Download Ming and Manchu Dynasties - Libertyville High School

Ming and Manchu Dynasties
World History - Libertyville High School
Founding of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
• Ethnic Han Chinese overthrew
Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty in
1368
• First Emperor = Hongwu (r.
1368-1398) focused on
centralizing power to himself
& recovery from Mongol rule
– Rebuilt irrigation systems
– Developed courier system
throughout empire
– Est. secret police to spy,
suppress dissent
• Courier routes became major
trade, agricultural corridors
that spurred internal economy
Early Ming Dynasty
• Hongwu also ordered
maintenance and
expansion of Great Wall
– Stone facing, towers
added
– Wall lengthened
• Standing army of over
one million soldiers
established
Ming Government
• Capital moved to Beijing
in 1403 under Emperor
Yongle, the grandson of
Hongwu
• Built the “Forbidden
City” (residence of
emperor and family)
• Ordered construction
and exploration of
Treasure Fleets
Treasure Fleet Voyages
• Massive fleets commissioned
to embark on exploration,
trade, diplomatic missions
– Ships were massive
– Fleets had up to 37,000 sailors,
soldiers, diplomats
• Zhenghe (1371-1433), trusted
advisor to Emperor, put in
charge
• Made a total of seven
voyages, as far away as East
African coastline
– Re-established trade contacts
– Also demanded tribute from
states visited
Decline and Fall of Ming
• Emperor Wanli (1572-1620)
– Began as capable emperor
– Became tired of politics, war
after major conflict from
1595-1603 vs. Korea, Japan
(China won)
– Withdrew to Forbidden City
– Relied on eunuchs to run
government
• Civil service lost power relative
to imperial eunuchs
• Eunuchs effectively became
rulers of China
• Corruption, abuses increased
“Closing” of Ming China to Outsiders
• Ming became pre-occupied
with land threats from
North, West and Korea and
Japanese to Northeast
• Saw selves as superior to
rest of world
• Edicts of emperors limited
foreigners and their imports
to one Chinese city, Canton
• Continued export trade, but
that trade dwindled in 1700s
Fall of Ming
• Economic disaster
– Ming had converted to silver as
coinage, replacing paper money
– Ming got lots of silver through
international trade
• Sources included Japan, South
America, Africa, India
– Disruption of international silver
supplies in 1630s caused
inflation, debasement of
currency
• Famine & drought occurred
(loss of MOH)
• Invasion by Manchu (northern
nomads) overthrew Ming in
1644
Manchu (Qing) Dynasty (1644-1912)
• Last dynasty of Chinese
history
– At height, Qing dynasty covered
5 million square miles with over
200 million citizens
• Manchu – Jurchen nomads –
seized control of China and
completed conquest by 1683
• Continued most policies of
traditional Chinese
government
– Civil service bureaucracy
– Maintenance of Great Wall
Qing Dynasty
• Pre-occupied with
controlling huge empire
• Biggest challenges
– Exploding population put
strain on food supply
– Economic stagnation
– Internal unrest (religious,
social causes)
– Dealing with natural disasters
(1887 Yellow River flood =
900k-2 million dead)
• All of these factors,
together, kept Qing
emperors focused inward
during 17-1800s
“Foreign Devils” and Qing
• 19th century saw Qing
engage with rest of the
world
– Europeans were militarily
and technologically superior
– Europeans forced their way
into Chinese markets
– After 1867, Japanese
advanced technologically
past the Chinese