(1) Effectively managed the border areas and promoted the unity and development of China's multi-ethnic countries.
Ming Chengzu actively developed and operated the northeast region, established a famous slave capital department in history, and formally incorporated a large territory in the middle and lower reaches of Heilongjiang into Chinese territory. At that time, four passages were built on the ring of Nuer Tuotu, and there were also post stations along the way to facilitate business travel. These four passages connect Liaodong in the south and go straight to Beijing. The mainland's means of production and living are continuously transported to the northeast, and some local products of local ethnic minorities are also transported to the mainland, thus strengthening the economic life of the local and inland areas and effectively promoting the development and development of ethnic minority areas in the northeast.
Ming Chengzu actively managed the northwest, established Hami Wei, and strengthened the management and detention of the northwest. At the end of Ming dynasty, northwest China was relatively stable, and there was no large-scale famine, which was inseparable from the management of Ming Chengzu.
Ming Chengzu strengthened the management of southwest chieftain, took the lead in implementing land reform and returning to the motherland, and established Guizhou Foreign Ministry similar to the mainland, which effectively promoted the integration of all ethnic groups and the development of local economy and culture. Ming Chengzu presented gifts to the kings of Tibet and built a passage from Tibet to the mainland, which strengthened the ties between Tibet and the mainland. Ming Chengzu also actively managed the South China Sea Islands, surveyed and named them "Qianli Changsha and Qianli Shitang", and further developed and managed them. His achievements will be recorded in the history books of China forever.
(2) relax the maritime ban and promote the unprecedented development of international exchanges.
At this point, Ming Chengzu is more enlightened and brave than his father Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in a peasant family. Later, he only learned a little culture on horseback, and his thoughts and significance were relatively narrow, so he didn't do anything far after he proclaimed himself emperor. He strictly enforced the sea ban, forbade going to sea, and allowed several neighboring countries and regions to pay tribute to China, and there was no international exchange since then. On the other hand, Cheng Zu of Ming Dynasty was open-minded. Although he did not explicitly abolish the maritime ban, he greatly relaxed his specific implementation. He made friends in four countries and made an unprecedented feat of Zheng He's voyage to the West, which became a much-told story in Asian and African countries. He restored the Ministry of Trade abolished by Zhu Yuanzhang, resumed contacts with Japan, and once basically solved the so-called enemy problem. He brought back the Timur Empire in Central Asia with China, and foreign envoys came to China in an endless stream. It was during the Yongle period that the kings of four countries and regions visited China seven times. Three kings died in China and were buried in China, which became a good historical witness at home and abroad. This is unique in the history of China. This exchange has enhanced the friendship and understanding between the people of Asian and African countries, promoted the economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and won a good international reputation for China.
(3) Moving the capital to build Beijing is a great contribution to the history of China.
With the political and economic development of China and the progress of ethnic integration for thousands of years, the capital Beijing has become an objective historical requirement. In line with this historical requirement, Ming Chengzu resolutely decided to move the capital to Nanjing and carried out large-scale construction in Beijing, thus laying the foundation for today's situation. It has been more than 570 years since Ming Chengzu moved to Beijing, which fully proves the correctness and foresight of this decision. As the political and cultural center of China, Beijing has played a solid role in the later years, effectively promoting the development of the Chinese nation in all aspects.
(4) The dredging of the Grand Canal promoted the economic ties and development between the north and the south of China.
When the Grand Canal in Sui Dynasty was just dug, it almost made a semicircle with Luoyang as the center, which had little effect on the national economic development. The second large-scale excavation was in the Yuan Dynasty, and the north and south were generally straight, rather than bypassing Luoyang. However, at that time, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was not fully navigable, and in ancient times, "at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, most of it was by sea". In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu (1393), due to the irrigation of the Yellow River south, the Grand Canal was almost shut down. Ming Chengzu ordered Song Lijun to connect Huitong River and Yellow River, and Hsuanchan to dig Qingjiangpu and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Since then, the Grand Canal has become a busy waterway, and the grain from the south has been continuously exported to Beijing through the Grand Canal, and the maritime transportation has been abandoned. On both sides of the canal, Huai 'an, Jining, Linqing and other emerging industrial and commercial cities have risen one after another, playing an increasingly important role in national economic life. People in China are often proud of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, but people know that the Great Wall only plays a defensive role, and the Grand Canal has really promoted the economic ties and development of the country. It is at this point that Ming Chengzu made an indelible contribution.
(5) Develop academic culture and compile Yongle Grand Ceremony.
In terms of academic culture, Ming Chengzu changed Zhu Yuanzhang's practice of Daxing literary inquisition and adopted the policy of prospering feudal culture. During the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, I don't know how many literati fell to the ground because of a typo, and the literati lived trembling under the butcher's knife. "Seeing people holding hands, listening to people talking, just sipping their mouths" is a scene of hordes. On the other hand, Cheng Zu of the Ming Dynasty did not. In addition to killing stubborn political opponents, he also adopted a tolerant policy towards ordinary literati. He respected Confucianism, accepted scholars, used miscellaneous stream, and composed poems. During Yongle period, the Taige school of culture appeared in the literary world. What is particularly commendable is that Ming Chengzu organized scholars to compile various books, the most famous of which is Yongle Dadian. This is the largest book of its kind in China since ancient times. It was compiled by 3,000 scholars for five years, and a large number of cultural classics of China before15th century were preserved. He is not only a treasure in China's cultural treasure house, but also enjoys a lofty position in the world cultural history.
The consolidation and development of China's unified multi-ethnic country is the result of the joint efforts of outstanding people and the broad masses of the people. In this regard, Ming Chengzu made an indelible contribution. When talking about the achievements of Ming Chengzu in frontier management, some scholars said: "Since Qin Dynasty, it has never been seen before." This statement is not groundless.
As a feudal emperor, if he can complete a major event in history, such as building the Great Wall, connecting Zhang Qian with the western regions, and digging the Grand Canal, he will be famous. Measured by these recognized major undertakings, the founder of the Ming Dynasty is almost no less than any emperor in the history of China. Aside from other aspects, just building the slave headquarters, building Beijing, dredging the Grand Canal, Zheng He's voyage to the West, and revising the Yongle Grand Ceremony are enough to make any of them stand out from the past and the present and be immortal. Therefore, when we comprehensively measure the merits and demerits of Ming, it is not difficult to draw the conclusion that Ming is a first-class feudal emperor and he is also a leader among the first-class feudal emperors.
Judging from the history of China, it is not enough for a grand dynasty to rely on a founding emperor, but also needs the consolidation and development of the second and third generations. After Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty, he achieved prosperity through the development of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing: after Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty, he achieved prosperity through the development of Emperor Taizong; In the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was the founder of the dynasty, and only after the development of the Ming dynasty did he become strong, thus laying a good foundation for the rule of the Ming dynasty for nearly 300 years. In this regard, Li Zhi, a thinker at the end of the Ming Dynasty, said: "China has been recuperating for more than 200 years, and it is now. I am content with warmth, and people look forward to its war. It is the power of the emperor and Yao. " As for the contribution of Ming Chengzu to the history of Ming Dynasty, this statement is generally fair and credible, from which we can see the position of Ming Chengzu in the whole history of China.