Ming China, 1368–1644

What sort of state and society developed in China after the Mongols were ousted?

The story of Ming China begins with a poor boy who rose to become emperor of a new dynasty. This individual, Zhu Yuanzhang (JOO yoowan-JAHNG), proved to be one of the most despotic emperors in Chinese history. Still, peace brought prosperity and a lively urban culture. By the beginning of the seventeenth century, however, the Ming government was beset by fiscal, military, and political problems.