The History of China

With the Zhengde Emperor dead without an heir, the succession is in question and rebellion brewing. Fortunately, Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe has planned for this and calls in his backup - the 13-year-old Prince of Xing, Zhengde's younger cousin. He'll come to power as the Jiajing Emperor... but Secretary Yang will very quickly find out that, though young, Jiajing is a spitfire who's here to play the game, not be played. Time Period Covered: 1519-1524 CE Major Historical Figures: Zhu Houcong (The Jiajing Emperor) [r. 1521-1567] Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe [1459-1529] Empress Dowager Zhang [1471-1541] Lady/Empress Dowager Jiang Major Works Cited: Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.” Legge, James. The Chinese Classics, Vol. III. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 15 of 4: An overview of individual accounts of the unfolding Covid lockdown situation in Shanghai, the siege-mentality that has set in, and the struggles of day to day existence both on- and offline in a city cut off from the rest of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's trouble brewing in the south. A minor prince with delusions of grandeur gets a bit too big for his britches. Portuguese Pirates plunder peninsular ports before coming to call on Canton. This sounds like a job for the great General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm and Ultimate Party-Boat Enjoyer. Time Period Covered: ~1514-1521 CE Major Historical Figures: The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1505-1521] The Prince of Ning (Zhu Chenhao) [1477-1520] Jiang Bin Qian Ning [d. 1520] Grand Secretary Fei Heng Sun Sui, Governor of Jiangxi [d. 1519] General Wang Yangming [1472-1529] General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm, Duke of Zhenguo [?? -??] Tomé Pires, Portuguese explorer and ambassador [c. 1465-1524? or 40?] Major Works Cited: Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.” Keevak, Michael. Becoming Yellow: A Short History of Racial Thinking. Pires, Tomé, Armando Cortesão & Francisco Rodrigues. The Suma oriental of Tome Pires; and account of the East, from the Red Sea to China, written in Malacca and India in 1512-1515; and, The book of Franciso Rodrigues: Pilot-Major of the armada that discovered Banda and the Moluccas: rutter of a voyage in the red sea, nautical rules, almanack, vol. 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new update with all the new craziness 2 years on before we once again step into Ye Olde Chinese Medicine Shoppe for the tour... Traditional Chinese Medicine – as its name duly implies – has been a part of China for at least 2,500 years. But what does it mean? Where does it come from? How does it work? And does it have a place it modern society? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Zhengde Emperor decides that being the divine sovereign is *boring* and that being a cool war-hero would be way cooler... and... it goes weirdly better than expected. Also, he gives himself a cool nickname, and makes everyone call him that. Time Period Covered: 1510-1518 CE Major Historical Figures: The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1505-1521] Jiang Bin Qian Ning Liu Yun, Eunuch Commander General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm [?? -??] Tibet The Prince of Rin-Sprungs [r. 1512-1544] Mongols: Dayan Khan (Batu Möngke) [r. 1479-1517] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The adolescent Zhengde Emperor sits the throne, but everyone in the know knows that it is the eunuch-lord Liu Jin who truly controls Great Ming. Not everyone's exactly thrilled with this situation, and they're gonna get Liu Jin got... or die trying. Time Period Covered: 1506-1510 CE Major Historical Figures: The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1506-1521] Liu Jin, Director of the Ceremonial [1451-1510] The Prince of Anhua (Zhu Zhifan) [d. 1510] Commander Qiu Yue General Yan Yiqing Inspector-in-Chief Zhang Yong Major Works Cited: Bourgon, Jérôme, Muriel Detrie, & Regis Poulet."Execution in Canton" in Chinese Torture – Supplices Chinois. Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.” Meadows, Thomas Taylor. The Chinese and Their Rebellions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Year of the Tiger! Great Ming decides that it's going to (re-)(re-)Build a Great, Great, Great Wall...and MAKE THE MONGOLS PAY FOR IT!* (*claim disputed by Mongolia) Major Work Cited: Fairbanks, John King. China: A New History, 2nd Edition. Mote, Frederick W. “The Ch’eng-hua and Hung-chih Reigns, 1465-1505” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, Part I. Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a very rocky start in life, the Chenghua Emperor takes the throne, only to be endlessly shoved around by overbearing mother, manipulative and murderous consorts, and conniving, terrorizing eunuchs. What else would one really expect for a guy with the personality of a west dishrag? Time Period Covered: 1464-1487 CE Major Historical Figures: The Chenghua Emperor (Zhu Jianshen) [r. 1464-1487] The Hongzhi Emperor (Zhu Youcheng) [1470-1505] Noble Consort Wan Zheng'er [1430-1487] Empress Wang Empress Wu Empress Dowager Zhou Empress Dowager Qian Grand Secretary Li Xian Lady Zhi Tangmei Eunuch Zhang Min Spymaster Wang Zhi Notable Works Cited: Mote, Frederick W. “The Ch’eng-hua and Hung-chih Reigns, 1465-1505” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, Part I. Li Shizhen. Bencao Ganmu (The Compendium of Materia Medica) Tsai, Shi-shan Henry. The Eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What the only thing better than 8 years on the podwaves? 