Key Facts
- Duration
- 1354–1367
- Founder
- Zhang Shicheng
- Original base
- Gaoyou, central Jiangsu
- Capital (from 1356)
- Suzhou
- Surrendered to Yuan
- 1357
Imperial Zenith Metrics
Historical Trajectory
Phase I: Rise
Zhang Shicheng, a local rebel leader, established the Great Zhou in 1354 amid the broader Red Turban Rebellion against the declining Yuan dynasty. Starting from a small base around Gaoyou in central Jiangsu, the state expanded rapidly by 1355–1356 to encompass northern Zhejiang south of the Yangtze River, carving out a significant regional presence in the economically productive Yangtze Delta.
Phase II: Zenith
At its height, the Great Zhou controlled portions of Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang, regions of considerable agricultural and commercial importance. Zhang Shicheng relocated his seat of power to Suzhou in 1356, a major urban and trade center, which gave the state access to the wealth and resources of one of China's most prosperous cities during this turbulent transitional period.
Phase III: Decline
In 1357, Zhang Shicheng surrendered to Yuan rule and relinquished his royal title, effectively ending the Great Zhou's independent existence, though he continued to hold regional power under nominal Yuan authority. The state never fully recovered its autonomous character and was ultimately destroyed when Zhu Yuanzhang's forces eliminated Zhang in 1367, clearing the way for the founding of the Ming dynasty.
Notable Imperial Reigns
Selected rulers mapping the empire’s trajectory