Xu Da

Xu Da
徐達
Portrait of Xu Da
Left Grand Councilor
In office
1371–1371
Preceded byLi Shanchang
Succeeded byHu Weiyong
Right Grand Councilor
In office
1368–1371
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byWang Guangyang
Duke of Wei
In office
1485–1370
Succeeded byXu Huizu
Personal details
Born1332
Yuan Zhishun 3
(元至順三年)
Yongfeng Township, Zhongli County, Hao Prefecture, Anfeng Lu, Henan Jiangbei Province
Died1385 (aged 52–53)
Ming Hongwu 18
(明洪武十八年)
Yingtian Prefecture
Spouses
  • Lady Zhang
  • Lady Xie
  • Lady Sun
  • Lady Jia
ChildrenXu Huizu, Duke of Wei
Xu Tianfu
Xu Zengshou, Duke of Ding
Xu Yihua, Empress Renxiaowen
Princess Consort of Dai
Princess Consort of An
Xu Yingxu
Xu Miaojin

Xu Da (1332–1385), courtesy name Tiande, known by his title as Duke of Wei (魏國公), later posthumously as Prince of Zhongshan (中山王), was a Chinese military general and official who lived in the late Yuan dynasty and early Ming dynasty. He was a friend of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder and first ruler of the Ming dynasty, and assisted him in overthrowing the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and establishing the Ming dynasty. He was also the father of Empress Xu, who married the third Ming ruler, the Yongle Emperor, and maternal grandfather of the Hongxi Emperor. All but two subsequent Ming and Southern Ming emperors were descended from him.

Xu Da was cautious and skilled in governing the army, making outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the recovery of Chinese territory. Zhu Yuanzhang praised him as "the Great Wall" of the Ming Dynasty. After his death, Xu Da was posthumously honored as the title "King of Zhongshan" (中山王) by Zhu in 1385, ranking first in the Imperial Ancestral Temples and Portrait Temples of Meritorious Officials.[1]

  1. ^ "明史/卷125 - 维基文库,自由的图书馆". zh.wikisource.org (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-05.