8 years & 10,000,000 downloads, THAT'S WHAT!! In this episode we talk about what the definition of "is" is, Zen masters, *yet more farming history!,* when I plan to shut up, me reading poetry in Mandarin... & then the same poem in *reconstructed Old Chinese from 2k+ yrs ago*, and divination, which includes Nazis, Princess Mononoke, pigs & fish, and fictions within fictions with fictions at the heart of the truth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Yingzong is back on his throne thanks to the conspirators loyal to him. Only they turn out to be not so much loyal to "him," as they are to the idea that they should have more and more power. It all culminates with yet another coup d'etat..真讨厌... Time Period Covered: 1457-1464 CE Major Historical Figures: Emperor Yingzong (Zhu Qizhen) [r. 1435-1449, 1457-1464] Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen [b. 1448] Yu Qian, Minister of War [d. 1457] Xu Yuzhen, Earl of Wugong [?] Shi Heng, Duke of Zhongguo [d. 1459] Cao Zhixiang, Director of Ceremonies [d. 1461] Grand Secretary Li Xian Imperial Guard Commander Lu Gao [d. 1461] General Cao Qin [d. 1461] General Shi Biao [?] General Sun Tang General Ma Ang General Wu Jin General Wu Cong Commander Ma Liang Commissioner Wanzhe Tuliang Vice Commissioner-in-Chief Esen Temur Works Cited: Qi, Dongfang. “Funerary Perception and Ritual Institution of Imperial Tang” in Kaogu Xuebao (tr. Lee Yun-kuen). Robinson, David M. “Politics, Force and Ethnicity in Ming China: Mongols and the Abortive Coup of 1461” in The Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 59, No. 1. Stutton, Donald S. “Death Rites and Chinese Culture: Standardization and Variation in Ming and Qing Times” in Modern China, Vol. 33, No. 1. Twitchett, Denis & Tilemann Grimm. "The Cheng-t'ung, Ching-t'ai, and T'ien-shun reigns, 1436-1464" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I. Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the events at the Tumu Fort, Emperor Yingzong takes an unscheduled sabbatical in Mongolia, the Mongol warlord Esen Taishi attempts to return something lost for a price, Beijing battens down the hatches in preparation for Genghis Khan come anew, and brotherly love reaches its breaking point. Time Period Covered: 1449-1457 CE Major Historical Figure s: Ming Dynasty: Zhu Qizhen (Emperor Yingzong) [r. Zhengtong Era: 1435-1449, Tianshun Era: 1457-1464] Zhu Qiyu (the Jingtai Emperor) [r. 1449-1457] Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen [b. 1447] Crown Prince Zhu Jianzhi [1448-1453] Minister Xu Yuzhen Xing An, Head Imperial Eunuch Yu Qian, Minister of War [1398-1457] Northern Yuan/Oirat Mongols: Esen Taishi [1407-1455, (r. as Khaghan of N. Yuan, 1453-1455)] Toghto Bukha (Taisun Khaghan) [r. 1433-1453] Xi Ning, turncoat eunuch [d. 1450] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our annual creepy charcuterie of 4 strange stories from all across Qing China, collected by Ji Yun from Beijing all the way to Urumqi. Today, we have 4 tales to send shivers down your spine: 1) "Professional Notes on the Jiangshi & Other Revenants" (begins @ 2:50) 2) "Checkpoints" (begins @ 19:44) 3) "Yeti Stones" (begins @ 28:43) 4) "Visitors From Beyond" (begins @ 34:37) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"There are black zones of shadow close to our daily paths, and now and then some evil soul breaks a passage through. When that happens, the man who knows must strike before reckoning the consequences." By: H.P. Lovecraft Read By: Chris Stewart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nyarlathotep . . . the crawling chaos . . . I am the last . . . I will tell the audient void. . . . Written By: H.P. Lovecraft Read By: Chris Stewart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A child sits the throne of Great Ming, which goes surprisingly alright… at least for a while. But when the old guard of the imperial regency starts dying off, a combination of naive youthful exuberance and pure political ambition from the power behind the throne will throw everything into chaos on the plains north of Beijing. Time Period Covered: 1435-1449 CE Major Historical Figures: Great Ming: Zhu Qizhen (Emperor Yingzong, the Zhengtong/Tianshun Emperor) [r. 1335-1449, 1457-1464] Grand Empress Dowager Chen [d. 1442] Wang Zhen, Eunuch Lord [d. 1449] Mongol Tribes: Esen, Taishi of the Oirat [d. 1455] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While dying emperors, shifting policies, and vindictive princes keep the capital busy, Admiral Zheng He will manage to sneak in on last joy-ride into the sunset aboard his beloved Treasure Fleet... Time Period Covered: 1424-1435 CE Major Historical Figures: The Hongxi Emperor (Zhu Gaochi) [r. 1424-1425] The Xuande Emperor (Zhu Zhanji) [r. 1425-1435] Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han [1380-1426] Zhu Gaosui, the Prince of Zhao [1383-1431] Grand Admiral Zheng He [1371-1433] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zheng He's Treasure Fleet finally arrives on the African coast, and the Yongle Emperor celebrates the apex of his reign with the grand opening of Beijing and the Forbidden City. But dark clouds continue to build, but in the emperor's aged, troubled mind, and literally on the horizon... a storm is coming... Time Period Covered: 1416-1424 CE Major Historical Figures: The Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) [r. 1402-1424] The Noble Consort Zhaoxian, née Wang [d. ca. 1420] Grand Admiral Zheng He [1371-1435] Mirza Sharukh, Sultan of the Timurid Dynasty [r. 1405-1447] Major Works Cited: Chan, Hok-lam. “The Yung-lo reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Pt. I. Dreyer, Edward L. Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405-1433. Levathes, Louise. When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having laid waste to the once glorious city of Baghdad, Hulegu Ilkhan now sets his sights east of the Euphrates, to the fertile lands of Syria and Egypt beyond. But what's to follow will set of a momentous clash in Galilee, at a spring called Ain Jalut, that will shake the very fundaments of history... Time Period Covered: 1258-1260 CE Major Historical Figures: Mongol Empire: Mongke Khaghan Khubilai Ilkhan Ariq Boke Ilkhanate: Hulegu Ilkhan General Baiju General Kitbuqa Ayyubid Dynasty: al-Muzzam Turanshah al-Malik al-Nasir Yusuf al-Aziz al-Zayn al-Hafizi Mamluks: Saif ad-Din Qutuz Baybars al Bunduqdari, "The Great Lord Panther" European Christendom: King Louis IX of France Bohemond V of Antioch Bohemond VI of Antioch King Hethum I of Cilicia Major Sources Cited: Amitai, Reuven. Mongols and Mamluks: The Mamluk Ilkhanate War, 1260-1281. Amitai, Reuven. “An Exchange of Letters in Arabic Between Abakha Ilkhan and Sultan Baybars (A.H. 667/A.D. 1268-69)” in Central Asiatic Journal, Vol. 38, No. 1. Gillespie, Alexander. Causes of War, Volume II: 1000 CE to 1400 CE. Grousset, René. Empire of the Steppes: A history of Central Asia. Subani, Hamad. The Secret History of Iran. Richard, Jean. The Crusades, C.1071-1291. Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades, Volume 3, The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades. Tschanz, David W. “History’s Hinge: ‘Ain Jalut” in Saudi Aramco World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The treasure Fleet goes on missions 2-4, resulting in increasingly strange, valuable, and even divine gifts being presented to Great Ming. Time Period Covered: 1407-1415 CE Major Historical Figures Ming: Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) [r. 1402-1424] Admiral Zheng He [1371-1435] Commodore Yang Min Ma Huan, translator & chronicler [1380-1460] Kingdom of Malacca: King Parameswara [r. 1402-1414] Major Works Cited: Chan, Hok-lam. “The Yung-lo reign” in The Cambridge History of China, vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Pt. I. Dreyer, Edward L. Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405-1433. Levathes, Louise. When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “Kéramos” in Keramos and Other Poems: A Book of Sonnets, Part II. U.N. Museum. “Nanjing pagoda – Seven wonders of the medieval world.” www.unmuseum.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A live retelling (wart & all) of Genghis Khan's invasion of Khwarazmia ca. 1221, and the doomed flight of all who stood against his wrath... followed by a Q&A. From the 2021 Intelligent Speech Conference! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There once was a fleet that put to sea All in name of the Imperial Ming With phoenix sterns, & dragon prows Oh go, my baochuan, go! Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go Commanded by an admiral So tall he seem unnatural His voice rang out like temple bell To get those treasures stowed Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go They sailed the southern seas so vast They’d catch the wind with all nine masts Astrologers would watch the skies From Champa to Guangzhou Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go But on wave-crest a Pirate Lord He spied the fleet and greedily roared “Make ready all your cannon shot, We’ll take all their cargo!” Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go Through flame and smoke they battled on Til in a flash a month was gone The Pirate Lord would taste defeat His ships sunk deep below Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go At last they came to Indian shores In search of spice and jewels and more The deal was struck, with solemn vow To pay all that was owed Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go But homeward bound the skies grew dim The winds did howl, their fate seemed grim The sailors prayed, “Help us, Tianfei!” The masts began to glow Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go The Goddess heard their earnest pleas She stilled the waves & calmed the breeze The sailors gave their sober thanks She’s spared them from their woe Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go Soon may the Treasure Fleet moor To bring ceramics & silk galore One day, when the trading is done They’ll take our spice & go Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zheng He & Co. have left the station and are sailing out! They leave the safety of the Yangtze River and set their compasses southbound and down, first to Fujian, then to Vietnam, Java, Sri Lanka, and finally all