How can an orphaned, illiterate peasant end up on the throne of China? Discover the story of Zhu Yuanzhang, who became a buddhist monk, red turban rebellion soldier, warlord, and eventually, emperor of China, founding the Ming dynasty.

➤ Follow me on Twitter/X! https://x.com/History_ofChina
➤ If you would like to make a donation, you can do so with Super Thanks or via my paypal: https://paypal.me/historyofchina
Many thanks!

♫ MUSIC ♫
Total War Three Kingdoms - Lotus Blossoms
Total War Three Kingdoms - The Calm Before the Storm
Total War Three Kingdoms - The Calm before the Storm
Total War Three Kingdoms - The Yellow River
Total War Three Kingdoms - Betrayal
Total War Three Kingdoms - Bitter Winds
Total War Three Kingdoms - Unite the Realm
Total War Three Kingdoms - Shadows of War
Total War Three Kingdoms - Champion
Civilization VI - Guzheng Improv 2
Total War Three Kingdoms - Harmony
Total War Three Kingdoms - Blood and Glory
Total War Three Kingdoms - Eternal Peace
Total War Three Kingdoms - Tyrant
Total War Three Kingdoms - End of an Era
Total War Three Kingdoms - The Silk Road
Total War Three Kingdoms - Vanguard
Total War Three Kingdoms - For the Ancestors
Total War Three Kingdoms - Besieged
Total War Three Kingdoms - Strategem
Total War Three Kingdoms - Duel of Fates
Total War Three Kingdoms - Wuxing
Total War Three Kingdoms - Destiny Calls
Civilization VI - Winter Flower
Civilization VI - China Theme Medieval
Total War Three Kingdoms - Era of Prosperity
Total War Three Kingdoms - The Imperial Palace
The Loyalist - Lotus Lane

🎬 VIDEO CREDITS 🎬
少年朱元璋 Zhu Yuanzhang's childhood (2017)
Founding Emperor of Ming Dynasty (2006)
Empress Ki (2013)

📜 MAIN SOURCES 📜
The Cambridge History of China - Volume 7 (1988), Frederick W. Mote & Denis Twitchett

🏷️ TAGS 🏷️
zhu yuanzhang documentary
red turban rebellion
ming dynasty
history of china
xu da
chang yuchun
yuan dynasty
hongwu emperor
hongwu
emperor hongwu
poyang
chen youliang
zhang shicheng
guo zixing
zhu biao



Introduction: (0:00)
Context: (00:36)
A chaotic start: (01:21)
Disaster: (03:51)
The Red Turban Rebellion: (06:07)
Rebel soldier: (07:57)
Rising the ranks: (10:28)
Zhu's autonomy: (15:52)
Northern and Southern red turbans: (20:15)
The conquest of the South: (23:37)
The war with the Han: (25:17)
Trouble in the East: (28:55)
The battle of Lake Poyang: (32:18)
The conquest of the East: (38:39)
The Ming dynasty: (46:27)