Laurie Dennis
Mao Zedong was deeply interested in the story of the Ming founder, because it involved peasant rebellions. Chairman Mao had conversations about this with historian Wu Han, but then turned on the author when he published his seminal 1965 "Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang." Wu died in prison. Among Wu's listed crimes were "opposing the doctrine of class struggle" in his depiction of Zhu's rise to power, which is nonsense.
The Ming founder worked to broaden access to public schools, reform the legal code, and improve the lives of peasants, but he was an autocrat and did not consider himself a rebel - he was restoring righteous rule!
I think today's PRC leadership admires the the power and influence the Ming founder wielded.
The Ming founder worked to broaden access to public schools, reform the legal code, and improve the lives of peasants, but he was an autocrat and did not consider himself a rebel - he was restoring righteous rule!
I think today's PRC leadership admires the the power and influence the Ming founder wielded.
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