the way to India, all in the name of trade and riches. But the return journey will turn out to be anything but a pleasure-cruise. Between pirate raiders adn deadly storms, they might need a miracle to pull this off... Time Period Covered: 1405-1407 CE Major Historical Figures: Grand Admiral Zheng He [1371-1433/5] Chen Zuyi, Pirate Lord Extraordinaire [d. 1407] Ma Huan, Chinese Muslim translator & chronicler [1380-1460] Major Sources Cited: Chan, Hok-lam. “The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-xi, Hsüan-te Reigns” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I. Levathes, Louise. When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433. Pregadio, Fabrizio (2004). The Encyclopedia of Taoism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the aftermath of a massacre entail, on the world stage? CIA Memo 6/10/89 - Begins: 2:25 US Beijing Embassy Cable 7/11/89 - Begins: 6:05 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this darkest of timelines, flickers of remembrance are more precious than ever... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yongle Emperor decides it's time for Great Ming to bust out its swim trunks and its flippy-floppies... because he's going to make the biggest, bestest oceanic fleet of awesomesauce that the world has ever seen! And put in command is his trusted, tried-and-true battle-buddy: the Grand Admiral Zheng He! Time Period Covered: 1371-1405 CE Significant Historical Figures: The Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) [r. 1402-1424] Grand Admiral Zheng He (né Ma He) [1371-1433] Tianfei, the Goddess of the Sea and Patron Protector of Sailors [eternal] Sources Cited: Chan, Hok-lam. “The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-xi, Hsüan-te Reigns” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I. Levathes, Louise. The China Ruled the Seas:The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433. Paterson, Erik T. “James Lind, Zheng He and the Prevention of Scurvy” in The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Vol. 20, No. 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with Part 2 of my conversation with Caroline Vahrenkamp of The Wonders of the World Podcast, this tie all about the little city that Yongle built mostly to show his dead dad up - Beijing, and at its heart, the city-within-the-city, the Imperial Purple Palace - The Forbidden City! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1 of my interview with Caroline Vahrenkamp of "The Wonders of the World Podcast" all about Beijing and it's meteoric rise as (the once and future) capital of China in the early Ming Dynasty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yongle Emperor decides to build a new capital. It goes well! He also decides to invade both Mongolia and Vietnam. It goes not so well. Time Period: 1402-1424 CE Major Historical Figures: Ming: The Yongle Emperor (Zhu Di) [r. 1402-1424] General Zhang Fu [1375-1449] Gen. Mu Sheng [1368-1439] Mongol Khanates: Bunyashiri of the Eastern Tribes [d. 1412] Mahmud of the Oirat [d. 1416] Arughtai of the Oirat [d. 1434] Dai Viet: Ho Qui Ly [1336- ca. 1407] Tran Thien-binh [d. 1406] Tran Nguy [?-?] Tran Qui-khoang (Trung Quang Emperor) [d. 1414] Le Loi [1384-1433] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A great conversation with Alex & Peter of "History's Most" about the worst civil war many have *still* never heard of - the Taiping Rebellion! Check out their great show at: https://historysmost.libsyn.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yongle Emperor has taken command... and we're in for a really, really, really great time.... Time Period Covered: 1402-1424 CE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The civil war between the Jianwen Emperor and his uncle, the Prince of Yan, rages on across the realm. Both sides will feel the terror and pain of the fearsome realities combat... but in the end, only one will be left standing. Time Period Covered: 1399-1402 CE Major Historical Figures: The Jianwen Emperor (Zhu Yunwen) [r. 1398-1402] Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan [1360-1424] Minister Huang Zicheng [1350-1402] Minister Qi Tai [d. 1402] Minister Fang Xiaoru [1357-1402] General Geng Bingwen [1334-1403] General Li Jinglong [1369-1424] Major Works Cited: Andrade, Tonio. “How Yongle learned to stop worrying and love the gun” in The Ming World. Chan, Hok-lam. “The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te Reigns, 1399-1435” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1633, Part I. Ditmanson, Peter. “Venerating the Martyrs of the 1402 Usurpation: History and Memory in the Mid and late Ming Dynasty” in T’oung Pao, Second Series, Vol. 93. Ditmanson, Peter. “Fang Xiaoru: Moralistic Politics in the Early Ming” in The Human Tradition in Premodern China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the Hongwu Emperor's death, his grandson - Zhu Yunwen - will assume command. He's been brought up and trained in the highest of Confucian ethics and morals, and will seek to curb the excesses of his dear grandfather's... more bloodthirsty policies. But not everyone is thrilled at the new leaf being turned in the book of the regime... especially those who stand to lose much more than they could possibly gain. Time Period Covered: 1398-1399 CE Major Historical Figures: The Jianwen