The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His era name means "Perpetually Jubilant". His usurpation of the throne is now sometimes called the "Second Founding" of the Ming. He is generally considered one of the greatest emperors of the Ming Dynasty, and to be among the greatest Chinese emperors. He was the Prince of Yan (燕王), possessing a heavy military base in Beijing. He became known as Chengzu of Ming Dynasty (明成祖 also written Cheng Zu, or Ch'eng Tsu (Cheng Tsu) in Wade ...

Including:

• Yongle Emperor - Early Years
• Yongle Emperor - Journey to power
• Yongle Emperor - Reign
• Yongle Emperor - Military accomplishments
• Yongle Emperor - Death
• Yongle Emperor - Legacy
• Yongle Emperor - Sources and further reading

Read more here: » Yongle Emperor: Encyclopedia - Yongle Emperor

Hongwu died on June 24, 1398, and Zhu Yunwen was crowned Emperor Jianwen. Almost immediately Zhu Di and Jianwen began their deadly feud. When Zhu Di traveled with his guard unit to pay tribute to his father, Jianwen took his actions as a threat and sent forces to turn him around. Zhu Di was forced to leave in humiliation. Jianwen persisted in refusing to let Zhu Di see his father's tomb and Zhu Di challenged the emperor's judgment. Zhu Di quickly became the biggest threat to the imperial court. Jianwen's policy tried to avoid direct contact ...

See also:

Yongle Emperor, Yongle Emperor - Early Years, Yongle Emperor - Journey to power, Yongle Emperor - Reign, Yongle Emperor - Military accomplishments, Yongle Emperor - Death, Yongle Emperor - Legacy, Yongle Emperor - Sources and further reading

Read more here: » Yongle Emperor: Encyclopedia II - Yongle Emperor - Journey to power

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. 15th century - Events. 1401: Timur sacks Baghdad. 1402: The Ottoman and Timurid Empires fought at the Battle of Ankara resulting in Timur's capture of Bayezid I. The Ottoman Empire descends into civil war until 1413. 1402: The conquest of the Canary Islands signals the start of the Spanish Empire. 1402: Sultanate of Malacca founded by Par ...

Including:

• 15th century - Events
• 15th century - Significant people
• 15th century - Inventions discoveries introductions
• 15th century - Decades and years

Read more here: » 15th century: Encyclopedia - 15th century

(1st millennium – 2nd millennium – 3rd millennium – other millennia) 2nd millennium - Events. European crusades in Middle East Mongol Empires in Asia The Black Death The Renaissance in Europe The Protestant Reformation The agricultural and industrial revolutions The rise of nationalism and the nation state European discovery of the Americas and Australia and their colonization European colonization and decolonization in Afri ...

Including:

• 2nd millennium - Events
• 2nd millennium - Significant persons
• 2nd millennium - Inventions Discoveries Introductions
• 2nd millennium - Centuries and Decades

Read more here: » 2nd millennium: Encyclopedia - 2nd millennium

Bukit Cina (Malay: "China hill") is a hillside of historical significance in the Malaysia state of Malacca near its capital, Malacca Town. In the mid-15th century, princess Hang Li Po, the great grandaughter of the Chinese Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was sent to be married to the sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mansor Shah, to seal relations between the two countries. She brought with her a vast retinue (500 sons of ministers and a few hundred handmaidens). The hill Bukit Cina, a gift from the sultan, was e ...

Read more here: » Bukit Cina: Encyclopedia - Bukit Cina

Jiangsu (Simplified: 江苏; Traditional: 江蘇; Hanyu Pinyin: Jiāngsū; Wade-Giles: Chiang-su; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsu) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name "Jiangsu" comes from Jiang, short for the city of Jiangning (now Nanjing), and Su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is 苏 (Hanyu P ...

Including:

• Jiangsu - History
• Jiangsu - Geography
• Jiangsu - Administrative divisions
• Jiangsu - Economy
• Jiangsu - Demographics
• Jiangsu - Culture
• Jiangsu - Famous people
• Jiangsu - Tourism
• Jiangsu - Miscellaneous topics
• Jiangsu - Sports
• Jiangsu - Colleges and Universities

Read more here: » Jiangsu: Encyclopedia - Jiangsu

1360 - Events. October 24 - The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War. King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark seizes Scania (from 1658 a Swedish province). 1360 - Births. May 2 - Yongle Emperor of China (died 1424) August 10 - Francesco Zabarella, Italian jurist (d. 1417) Amadeus VII of Savoy (died 1391) Ulrich von Jungingen, German Grand Master of the Teutonic Kn ...

