Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, faced a sharp decline in population at the beginning of his new dynasty. However, through a series of policies and measures, he successfully restored the population, laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. This article will introduce in detail the population situation in the early years of Zhu Yuanzhang and how he restored the population.

At the beginning of Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, when the Ming Dynasty was established, the national population was only about 60 million. This figure was nearly two-thirds lower than the 130 million population at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. There were mainly two reasons for this sharp decline in population: one was the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, which led to the deaths of a large number of people; the other was that Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a strict household registration system at the beginning of the new dynasty, conducting a census of the population, which exposed the previously hidden population, making the population figure appear smaller.

Faced with this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang adopted a series of policies and measures to restore the population. First, he implemented a policy of "restoring strength and developing agriculture", which reduced the burden on the people, allowing them to settle down and live in peace and contentment, and enabling the population to grow naturally. Secondly, he promoted land reform, allocating land to farmers, giving them stable means of production and thereby increasing the birth rate. In addition, he also implemented a strict family planning policy, stipulating that each household could only have two children to control the growth rate of the population.

The implementation of these policies and measures led to rapid recovery of the population in the Ming Dynasty. According to historical records, by the 26th year of Hongwu (1393), the national population had reached 65 million. By the Yongle period (1403-1424), the national population had reached 76 million. This growth in population provided human resources for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

Overall, Zhu Yuanzhang successfully solved the population problem he faced in the early years of the Ming Dynasty through his wisdom and efforts. This not only laid the foundation for the stability and development of the Ming Dynasty, but also provided valuable experience for future generations.

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