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The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1402 to 1424. The fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the dynasty's founder, he was granted the title of Prince of Yan in 1370 and later became responsible for defending the northeastern frontier from Beijing. In 1399, he rebelled against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, and emerged victorious and seized the throne after four years of civil war. As emperor, he elevated Beijing to the status of a second capital and supervised the reconstruction of the Grand Canal, which supplied Beijing and the northern armies. He sponsored the compilation of the vast Yongle Encyclopedia and pursued an active foreign policy, dispatching diplomatic and military missions across Asia. Maritime expeditions led by Zheng He reached Southeast Asia, India, Persia, and East Africa. He also personally led five campaigns into Mongolia. (Full article...)