Hongxi Emperor

Reign: 1424 – 1425
Life: 1378–1425

He prioritized providing his eldest son with a comprehensive education based on Confucian principles. During his father's military campaigns, Zhu Gaochi served as a regent in either Nanjing or Beijing. He pardoned officials who had been disgraced by the previous regime and restructured the government, appointing his trusted advisors to key positions. He abandoned his father's unpopular militaristic policies, made changes to the financial and tax system, abolished many mandatory provisions, and encouraged the return of displaced peasants, particularly in the lower regions of the Yangtze River.

During Hongxi Emperor's reign, Henry VI of England ruled England, Charles VII of France ruled France, and John I of Portugal ruled Portugal.

Want to learn more? Further reading

China: A History by John Keay

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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