Emperor (Zhu Yunwen) [r. 1398-1402] Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan [1360-1424] Minister Huang Zicheng [1350-1402] Minister Qi Tai [d. 1402] Minister Fang Xiaoru [1357-1402] General Geng Bingwen [1334-1403] General Li Jinglong [1369-1424] Major Works Cited: Andrade, Tonio. “How Yongle learned to stop worrying and love the gun” in The Ming World. Chan, Hok-lam. “The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te Reigns, 1399-1435” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1633, Part I. Ditmanson, Peter. “Venerating the Martyrs of the 1402 Usurpation: History and Memory in the Mid and late Ming Dynasty” in T’oung Pao, Second Series, Vol. 93. Ditmanson, Peter. “Fang Xiaoru: Moralistic Politics in the Early Ming” in The Human Tradition in Premodern China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hongwu Emperor enters the twilight of his life. But before he's ready to ride off into that long sunset, he's going to take a hell of a lot more people with him... Time Period: 1387-1398 CE Major Historical FIgures: The Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) [r. 1368-1398] Crown Prince Zhu Biao [1355-1392] Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen (The Jianwen Emperor) [1377-1402] Zhu Shuang, the Prince of Qin [1356-1395] Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin [1358-1398] Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan [1360-1424] Zhu Su, the Prince of Zhou [1361-1425] General Fu Youde [1327-1394] General Feng Sheng [d. 1395] Major Sources: Langlois, John D., Jr. “The Hung-Wu-Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 13698-1644m Part I. Robinson, David M. In the Shadow of the Mongol Empire: Ming China and Eurasia. Sun, Bing. “The burial system of imperial concubines in the Ming Dynasty and the ‘ancestral system’ of the Ming Dynasty.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(NOTE: This is Pt. 1 or 2. The Full Episode & all other bonus content is available via Patreon.com/thehistoryofchina) Mongke has ascended as the Great Khan of the Mongols and set loose his younger brother, Hulegu Ilkhan to bring the Islamic world to heel. The Caliph of the Abbasid Dynasty, al-Mustasim, sits ensconced in his citadel city of Baghdad - the jewel of Islam - and believes that Allah above and his loyal subjects beneath will be more than a match for barbarian hordes. He's about to learn a lesson neither he - nor the world - will ever forget... Time Period Covered: 1258-1259 CE Major Historical Figures: Mongol Empire: Hülegü Ilkhan [ca. 1215-1265] General Kitbukha [d. 1260] General Baiju [1201-1260] Abbasid Caliphate: al-Musta’sim-Billah Abu-Ahmad Abdullah bin al-Mustansir Billah, 37th Caliph [1213-1258] Governor Shahab al Din Sulaiman shah [d. 1258] Vizier Ibn al Alkami [1197-1258] Major Sources Cited: Al-Din, Rashid. Jami al Tararikh (Compendium of Histories). Al-Din, Rashid (tr. John Andrew Boyle). The Successors of Genghis Khan. Chugtai, Mizra Azeem Baig. “The Fall of Baghdad” in The Annal of Urdu Studies. Daftary, Farhad. The Isma’ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Hillenbrand, Robert. “Propaganda in the Mongol ‘World History’” in British Academy Review, issue 17 (March 2011). Hodgson, M. G. S. “The Isma’ili State” in The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 5: The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. Jamal, Nadia Eboo. Surviving the Mongols: Nizari Quhistani and the Continuity of Ismaili Tradition in Persia. Marozzi, Justin. Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood. Paris, Matthew of (tr. John Allen Giles). Chronica Majora (Matthew Paris’s English History From the Year 1235 to 1273, Volume 1). Saunders, J.J. The History of the Mongol Conquests. van Ruysbroeck, Willem (tr. W. W. Rockhill & Peter Jackson). The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world, 1253-55, as narrated by himself, with two accounts of the earlier journey of John of Pian del Carpine. Wiet, Gaston. Baghdad: Metropolis of the Abbasid Caliphate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To both the north and south, the armies of Great Ming continue to achieve order from chaos and stability across the realm, in the imperial palace at Nanjing, the Hongwu Emperor sits the Dragon Throne - as mercurial and temperamental as its very namesake... and woe betide anyone who stokes the dragon's wrath. Still, in the name of greater peace (and fewer mass slaughters), many a brave (and often fatally foolish)scholar will tempt fate by trying to tell Hongwu what he's doing wrong. Time Period Covered: 1379-1389 CE Major Historical Figures: Ming: The Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) [r.1368-1398] Duke Li Wenzhong [d. 1384] General Fu Youde [d. 1394] General Feng Sheng [?] General Lan Yu [d. 1393] General Mu Ying [d. 1392] Scholar Chen Wenhui [d. 1381] Scholar Li Shilu [d. 1381] Scholar Xie Jin [1369-1415] Yuan/Yunnanese: Toghus Temür Khan [d. 1388] Basalawarmi, the Prince of Liang [d. 1382] General Naghachu [d. 1388] Si Lunfa, Chieftain of Shan [d. 1386?] Major Works Cited: Crossley, Pamela Kyle, et al. Empire at the Margins: Culture, Ethnicity and Frontier in Early Modern China. Dillon, Michael. China’s Muslim Hui Community: Migration, Settlements and Sects. Langlois, John D., Jr. “The Hung-Wu-Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 13698-1644m Part I. Tsai, Shi-shan Henry. The Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty.g. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the destruction of the Khwarazmian Empire in 1221, the Mongol Empire's appetite for conquest to the west is whetted. It will take a few Great Khans to kick it off, but with the accession of Möngke to the throne in 1251, the way will be laid bare - to be led by his brother Hülegü Khan. The only thing standing between him and the beating heart of Islam is a ragged band of heretics scattered across the mountain fortresses of northern Persia - a group known as the Nizari Isma'ili... or more infamously: the Assassins. Time Period Covered: 765-1257 CE Major Historical Figures: Mongol Empire: Möngke Khaghan [r. 1251-1259] Hülegü Ilkhan [r. 1251-1265] General Ket-Buqa (Noyan) [d. 1260] Nizari Isma'ili: Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq [702-765] Hassan-i Sabbah [1050-1124] Imam Jalal al-Din Hassan [1187-1221] Imam Ala al-Din Muhammad III [1211-1255] Imam Rukn al-Din Khurshah [1230-1256] Other: Brother Matthew of Paris [1200-1259] Friar William of Rubruck [1220-1293] Ata-Malik Juvayni [1226-1283] Rashid al-Din Hamadani [1247-1318] Major Sources Cited: Al-Din, Rashid (tr. John Andrew Boyle). The Successors of Genghis Khan. Daftary, Farhad. The Isma’ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Hillenbrand, Robert. “Propaganda in the Mongol ‘World History’” in British Academy Review, issue 17 (March 2011). Hodgson, M. G. S. “The Isma’ili State” in The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 5: The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. Jamal, Nadia Eboo. Surviving the Mongols: Nizari Quhistani and the Continuity of Ismaili Tradition in Persia. Marozzi, Justin. Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood. Paris, Matthew of (tr. John Allen Giles). Chronica Majora (Matthew Paris’s English History From the Year 1235 to 1273, Volume 1). Saunders, J.J. The History of the Mongol Conquests. van Ruysbroeck, Willem (tr. W. W. Rockhill & Peter Jackson). The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world, 1253-55, as narrated by himself, with two accounts of the earlier journey of John of Pian del Carpine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor... has got a bit of a trust problem. It starts with him getting upset that his officials are "cutting corners" when it comes to official counts of tribute payments & the stamped documents verifying them. But it quickly spirals into full-blown paranoia that absolutely everyone is out to get them, and the only was he knows how to confront this problem is by getting all of his "enemies" first. Time Period Covered: ca. 1373-1382 CE Major Historical Figures: The Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) [r. 1368-1398] Crown Prince Zhu Biao [1355-1392] Zhu Shuang, Prince Min of Qin [1356-1395] Zhu Gang, Prince Gong of Jin [1358-1398] Zhu Di, Prince of Yan [1360-1424] Chancellor Hu Weiyong [d. 1380] Gao Qi [1334-1374] Prefect Ye Boju [d. 1376] Academician Zheng Shili [d. 1376] Sources Cited: Brook, Timothy. The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Langlois, John D., Jr. “The Hung-Wu-Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 13698-1644m Part I. Laozi. Dao De Jing. Luo, Yuming. A Concise History of Chinese Literature. Strassberg, Richard E. Inscribed Landscapes: Travel Writing from Imperial China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might not be able to go on a real holiday - but today we take a little audio trip to the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang... famed across the millennia for its beautiful bay, canals, and the famous West Lake. This is no ordinary tourist get-away, though, because we'll be skipping across time, looking at the highlights of its early history. Time Period Covered: ca. 5,000 BCE- ca. 960 CE Major Sources: Cotterell, Arthur. The Imperial Capitals of China – An Inside View of the Celestial Empire. Giles, Lionel (tr.) Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Loewe, Michael and Edward L. Shaughnessey. The Cambridge History of Ancient China. Mote, F.W. Imperial China.(900-1800). Rossabi, Morris. China Among Equals: the Middle Kingdom and its Neighbors, 10th-14th centuries. Schmidt, J. D. Within the Human Realm: The Poetry of Huang Zunxian, 1848-1905. Yan, Zi. Famous Temples in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hongwu Emperor officially accedes to the throne as the founding ruler of Great Ming, to as much pomp and circumstance as his ministers can possibly pack in to the ceremony. After the parties are all done and the sacrifices all made, however, the real work of governing an empire that has been ravaged for centuries begins… and not everyone is happy about having a new sovereign sitting atop the dragon throne. Time Period Covered: 1367-1373 CE Major Historical Figures: Great Ming: The Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) [r. 1368-1398] Empress Xiaocigao (née Ma Xuying) [1332-1382] Zhu Biao, Crown Prince [1355-1392] Zhu Shuang, Prince of Qin [1356-1395] Zhu Gang, Prince of Jin [1358-1398] Zhu Di, Prince of Yan [1360-1424] Tao Kai, Minister of Rites General Xu Da [1332-1385] General Deng Yu General Fu Youde [1327-1394] Ambassador Zhao Zhi Xia Kingdom (Sichuan): Emperor Ming Yuzhen [r. 