House of Zhu

The House of Zhu was the imperial ruling house of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and Southern Ming dynasty (1644–1662) of China.

Its founder was Zhu Yuanzhang, the leader of a major rebellion against the 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. However, 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 Qing dynasty in 1644 to seize power in the Central Plains.