their superiority, they were ambushed and defeated near the Chu river through effective guerrilla tactics, a strategy the Vietnamese would relentlessly employ. This persistent resistance would ultimately compel the Ming to withdraw all troops and relinquish Jiaozhu province, three years after the emperor's passing. Also in 1418, Yongle would lose a trusted advisor, the monk Yao Guangxiao. A powerful ally since 1382, two decades before the emperor ascended the throne, Yao had consistently supported and advised him. In his final days, the monarch visited Yao's bedside twice, before he died at the advanced age of 83. The monk was honoured with an imposing state funeral and Yongle personally composed the inscription for his tomb, illustrating his lasting influence on the emperor's reign. 1420. After 14 years of hard work, the most astounding palace complex in world history was completed. The forbidden city, constructed from precious timber, marble and golden bricks by over 200,000 labourers, was finally functional. The imperial court was permanently relocated to Beijing, which in October was officially declared the primary capital city of the empire. In this monumental shift, all documents, ministries and government bodies were soon transferred to the city in turn. But Yongle took the opportunity to found a new kind of agency, the Eastern Depot. Managed entirely by eunuchs, the Eastern Depot would function as a spy and secret police organisation, similarly to the Jinyiwei, the embroidered uniformed guard. But soon, the Eastern Depot would supersede the Jinyiwei, even infiltrating its ranks to potential political dissent from within. It would serve as an instrument of absolute state control. Men can easily be subdued, the elements not so much. In early 1421, fire engulfed the forbidden city. In a cruel blow of fate, three major palace halls were completely consumed by the flames. This disaster was interpreted as a sign of displeasement from heaven, prompting Yongle to investigate wrongdoings of his reign. He dispatched 26 high-ranking officials to tour the empire in a grand inspection, uncovering, impeaching and arresting corrupt local officials, as well as providing relief to disaster-stricken regions. Observing moral principles of the time in such situations, he cancelled his own birthday celebrations for the year. Finally, he invited officials to criticise his policies. A recurring criticism was the immense construction project which burdened the treasury and the people, and the controversial relocation of the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. However, Yongle would be unbending on this matter, leading to some critics being jailed or even executed. The emperor's enthusiasm for world exploration was not yet extinguished either. In March 1421, he issued orders for the sixth of Zheng He's voyages, aiming primarily to return foreign envoys to their homelands. Although this would not be the last of the admiral's legendary expeditions, Yongle announced in May that the costly voyages would thereafter be suspended. A more pressing matter had risen. The Mongols. Back on the steppe, Mongol warlord Arukthai, who had once submitted to Yongle and began sending tributes to the imperial court, slowly grew unruly. In 1421, he ceased sending tribute and resorted to raiding the Ming frontier. Unfazed, the ever-keen militarist Yongle was ready to launch another personal campaign against him, despite being 61 years old. However, this time, his plans were denounced by the majority of his own government. Critics, vehemently opposed to such a costly endeavour, argued that the country could not afford another grand military expedition. But the emperor was already decided. Yongle had several dissenting ministers imprisoned, one of whom even committed suicide. And so, plans for the third of Yongle's campaigns were laid out. By March 1422, Yongle had assembled a massive army of hundreds of thousands. Arukthai's raids were devastating. In April, the Mongol leader attacked Xinhe, killing the local Ming military commissioner. There was no time to waste. Three days later, the Ming armies were mobilized. By mid-June, they reached Yingchang, but Arukthai's swift forces had already withdrawn. The following month, detachments of Yongle's army managed to defeat local Mongol forces colluding with Arukthai, a small achievement which would be the essential of the emperor's third campaign. With half of their supplies already consumed, he declared victory and returned to Beijing on September 23rd. Yet, the Mongol warlord, undefeated, resumed his raids the following summer. By late August 1423, Yongle had assembled another formidable force, 300,000 men strong, and departed on his fourth campaign. As previously, Arukthai avoided direct confrontation, wearing down the cumbersome Ming army by luring it deeper into the steppe. This time, however, the Oirats would intervene to the Ming's advantage, as they inflicted a crushing defeat on Arukthai. His second-in-command, Osen Tukan or Osen Tugol, defected to Yongle with his forces and households. Despite the campaign's lack of direct military success, these events marked a significant victory for the Ming. Yongle thus turned his forces around and returned to Beijing in December. Shaken but not vanquished, Arukthai rallied his forces and launched yet another raid in early February 1424, striking Datong and Kaiping. The weary and aging emperor reacted immediately, ordering another army to be assembled. While reviewing his troops in April, Yongle reportedly declared, I do not love toil and the neglect of an easy life, but as my goal is to protect my people, I really have little choice. The following month, the emperor led his army out of the gates of Beijing. It would be his final sight of the city. Upon reaching the empire's northernmost settlements, the weakened Yongle was exhausted and soon disheartened to learn that, as usual, Arukthai was nowhere to be found. Around July, concerned about dwindling provisions, he refused requests to push deeper into enemy territory and ordered the expedition to withdraw. During the return journey, on August 8th, the emperor fell gravely ill. Diminishing by the hour, his thoughts turned to the crown prince, Zhu Gaozhi, worrying if his son was ready to take over the reins of the empire. On the 12th of August, reaching Yumuchuan, amidst the desolate steppe, Yongle sensed his time had come. He summoned his loyal general, Zhang Fu, who had served alongside him since the Jingnan campaign, and instructed, Pass the throne to the crown prince. Follow the etiquette of the dynastic founder for all funeral dress ceremonies and services. After 22 years on the throne, the Yongle emperor passed away at the age of 64. Only a select few were informed of the momentous event. It had to remain secret until the expeditionary forces had returned. Yongle's death was concealed and his body hidden away in a tin casket as Grand Secretary Yang Rong hurried back to Beijing, tasked with preparing the crown prince, Zhu Gaozhi, for the unexpected transition. It wasn't until September, when the armies returned to Beijing, that the news of the emperor's death was finally made public. Yongle was laid to rest alongside his wife, Empress Xu, in the Chang Mausoleum, just north of Beijing, inaugurating the Ming tombs where his successors would be buried until 1644, an enduring testament to the emperor's legacy. Zhu Di, the fourth son of the Ming dynasty's founder, seized the throne from his nephew to become the Yongle emperor. Despite the morally questionable nature of his coup, Yongle proved to be an outstanding ruler. Driven by unwavering ambition, he brought the Ming dynasty to a golden age. Following his death, he was enshrined as the Taizong Emperor, Great Ancestor, a title later changed to Chongzhu, Accomplished Progenitor, by the Jiajing Emperor over a century later in 1538. During his 22 years of autocratic reign, Yongle elevated the Ming dynasty to its zenith. Its population had steadily prospered and grown. The empire's influence stretched from the eastern shores of Siberia to the coasts of Africa, as numerous tribes, states and empires now exchanged with China. Yongle annexed northern Vietnam and personally led relatively successful campaigns in Mongolia. Finally, his patronage of remarkable projects such as the Yongle Encyclopedia and especially the construction of the magnificent Forbidden City materialized his legacy. The immense palace complex would continue to house China's emperors for exactly half a millennium after his death. But with his passing, the empire needed a new ruler. Zhu Gaozhi, after learning of his father's death in late August 1424, would formally ascend the throne on September 7th, becoming the Hongxi Emperor. Yet, despite promising signs, his reign would unfortunately not last a single year. Thank you for watching my video, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave a like and subscribe to the channel. 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