Including:

• 1360 - Events
• 1360 - Births
• 1360 - Deaths

Read more here: » 1360: Encyclopedia - 1360

1424 - Events. August 17 - Battle of Verneuil - An English force under John, Duke of Bedford defeats a larger French army under the Duke of Alençon, John Stuart, and Earl Archibald of Douglas. Alençon was captured and Douglas killed. 1424 - Births. October 31 - King Wladislaus III of Poland (died 1444) Demetrius Chalcondyles, Greek scholar (died 1511) Abu Sa'id, ruler of Persia and Afghanistan (died 1469) 1424 ...

Including:

• 1424 - Events
• 1424 - Births
• 1424 - Deaths

Read more here: » 1424: Encyclopedia - 1424

Zheng He (Traditional: 鄭和; Simplified: 郑和; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhèng Hé; Wade-Giles: Cheng Ho; Birth name: 馬三寶 / 马三宝; pinyin: Mǎ Sānbǎo; Arabic name: Hajji Mahmud) (1371 – 1433), the most well-known Chinese mariner and explorer who made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" (三保太監下西洋) or "Zheng He to the Western Ocean", from 1405 to 1433. ...

Including:

• Zheng He - Biography
• Zheng He - Voyages
• Zheng He - The fleets
• Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China
• Zheng He - Cultural echoes

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia - Zheng He

The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu (Bka' rgyud), the largest of the lineages that make up the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa (Dus gsum Mkhyen pa) (1110-1193), was a disciple of the Tibetan master Gampopa. A gifted child who studied dharma (Buddhist teachings) with his father from an early age and who sought out great teachers in his twenties and thirties, he is said to have attained enlightenment at the age of fifty while practicing dream yoga. He was hen ...

Including:

• Karmapa - The Black Crown
• Karmapa - List of previous Karmapas
• Karmapa - Controversy over the current Karmapa

Read more here: » Karmapa: Encyclopedia - Karmapa

A recent controversial theory (the 1421 hypothesis) put forward by Gavin Menzies in his book suggests that Zheng He circumnavigated the globe and discovered America in the 15th century before Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus. The Qeng Ho space-faring society alluded to in Vernor Vinge's science fiction novel A Fire Upon the Deep (and later prominently featured in A Deepness in the Sky) reflects the name of Zheng He. Zheng He's voyages and the subsequent abandonment of maritime exploration by the Chinese emperors have become symbolic in the space advocacy community of the suc ...

See also:

Zheng He, Zheng He - Biography, Zheng He - Voyages, Zheng He - The fleets, Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China, Zheng He - Cultural echoes, Zheng He - The Zheng He map

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia II - Zheng He - Cultural echoes

One popular belief holds that after Zheng He's voyages, China turned away from the seas and underwent a period of technological stagnation. Although historians such as John Fairbank and Joseph Needham popularized this view in the 1950s, most current historians of China question its accuracy. They point out that Chinese maritime commerce did not stop after Zheng He, that Chinese ships continued to dominate Southeast Asian commerce until the 19th century and that active Chinese trading with India and East Africa continued long after the time o ...

See also:

Zheng He, Zheng He - Biography, Zheng He - Voyages, Zheng He - The fleets, Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China, Zheng He - Cultural echoes

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia II - Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China

Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties. Both the Qin and Western Han empires employed a military system based on universal conscription and corvee labour. Men were drafted for two years, serving as infantry, cavalry, or sailors according to their background. Most conscripts seem to have served their time within their native province or commandery, whose governor or administrator was also their commander in case of invasion. There were also a small ...

See also:

Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

Read more here: » Military history of China: Encyclopedia II - Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China

Yongle Emperor being a warrior, was able to maintain the foreign policy of his father. However, Yongle successors attached little importance to foreign affairs and this lead to deterioration of the army. Annam regained its independence in 1427 and in the north the mongols quickly regained their strength. Starting around 1445, the Oirat Horde became a military threat under their new leader Esen Taiji. The Zhengtong Emperor personally led a punitive campaign against the Horde but the mission turned into a disaster as the Chinese army was anihi ...

