Download THE MING DYNASTY

THE MING DYNASTY
The Rise of the Ming:
Hongwu, the son of a peasant, commanded the rebel army that drove the Mongols out of China in 1368. That
same year he became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Hongwu ruled the empire from the city of Nanjing
in the south of China. He began reforms designed to restore farming lands that had been devastated by war,
erase all traces of the Mongol past, and promote China’s power and wealth for all the world to see. Hongwu’s
agricultural reforms increased rice production and improved irrigation. He also encouraged the introduction of
fish farming and the growing of commercial crops, such as cotton and sugar cane.
In an effort to return to traditional Chinese values and practices, Hongwu encouraged a return to Confucian
moral standards. He reinstituted the merit-based civil service examination system to select government officials.
Hongwu’s death in 1398 led to a power struggle. His son Yonglo (yung-lu) emerged victorious from this
struggle. Yonglo continued many of his father’s policies, although he moved the capital of the empire from
Nanjing to Beijing. In addition, Yonglo had a far-ranging curiosity about the outside world. In 1405- before
Europeans began to sail beyond their borders – Yonglo launched the first of seven voyages of exploration. All
were led by a Chinese-Muslim admiral named Zheng He (jung huh).
The Voyages of Zheng He:
Zheng He’s expeditions were remarkable. Everything about them was large – distances traveled, size of the
fleet, and measurements of the ships themselves. The earliest voyages were to Southeast Asia and India. Later
expeditions roamed as far as Arabia and eastern Africa.
Yonglo’s primary goal of these expeditions was to impress the world with the power and splendor of Ming
China. He was also hoping in increase China’s tribute system. Any foreign state that wanted to trade with China
had to pay a fee (tribute). China’s emperor’s viewed the payment of this fee as an act of political submission to
the authority of China over the foreign state (essentially symbolizing China’s power over the foreign state).
Yonglo hoped that Zheng He’s voyages would increase the number of states wanting to trade with China,
therefore increasing the tribute system. Zheng He’s voyages accomplished both tasks.
From about 40 to 300 ships sailed in each expedition. Among them were fighting ships, storage vessels, and
huge “treasure” ships up to 440 feet long. The fleet’s crews numbered over 27,000 on some voyages. The crew
included sailors, soldiers, carpenters, interpreters, accountants, doctors, and religious leaders. The fleet was like
a city on water sailing from port to port along the Indian Ocean.
Everywhere Zheng He went he distributed gifts such as gold, silver, silk, and scented oils. He did this in order
to show China’s superiority to the world. As a result, more than 16 countries began to pay tribute to the Ming
emperor. Many foreign government leaders traveled to China. Despite all of this, many Chinese scholarofficials complained that these voyages wasted valuable resources. After the seventh voyage ended in 1433 C.E.
there were no more. China pulled back from the world and withdrew into self-sufficient isolation.
Ming Relations with Foreign Countries:
China’s desire for isolation during the Ming Dynasty can be seen in their efforts to repair and extend the Great
Wall of China. The construction of the Great Wall began in 221 B.C.E. under the leadership of Qin Emperor
Shi Huang Ti, however over time it fell into disrepair. The Great Wall as it exists today was built mainly in the
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 C.E.). It was an ambitious project and took over 100 years to complete. The walls
built during this period were well designed and known for their unique configuration and effective defense
system. Extending from theYalu River in Liaoning Province to the eastern bank of the Taolai River in Gansu
Province, Ming's Great Wall winds its way from east to west through present Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing,
Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Gansu Provinces or areas.
Research has shown that Ming's emperors were busy with the construction of this Great Wall throughout their
reign. After seizing political power from rulers of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), the emperors had to battle
desperate Yuan forces in the north and stop the threat of invasion from other northern ethnic tribes such as
Nuzhen, Dada and Wala. To resist these outside forces and protect their citizens, every emperor of the Ming
Dynasty spared no effort in building, fortifying, extending and eventually completing the Great Wall.
China’s official trade policies in the 1500’s also reflected its desire for isolation from the world. In order to keep
the influence of outsiders to a minimum, only the government was allowed to conduct foreign trade through
three specified ports. Individual Chinese merchants disregarded these policies and engaged in secret trading
with European countries in order to make money. They smuggled silk, porcelain, and other valuable goods out
of the country and into the hands of eager Europeans. The Europeans usually paid for the goods with silver from
the mines in the “New World.”
Demand for Chinese goods increased and so did production. Manufacturing and commerce grew, however,
China never developed a fully industrialized economy* due to restrictive government policies. The whole idea
of trade and making a lot of money went against traditional Chinese Confucian beliefs. Confucianism
considered agriculture a noble profession. Merchants were accused of making money by “supporting foreigners
and robbery.” As a result, the Chinese government placed extremely high taxes on trade and manufacturing
while lowering the taxes on agriculture.
China’s desire for isolation could also be seen in the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was built
by Yonglo between 1404 and 1420 C.E. It was known as the Forbidden City because all commoners and
foreigners were forbidden to enter without special permission. Behind the 35 foot tall red walls, the emperors of
China conducted the business of the empire and lived in luxury and isolation.
*an industrialized economy is one that is based almost entirely on the production of man-made
(manufactured) products. This is different from an agriculturally based economy which is based
entirely on the production of crops and livestock. Industrialized economies tend to be more
advanced than agriculturally based ones. *