In order to strengthen the centralization of power, Zhu Yuanzhang adopted a series of political, military, and legal measures. First of all, politically, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Zhongshu Province and the Prime Minister system, and divided the power of the prime minister to the six ministries, and the six Shangshu were directly responsible to the emperor. This move put an end to the prime minister system since the Qin and Han dynasties and greatly strengthened the centralization of power. In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang also established a supervision system and a three-law division, and strengthened supervision and judicial control over local governments.
Militarily, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented the guard system, dividing the whole team into guards and commanding them in a unified manner. At the same time, he set up special agencies such as Jinyiwei, which directly obeyed the emperor's orders and secretly monitored and controlled the army. These measures ensured the loyalty and combat effectiveness of the army and further strengthened the centralization of power.
In terms of law, Zhu Yuanzhang formulated a strict legal system and implemented a strict judicial system. He emphasized the authority and impartiality of the law, and set up institutions such as the Criminal Department, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Dali Temple to strictly try and punish criminal acts. This move makes the law a powerful tool for strengthening the centralization of power.
In addition to political, military, and legal measures, Zhu Yuanzhang also implemented a series of economic, cultural, and educational policies. He introduced a system of equalization of land and taxation, which led to a significant increase in the country's fiscal revenue. At the same time, he ordered the compilation of large-scale books such as the Yongle Grand Canon, carried forward traditional culture, and strengthened the control of ideology and culture. These policies are not only conducive to economic development and the stability of social order, but also help to strengthen the centralization of power.
Zhu Yuanzhang successfully strengthened the centralization of power through political, military, legal, economic, cultural, and educational measures. These measures made the Ming Dynasty more stable and powerful, and laid a solid foundation for the development of the Ming Dynasty.