House of Zhu

The House of Zhu was the imperial family that ruled the Ming dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. After the fall of the Ming capital in 1644, several rump regimes collectively known as the Southern Ming continued to rule parts of southern China until 1662, though their territory gradually diminished. The Ming dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han Chinese. Following its collapse, China was conquered by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1912. Han-led rule was not restored until the fall of the Qing and the establishment of the Republic of China as a nation-state in 1912.

The founder of the house was Zhu Yuanzhang, the leader of a major rebellion against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. He and his descendants lifted China to long-term economic prosperity and political stability. Over time, thanks to the polygamy common among the upper classes of Chinese society, the number of male members of the house increased to one hundred thousand. Except for the emperors and heirs to the throne, they were excluded from politics for the sake of government stability. From the late 16th century onwards, economic difficulties and the resulting peasant uprisings brought about a weakening of Ming power, which was used by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in 1644 to seize power in the Central Plains.