Ming Yuzhen

Ming Yuzhen (2 October 1328 – 17 March 1366) was a peasant rebel leader who established the dynasty of Ming Xia during the late Yuan dynasty in China.

Ming was born in Suizhou (today Sui County, Hubei) in a farmer family. He changed the character of his surname to mean "Brilliance" later. In 1353 he joined the Red Turbans, a rebel group led by Xu Shouhui. He was blinded in the right eye during a battle.

In 1360, Xu was killed by Chen Youliang, so Ming left his group and proclaimed himself King of Longshu (隴蜀王). Two years later, he proclaimed himself Emperor of Great Xia in Chongqing, with the era name of "Tiantong" (天統). In Great Xia, there was taxation, imperial examination, and a state religion of Buddhism.

In 1363, he attacked Prince Liang, Bolud Temür (孛羅帖木兒) in Yunnan. His plans to expand did not work out and he died in of illness at the age of 35. He was succeeded by his son Ming Sheng (明昇), who changed the era name to "Kaixi" (開熙) and was exiled to Korea when Longshu was destroyed by the Ming Empire in 1371. The Korean official Yun Hui-chong's daughter married Ming Sheng in March 1373. Ming Sheng was 17 and Chen Li was 21 when they were sent to Korea in 1372 by the Ming dynasty.

Also, Ming Yuzhen is the founder of Korean clans, the Yeonan Myeong clan, Seochok Myeong clan and Namwon Seung clan.