1360-1366] Emperor Ming Sheng [r. 1366-1371] Nanchō Japan: Prince Kaneyoshi, the Chinzei Shogun [c. 1329-1383] Monk Sorai Major Works Cited: Chan, Hok-Lam. “Ming Taizu’s Problem With his Sons: Prince Qin’s Criminality and Early Ming Politics” in Asia Major, Third Series, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2007). Langlois, John D. “The Hung-wu Reign” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The list of their disasters was much lengthened [...] and whenever they tried to force a way into the borders of the empire, they were beaten back. They were once more confined to the great desert, whence they originally sprang.” “Although I am a woman, I have avenged the vengeance of my husband. When I die, there will be no regret.” Time Period Covered: 1368~1399 CE Major Historical Figures: Yuan/ Northern Yuan: Toghon Temür (Emperor Shun) [r. 1333-1368, 1368-1369] Ayurshiridara (Biligtü Khan) [r. 1370-1378] Prince Maidiribala [1338-1378] General Köke Temür [1330-1375] Elbeg Khan [r. 1393-1399] Oljeitu Khatun [d. ~1399] Ming: Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor) [r. 1368-1399] Xu Da, "Barbarian-Conquering Generalissimo" [1332-1385] General Li Wenzhong [1339-1383] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are invited to a very exclusive party. Everyone who's anyone will be there, dressed to the nines. You're sure to have the time of your life, and won't even know where the time's gone... Story by: Edgar Allen Poe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The chill of autumn is in the air once again, which can only mean one thing! It’s time for more tales to terrorize & titillate, baffle & bemuse… it’s time to once again venture into the studio of Pu Songling and listen to his strange tales. So gather round the light of the fire… or the iPhone… and get ready for seven strange stories of sly foxes, flights of fancy, monstrous appetites, unusual encounters, otherworldly lessons, tricky traders, and enchanting apparitions... 00:58: The Half-Fox Girl 10:55: The Painted Wall 18:27: The Monster In the Buckwheat 21:48: The Girl From Nanjing 25:45: A Most Exemplary Monk 28:07: Stealing a Peach 33:38: The Hungry Bride 36:07: The Magic Sword & the Magic Bag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does a peasant, orphan, son of a farmer in the Black Death, made a monk in the middle of a forgotten spot In central Anhui by providence impoverished In squalor, grow up to be a rebel hero, then a monarch? Time Period Covered: 1364-1368 CE Major Historical Figures: Ming: Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor) [r. 1368-1398] General Xu Da [1332-1385] General Chang Yuchun [1330-1369] Commander Li Wenzhong [1338-1384] Yuan: Emperor Toghon Temür [r. 1333-1368, 1368-1370] Crown Prince Ayushiridara [1340-1378] General Chaghan Temür [d. 1362] General Köke Temür [1330-1375] General Bolod Temür [d. 1364] Wu: Zhang Shicheng (King of Dazhou) [r. 1354-1367] General Li Bosheng Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our 200th(ish) episode! And so we take to the listeners to answer some of their burning questions about... Daoist gods... Islam in China... The Mandate of Heaven... sacrifices! ... the political expedience of murdering Mongol ambassadors... The Duke ... the names of emperors... technology transfers ... Korean empresses... and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don't understand! Chen Youliang coulda had class! He coulda been a contender! He coulda been somebody... instead of a bum, which is what he is after the fiasco on the waters of Lake Poyang. Let's face it. Time Period Covered: 1360-1363 CE Major Historical Figures: State of Ming: Zhu Yuanzhang Commander Hua Yun [d. 1360] Han Lin'er, "Emperor of Song" General Kang Maocai General Xu Da General Hu Dahai [d. 1361] General Shao Rong [d. 1361] State of Han: Emperor Chen Youliang [r. 1360-1363] General Chen Yuren Xu Shouhui, "Emperor" of Tianwan [d. 1360] State of Wu: Zhang Shicheng Yuan Dynasty: Emperor Toghon Temur Prince Chaghan Temur [d. 1361] Köke Temur (Wang Baobao) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ögedei dies in late 1241, the empire must choose a successor before it can move forward. In spite of the late Khan determining in advance that it should be his grandson, his empress has other ideas - namely, installing her own irascible son, Güyük, instead. This raises more than a few eyebrows, especially from the Lord of the Golden Horde (and Güyük's personal nemesis) Batu Khan. He'll spend then next 5 years doing absolutely everything in his power to prevent Güyüks' enthronement. And so, when Güyük is finally installed... is it any surprise that he'll seek to get even on his hated cousin? Their looking showdown on the fields of Dzungaria will set the stage for a truly unpredictable series of events, that will leave the Mongol Empire altered forever... (NOTE: This is Part 1 of a Bonus Episode! Get the rest, and all other bonus content by subscribing via patreon.com/thehistoryofchina Time Period Covered: 1242-1254 CE Major Historical Figures: Mongol Empire: Temuge Otchigin, Genghis Khan's youngest brother, Prince of the Hearth [1168-1246] House Ögedei: *Ögedei Khaghan [r. 1232-1241] Toregene Khatun [r. 1242-1246] Güyük Khaghan [r. 1246-1248] Oghul Khaimish Khatun [r. 1248-1251] Prince Shiremun [d. 1251] Prince Khodan [d. 1246] Lady Fatima [d. 1246] House Tolui: *Tolui Otchigin [1191-1232] Sorkhakhtani Beki [1190-1252] Möngke Khaghan [r. 1251-1259] Prince Khubilai Prince Hulagu Prince Ariq Boke General Menggesar, Noyan Companion of Mongke House Jochi: *Jochi [c. 1182-1225] Batu, Khan of the Golden Horde [1205-1255] Major Sources Cited: De Nicola, Bruno. “Regents and Empresses: Women’s Rule In the Mongols’ World Empire” in Women in Mongol Iran: The Khatuns, 1206-1335. Hamadani, Rashid-al-Din. Compendium of Chronicles. Dowson, John (tr.) Juvaini, Ata-Malik. History of the World Conqueror. (tr. John Andrew Boyle). Kim, Hodong. “A Reappraisal of Güyüg Khan” in Mongols, Turks, and Others: Eurasian Nomand and the Sedentary World. Man, John. Kublai Khan: The Mongol King Who Remade China. McLynn, Frank. Genghis Khan: This Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy. Onon, Urgunge (tr.). The Secret History of the Mongols: The Life and Times of Chinggis Khan. Rockhill, William Woodville (tr.). The journey of William of Rubruck to the eastern parts of the world, 1253-55, as narrated by himself, with two accounts of the earlier journey of John of Pian de Carpine. Rossabi, Morris. “The Reigns of Ogodei and Guyug” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Guard-Captain of the Red Turbans, Zhu Yuanzhang sets his sights on the jewel of the southlands: Nanjing. Once that's in his grasp, he'll truly join the ranks of the top-tier warlords of the era... but when you've elbowed you way up to the head table, don't be surprised if those you bump up against take exception to you shoving them aside... Time Period Covered: 1355-1360 CE Major Historical Figures: Yuan Dynasty: Emperor Toghon Temur (Huizong/Shundi) [r. 1333-1368, 1368-1370] General Shimo Yisun [d. 1360] Red Turban: Emperor of Song, Han Lin'er, the Little Lord of Light [r. 1351-1367] Guo Zixing [d. 1355] Ming: Guard-Captain Zhu Yuanzhang, "Outstanding Hero" [1328-1398] General Xu Da [1332-1385] General Chang Yüchen General Hu Dahai [d. 1362] Minister Song Lian [1310-1381] Han: King Chen Youliang [1320-1363] Wu: Zhang Shicheng, the "Heaven Blessed" King, Salt-Smuggler Extraordinaire [1321-1367] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My long-lost conversation with the hosts of the excellent ReConsider Podcast, Xander and Eric... now *finally* delivered to you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the cataclysmic decade of the 1340s rolls in to the 1350s a planned rerouting of the Yellow River will trigger a massive uprising by what the Yuan authorities call the Red Turban Rebels. But who are they really? What do they believe? Why are they fighting? And how do they tie in with the eventual overthrow of the Mongols from their hegemony over China? Major Historical Figures: Maitreya Buddha, Successor to Gautama Buddha [???] Mani the Last, Prophet of Manichaeism [ca. 216-277 CE] Red Turbans: Peng Yingyu, Buddhist Monk, "Father" of the Red Turbans [d. ca. 1348-1358] Northern: Han Shantong, Lord of Light [d. 1351] Han Lin'er, the Young Lord of Light [1340-1367] General Liu Futong (AKA "Liu Fangshi") [1321-1363] Guo Zixing, Leader of Red Turban Army, Lord of Haozhou [d. 1355] Zhu Yuanzhang, Buddhist mendicant monk, Guard Commander of the Red Turbans [1328-1398] Southern: Xu Shouhui, cloth-merchant, Emperor of Tianwan Kingdom, Maitreya Incarnate [1320-1360] Qing Dynasty: Huang Yupian, Qing Dynasty Magistrate and White Lotus Hunter [mid-19th century] Major Sources Cited: Brook, Timothy. The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Buckley Ebrey, Patricia and Anne Walthall. Pre-Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume I. Chao, Wei-pang. “Secret Religious Societies in North China in the Ming Dynasty” in Folklore Studies, Vol. 7. Farmer, Edward L. Zhu Yuanzhang and Early Ming Legislation: The Reordering of Chinese Society following the Era of Mongol Rule. Flower, Theresa. “Millenarian Themes of the White Lotus Society.” Hung, Hing Ming. From the Mongols to the Ming Dynasty: How a Begging Monk Became Emperor of China, Zhu Yuan Zhang. Lin, Wushu. “A Study On Equivalent Names of Manichaeism in Chinese” in Popular Religion and Shamanism. Lin, Wushu. Manichaeism and its Dissemination in the East. Ma, Xisha. “The Syncretism of Maitreyan Belief and Manichaeism in Chinese History” in Popular Religion and Shamanism. Mote, Frederick W. Imperial China: 900-1800. Mote, Frederick W. “The Rise of the Ming Dynasty, 1330-1367” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty. Overmeier, Daniel L. “Folk-Buddhist Religion: Creation and Eschatology in Medieval China” in History of Religions, Vol. 12, No. 1. Shek, Richard. “Religious Dissenters in Ming-Qing China” in Religion and the Early Modern State: Views from China, Russia, and the West. Tan, Chung. Across the Himalayan Gap: An Indian Quest for Understanding China. Ter Haar, B.J. The White Lotus Teachings in Chinese Religious History. Wang, Kristen. “Scandalous Tales Behind Nanjing’s 70 Ancient Names” in The Nanjinger, 07/04/2019. Waterson, James. Defending Heaven: China’s Mongol Wars, 1209-1370. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My presentation to the 2020 Intelligent Speech Convention, on Women, Minorities, and reading between the bamboo scrolls of history to find the hidden stories. Also with a Q&A session after. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices