Final answer:
The Ming government controlled its large population through delegating tax and order responsibilities to wealthy peasants, providing land to soldiers for self-sustainability, imposing high taxes on certain social classes, and appointing mandarins as civilian officials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Ming government employed several methods to control its vast population. To manage the economy and decrease governmental expenses, the Hongwu Emperor delegated the responsibilities of tax collection and public order to wealthy peasant families, which reduced the need to pay for additional officials. Soldiers were allotted land to cultivate, aiming to create a self-supporting army. Additionally, high taxes on merchants and the scholarly elite were imposed. However, these approaches were not entirely successful.
Soldiers often could not sustain themselves and deserted or sold their land. Wealthy peasants struggled to fulfill governmental expectations, leading local officials to enforce extra fees upon the common populace. This caused distress among the population and contributed to the failure of the infrastructure and led to widespread famines.
In response to continuous threats, both external and internal, the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as Hongwu, relied on his kin to help consolidate his authority, reminiscent of a feudal system. This was intended to prevent local ministers or regional leaders from stirring up rebellion. Social and political order was further maintained by relying on imperially appointed mandarins, civilian government officials selected through a rigorous examination process that evolved over time to become more meritocratic, based on their expertise in Confucian texts. These adopted practices, while aiming to centralize and stabilize the Ming rule, often had adverse effects on the populace.