Chu Yuan-Chang and the Hu-Lan Cases of the Early Ming Dynasty (China).

Abstract

This dissertation is a study of the Hu Wei-yung and Lan Yu cases of the early Ming dynasty, famous episodes in which the founding emperor put to death thous and s of persons and restructured his government to safeguard his autocratic powers. It is based largely on well known st and ard sources plus the recently recovered Ni-ch'en lu (A Record of Rebellious Ministers), Yu Pen's Chi-shih lu (A Record of Events), and a unique manuscript edition of Chu Yuan-chang's writings, the Ta Ming T'ai-tsu huang-ti yu-chih chi (The Collected Works of the Great Ming Emperor T'ai-tsu). From these new source materials a picture of these cases emerges that lends credibility to the possibility that Hu and Lan might actually have conspired to rebel against Chu. Chapter II introduces Chu, Hu, and the early Ming Secretariat, and details the growing conflict between Chu and Hu in the years preceding Hu's fall. Chapter III discusses Hu's fall, the obscure series of central government purges following Hu's fall, the abolition of the Secretariat, and Chu's views on good and evil officials and how these views were in part shaped by his experience with Hu Wei-yung. Chapter IV describes various episodes related to the purge of the "remnant Hu faction" in the years between 1380 and 1393 including what little is known about the purge of the "wealthy faction", the fall of Sung Lien and Wang Meng, the purge of Nanking, the fall of Li Shan-ch'ang and numerous other nobles in 1390, and the purge of many prominent Buddhist leaders, including Tsung-le, in 1391-92. Chapter V established the linkage between the Hu case and the Lan Yu purge of 1393, and describes the nature of the Lan case purge, determining who was purged and which guard units were involved. In Chapter VI I draw conclusions about Chu Yuan-chang on the basis of his role and behavior in the prosecution of these cases. I conclude Chu was a highly religious, insecure, emotional and somewhat socially maladjusted person, and underst and ing this helps us to better underst and what drove Chu in the prosecution of these cases. In addition, interspersed throughout the study are discussions of Chu's various writings, of many of his officially sponsored works, and of his changing views on education, punishments, human nature, institutions, and official recruitment. The sum total of these discussions as set within the narrative framework of the unfolding of the Hu-Lan cases amounts to a brief history in itself of certain key aspects of Chu's intellectual development from the beginning of his reign until its very end.