Jo Tatsu

The first politician of the Ming Dynasty. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he participated in Zhu Yuanzhang's rebel army (the Red Turbans) and made great achievements. When Zhu Yuanzhang became King of Wu in 1364, he was appointed Left Prime Minister and played an active role in subjugating Zhang Shicheng as a great general. In 1367, as the great general of the expedition, he led a large army of 250,000 men on a northern expedition, and in 1368 he occupied Dadu (Beijing) of the Yuan Dynasty and exiled Emperor Shun to the Mongolian Plateau. In the same year, the Ming Dynasty was established and he was appointed Right Prime Minister of the Secretariat. After occupying Dadu, he fought in Shanxi and Shaanxi, suppressing the remaining forces of the Yuan Dynasty, and in 1370 he was made Duke of Wei for his achievements. In 72, he led a large army to fight against the remaining Yuan forces in Mongolia, and conquered them the following year. He was posthumously awarded the title of King of Zhongshan. He was more talented as a military strategist than as a politician.

[Yamane Yukio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)初の政治家。元(げん)末、朱元璋(しゅげんしょう)の反乱軍（紅巾(こうきん)軍）に参加し大いに功績をあげた。1364年、朱元璋が呉王になると、左相国(しょうこく)に任ぜられ、また大将軍として張士誠(ちょうしせい)を屈服させるのに活躍した。67年、征虜大将軍として25万の大軍を率いて北伐、翌68年には元の大都（北京(ペキン)）を占領、順帝をモンゴル高原に追放した。この年、明帝国が成立し、彼は中書省右丞相(じょうしょう)に任ぜられた。大都占領後も、山西、陝西(せんせい)に転戦、元の残存勢力を鎮圧し、70年その功により魏(ぎ)国公に封ぜられた。72年、彼はまた大軍を率いて元の残存勢力とモンゴリアに戦い、翌年これを制圧した。死後に中山王に追封された。政治家というよりも軍略家としての才能に優れていた。

［山根幸夫］

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