Do you think that Yongle was a good leader?

What do you think about Yongles choice to kill for power?

What area of my blog is strong?

What needs improvement in my blog?

How Old was Yongle When he Died and Who Took Over?

The Yongle Emperor died at the age of 64 as he returned from a campaign to Mongolia in 1424. He was buried in the Ming tombs at Beijing. Which, I think is great because a lot of his belongings and treasures are there. Beijing was where he accomplished goals, so I thought it was nice to bury him there. He was succeeded by his son, the Hongxi Emperor, who ruled for only a year. The rulers who followed the Yongle Emperor eased the militarism that had characterized the early Ming era. They waged fewer campaigns against the Mongols, pursued a less aggressive foreign policy, and by 1433 they had stopped the large naval expeditions. I think that it is disappointing that he spent 20 years writing a peace treaty with Mongolia, only to have it ruined by the next generation of Emperors. But I guess all they had in their heads was "to bad, so sad, your dead". Which is REALLY mean. 

Hongxi Emperor 

What did Yongle want to do with China?

Yongle wanted to do so much with China. So much that he couldn't even do it all! But, he did manage to do some of his plans. First, Yongle wanted to move the capitol to where his base was. It was in the Southern City of Nanjing but now it is in Beijing. Yongle also wanted to expand the empire his grandfather had begun. He waged war against the Mongols to gain more territory for his empire. When he finally accomplished this, he gained a lot of space! Yongle also wanted to expand China's maritime influence and its territorial control. So, he commissioned a large navy and I mean HUGE! and gave command of it to a trusted Muslim named Zheng He. Zheng He then took the army into war until they won. Which they did.

Zheng He

How did Yongle Take the Throne From his Nephew?

Yongle took the throne from his nephew by usurping it. In case you don't know usurping means stealing or taking over. He burned the capitol during his efforts to overthrow his nephew.  Once Yongle became emperor again, he had to change capitols. It seems like a lot of work but I guess this is the time where you say "if you want it, you got to work for it." It all makes sense now. Yongle undertook many ambitious and costly projects just like the Forbidden City. His projects had a long lasting effect on China, but his bad qualities and wrongful choices may have made his name forgotten. That and he lived six hundred and fifty years ago. Yea, that had something to do with it. 

Yongle on his Throne