See also:

Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

Read more here: » Ming Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming

The name Jurchen dates back to at least the beginning of the tenth century. However, cognate ethnonyms like Sushen have been recorded in pre-Christian Era geographical works like the Shanhai Jing and History of the Wei Dynasty. It comes from the Jurchen word jusen, the original meaning of which is unclear — possibly a cognate of Choson, which successively designated several states or cultures on the Korean Peninsula. The 11th century Jurchen tribes of northern Manchuria descended from the Tungusic Mohe, or Malgal tribes who w ...

See also:

Jurchens, Jurchens - Jin Dynasty, Jurchens - Culture language and society, Jurchens - Jurchens during the Ming

Read more here: » Jurchens: Encyclopedia II - Jurchens - Jin Dynasty

The Karmapas are the holders of the Black Crown (Tib. 'shwa nag') and are thus sometimes known as the Black Hat Lamas. This crown, rang 'byung chopen (the self-luminous crown), is traditionally said to have been woven by the dakinis from their hair and given to Karmapa in recognition of his spiritual realization. The physical crown displayed by the Karmapas was offered to the 5th Karmapa by the Chinese Yongle Emperor as a material representation of the spiritual one. It is currently held in Rumtek in Sikkim, w ...

See also:

Karmapa, Karmapa - The Black Crown, Karmapa - List of previous Karmapas, Karmapa - Controversy over the current Karmapa

Read more here: » Karmapa: Encyclopedia II - Karmapa - The Black Crown

The province of Jiangsu was formed in the 17th century. Before then, the northern and southern parts of Jiangsu had little to do with each other. South Jiangsu is currently the dominant part, being much wealthier and more influential than the north, and has been so for centuries; it is also firmly a part of southern Chinese culture. North Jiangsu, on the other hand, is at the juncture between North China and South China. Culturally it is of North China, but it has influences from South China, and is indeed still a part of a p ...

See also:

Jiangsu, Jiangsu - History, Jiangsu - Geography, Jiangsu - Administrative divisions, Jiangsu - Economy, Jiangsu - Demographics, Jiangsu - Culture, Jiangsu - Famous people, Jiangsu - Tourism, Jiangsu - Miscellaneous topics, Jiangsu - Sports, Jiangsu - Colleges and Universities

Read more here: » Jiangsu: Encyclopedia II - Jiangsu - History

A recent controversial theory (the 1421 hypothesis) put forward by Gavin Menzies in his book suggests that Zheng He circumnavigated the globe and discovered America in the 15th century before Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus. The Qeng Ho space-faring society alluded to in Vernor Vinge's science fiction novel A Fire Upon the Deep (and later prominently featured in A Deepness in the Sky) reflects the name of Zheng He. Zheng He's voyages and the subsequent abandonment of maritime exploration by the Chinese emperors have become symbolic in the space advocacy community of the suc ...

See also:

Zheng He, Zheng He - Biography, Zheng He - Voyages, Zheng He - The fleets, Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China, Zheng He - Cultural echoes

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia II - Zheng He - Cultural echoes

According to Chinese sources, the fleet comprised 30,000 men and over 300 ships at its height. The 1405 expedition consisted of 27,800 men and 317 ships, composed of: "Treasure ships", used by the commander of the fleet and his deputies (nine-masted, about 120 meters (400 ft) long and 50 m (160 ft) wide). "Horse ships", carrying tribute goods and repair material for the fleet (eight-masted, about 103 m (339 ft) long and 42 m (138 ft) wide) "Supply ships", containing food-stapl ...

See also:

Zheng He, Zheng He - Biography, Zheng He - Voyages, Zheng He - The fleets, Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China, Zheng He - Cultural echoes

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia II - Zheng He - The fleets

"The Western Ocean" refers to the Asian and African places Zheng He explored, including: Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, Ceylon, India, Persia, the Persian Gulf, Arabia, the Red Sea as far north as Egypt, and Africa as far south as the Mozambique Channel. Taiwan seven times. Darwin, North Australia. The number of his voyages vary depending on method of division, but he travelled at least seven times to "The West ...

See also:

Zheng He, Zheng He - Biography, Zheng He - Voyages, Zheng He - The fleets, Zheng He - Connection to the history of Late Imperial China, Zheng He - Cultural echoes

Read more here: » Zheng He: Encyclopedia II - Zheng He - Voyages