A Comparative Study Of Ministers Of Military Department Between Hongwu And Jiajing Dynasties In Ming Dynasty

During the Ming Dynasty,the ministers of Military Department of occupied an important position in the central power system.Especially after Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister and raised the status of the six ministries in 1380,the position of the ministers of the Ministry Department also improved.According to research,there were 25 ministers in charge of the Military Department in Hongwu Dynasty and 23 in Jiajing Dynasty.From the comparative analysis of the specific situation of the two dynasties’ the ministers of Military Department,we can see that the way of selecting and appointing the ministers of Military Department is more professional.In the Hongwu Dynasty,the ministers of Military Department were chosen by the Emperor himself.In the Jiajing Dynasty,a complete system of “katyn push” was gradually formed.Moreover,in this period,the requirements for the selection of ministers of the Ministry Department are becoming higher and higher.The promotion and transfer of the ministers of the Ministry Department was more institutionalized and standardized.In the Hongwu Dynasty,the grade of the first official post in the ministers of Military Department was higher.In the early Jiajing Dynasty,the grade of the official post was between the sixth and seventh grade.In the Hongwu Dynasty,there was an obvious phenomenon of “Leapfrog promotion” in the process of transferring to the ministers of Military Department.However in the Jiajing Dynasty,the ministers of Military Department was transferred from the vice ministers of the third grade or the ministers and the imperial censor of the second grade.On the whole,there were differences in the transfer of the ministers of Military Department between the two dynasties,but the degree of trust of the emperor,the achievements of the politics and the military,and their interpersonal relationship were all important factors that affected the ministers of Military Department’s promotion.And on the surface,the ministers of the Ministry Department held a high position,but in fact,there was a high risk in their position,and they had a high probability of being dismissed.According to the performance of the ministers of Military Department of the two dynasties,most of them fulfilled their duties and took active political actions.They improved the military defense strength of the Ming Dynasty by formulating military laws,strengthening the strength of soldiers,building border defense,and managing horses.At the same time,they played an active role in national military and political affairs.Specifically speaking,in the Hongwu Dynasty,because Zhu Yuanzhang appointed officials at will,most of the ministers of the Ministry Department had no great achievements in this period,and they mostly carried out some basic administrative work.By the middle of the Ming Dynasty,the position of ministers of the Ministry Department had been greatly improved,and they were more fully participated in the national military and political decision-making.On the other hand,due to the promotion of their power status,corruption had arisen.A few of them used their position to bend the law for personal gain,embezzle and take bribes.