Warm-up #11 In your opinion, were the Mongols good rulers? Why? Why do you think the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty) fell?

Rise of the Ming Dynasty Essential Question: How did the Ming Dynasty come into power?

I. Zhu Yuanzhang A. Background In the mid-1300’s flooding on the Yellow river and massive inflation led to many revolts and uprisings against the Mongols Into this society was born a peasant, Zhu Yuanzhang

B. Early Life 1. At 16 his family was killed by a plague 2. He spent his early years bouncing between a Budddhist monastery and being a wandering beggar 3. At 24 he joined a rebel army

II. The Red Turbans Zhu’s army joined the Red Turbans, a Han Chinese force looking to overthrow the Mongols In 1356 the Red Turbans took the city of Nanjing and set up a government In 1360 the Red Turbans split into two groups, the smaller, “Ming” group was led by Zhu

III. Re-Unification of China A) Military success Over the next decade, Zhu defeated the various rebel factions in Southern China Drove the Mongols out of China by 1381

IV. Emperor Zhu In 1368 Zhu proclaimed himself Emperor of China He rid the government of Mongol officials, replacing them with Han Chinese scholar officials Established a secret police force He would start a Dynasty called the Ming Dynasty which would rule China from 1368 to 1644.

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