Yongle << yoong LAW >> Emperor (1360-1424) was the emperor of China from 1403 to 1424. He is considered one of the greatest rulers of the Ming dynasty . The Ming (Bright) dynasty was a ruling family that held power from 1368 to 1644. The Yongle Emperor was originally known as Zhu Di. When he took the throne, he chose _Yongle—_Chinese for _Perpetual Happiness—_as the name for his reign.
Zhu Di was born in 1360. He was the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, who had established the Ming dynasty and ruled as the Hongwu Emperor . When Hongwu died in 1398, his eldest son, Zhu Biao, had already died. Zhu Biao’s eldest son, Zhu Yunwen, then ruled as the Jianwen Emperor. However, Zhu Di overthrew his nephew and took the throne as the Yongle Emperor in 1403.
Yongle greatly expanded the influence of the Chinese empire. He sponsored the great explorer Zheng He , who helped extend China’s diplomatic contacts in Asia and Africa. Zheng He’s voyages helped bring much of Southeast Asia into the tribute system. Under this system, kingdoms acknowledged the authority of the Chinese emperor by offering his court tribute in return for military support and access to Chinese trade goods.
Yongle’s greatest cultural achievement was the Yongle Encyclopedia. He commissioned some 2,000 scholars to collect the most significant works of Chinese scholarship in topics such as philosophy and history. The scholars worked from 1403 to 1407. They eventually compiled an 11,095-volume collection, though only about 400 volumes have survived.
Yongle’s main domestic concern was the threat posed by Mongols . In the 1360’s, the Hongwu Emperor had driven the Mongols from northern China. But during Yongle’s time, the Mongols were again growing strong. Yongle decided to move the Ming capital from the central city of Nanjing to the northern city of Beiping. He renamed the city Beijing , which means northern capital. He felt it would be easier to control the threat of a Mongol attack from the new location.
Yongle ordered the construction of Beijing’s famed Forbidden City , a walled complex of palaces, halls, temples, and other buildings. The capital was officially moved north in 1421. The Forbidden City served as the seat of government.
In the 1420’s, Yongle led military expeditions against the Mongols. He died on one of these expeditions in 1424. He was succeeded by his son Zhu Gaozhi, who ruled as the Hongxi Emperor.
