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The princes of the Ming dynasty were titled and salaried members of the imperial bureaucracy with nominal lordship over various fiefs of Ming China. All were members of the imperial Zhu clan descended from the twenty-six sons of Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor). None of the princes controlled the administration of their nominal fief, unlike some tribal leaders or Confucius' descendants, the Dukes of Overflowing Sagacity, who continued to rule their territories outside of the normal provincial system.
Like all members of the imperial family, the princes were not bound by the standard imperial administration or courts. Instead, their status, promotions, and punishments were regulated by the Imperial Clan Court in the capital, which was staffed and directed by other members of the clan.