7 - Letters to the Great Khan

Summary

Chapter 7, “Letters to the Great Khan,” examines correspondences that Zhu Yuanzhang wrote to three successive Great Khans between 1368 and 1388. These missives examine Chinggis’ origins as a humble man of the people chosen by Heaven to unite the steppe and then subjugate much of Eurasia. They praise the glories of Qubilai, who united long-divided Chinese territory and ushered in a sparkling age of prosperity. They also chronicle the collapse of effective Yuan governance, which led to the rise of regional warlords, the spread of human suffering, and the disintegration of moral order. Perhaps most striking is the way Zhu Yuanzhang speaks as one ruler to another in these letters. He spends much time walking the Great Khans through the new reality of the day and their choices for the future. Zhu Yuanzhang’s correspondence did not alter the Great Khans’ views, but it does conform to what we know about the Ming founder’s insistence that people not merely obey his orders but also accept his views.