Ming dynasty (明朝), 1368 to 1644, was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Yuan dynasty (元朝) or Mongol empire. The Ming ruled over much of China's east coast, but failed to rule parts of the north and west which were ruled by remnants of the Mongol empire. While it lasted, the Ming would fight numerous wars against the Northern Yuan.
In its latter years, the Ming fought wars against Japanese pirates and samurai (unified under Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉) as well as the Later Jin dynasty (后金) to the northeast, which would eventually become the Qing dynasty.
Eventually the Ming was destroyed by the Qing dynasty (清朝). Unlike the Ming, the Qing unified much more of China, including the Northern Yuan remnants and Western Regions.
It is during its later years in the eve of the Ming dynasty that the novel Journey to the West was written.
People
- Chen Youliang (陈友谅), Yuan dynasty general
- Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋), Ming dynasty
- Zheng He (郑和), famous sailor
- Wu Cheng'en (吴承恩), "Journey to the West" usually credited to him
- Aisin Gioro Nurhaci (爱新觉罗 努尔哈赤), Jurchen (女真), khan and founder of the Later Jin which would eventually become the Qing dynasty and overturn the Ming