Share and Rule: Intellectual Origins of the Early Ming (1368–1644) Princedoms

In the early Ming (1368-1644), the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋, 1328-1398, r. 1368-1398) established more than twenty princedoms across the empire. Scholarship to date has generally emphasized the continuance of the Yuan (1271-1368) institutions into the early Ming. Apart from the endurance of Yuan legacy, this article addresses how Zhu Yuanzhang ideologically framed and justified the establishment of princedoms. By showing the possible influences of Southern Song (1127-1279) statecraft traditions on early Ming legislation, this article argues that Zhu Yuanzhang sought to construct the enduring system of government by drawing on the classic model of “divide and rule,” as suggested in the Confucian Classics. In their turn, the literati who advised Zhu Yuanzhang in the making of the Ming empire sought to secure their own realms of autonomy and influence in local society by upholding the fengjian doctrine and presenting themselves as the later counterparts of the ancient feudal vassals who “shared” in the governance of their country and “ruled” on behalf of their emperors.