MING T'AI-TSU AND THE GODS OF THE WALLS AND MOATS.

The article discusses the history of the political and military development of the Ming Dynasty in China. The article describes the political tensions between feudalistic and despotic tendencies among various factions among the Ming imperial state, focusing on the development of the Ming imperial army, the nature and characteristics of Ming imperial ideology, and the relation between imperial leaders and the local militia leaders. Also discussed are the economic systems of pre-Ming rural communities and the opportunities a Ming imperial state could offer their economies, the religious worldview of Ming imperialists and their understanding of animistic forces in the world, and the leadership of Ming general Ming T'ai-tsu.