The Ming dynasty followed the Yuan dynasty in China, returning rule to native Chinese from the foreign Mongols.
The first law instituted by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor in this dynasty, was the outlaw of White Lotus Societies, in a somewhat paranoid effort to ensure he would maintain control of China during his reign. During this time, orthodoxy of religion was especially monitored and even enforced by law; any drifting from orthodoxy was […]