The Ghost Emperor: Yongle's Buddhist Empire of the Ming

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of the Yongle Emperor, the Ming dynasty usurper who transformed Beijing into a Buddhist imperial capital. They discuss his patronage of the Tibetan Buddhist Karma Kagyu school, the construction of the Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing and the Temple of the Heavenly King, the massive Baochu stupa offering his father's merit, and the Yongle Encyclopedia—the largest encyclopedia in history. They examine how Yongle used religion to legitimize his rule after ousting his nephew, his sponsorship of the Karmapa Deshin Shekpa, and the 1407 Buddhist canon carving. The episode also touches on his maritime expeditions under Zheng He, the spread of the cult of the dark goddess Cundi, and Yongle's death on campaign against the Mongols. A nuanced look at a ruthless emperor who built a Buddhist empire. #MingDynasty #YongleEmperor #Buddhism #TibetanBuddhism #KarmaKagyu #PorcelainPagoda #ZhengHe #YongleEncyclopedia #Beijing #Nanjing #DeshinShekpa #ChineseHistory #EmperorZhuDi #MingHistory #BuddhistArt #ChineseBuddhism #History #FexingoHistory #MauryanEmpire #AshokaTheGreat Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo