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Ming China (1368-1644)
Despite our brilliance.
Now you see us, now you
don’t.
End of Yüan Dynasty
 Allowed infrastructure to
deteriorate
 Mongol alienation of Chinese
 Plague
 Resistance Southern Song
 Peasant unrest consolidates
opposition to Mongol rule
We, as a simple peasant of Huai-yu, conceived the patriotic
idea to save the people [from the Mongol Yüan], and it
pleased the Creator to grant that Our civil and military
officers effected their passage across eastward to the left
side of the River. Chu Yuan-chang (1372 CE., 1st Ming Emperor)
Ming (‘Brilliant’) Dynasty
 Like Han Dynasty, Ming emerges from peasant
rebellions
 Re-established Confucianism and  centralised
bureaucracy
 Ltd. foreign infl.
 No intermarriage
 central government control
 no ministers weaken aristocracy
 relied on Mandarin (scholar officials) & eunuchs
 sim. function to missi dominici & audiencia
  infl. of eunuch  suppression
 End of Treasure ships, decline of certain
activities (mining)
 Land reform   support of peasants
 sim. To Tang & Song
Emperor Hongwu
Ming Politics
 Infrastructure
 repair canals & irrigation
 Deteriorated during Mongol rule
 repair & expand Great Wall
 Protect from invading Mongols & other nomads
 encourage settlement of outlying regions
 Similar to Han  divided pop
 Defense
 Military garrisons along the North
 Military presence to protect agst Nomads
 martial arts into military training
  Isolation from foreign influence
Illustration of Mandarin
Economics
New phase of commercial expansion
 Limited foreign access to Chinese
markets
 Not interested in most products offered by
Europeans
 focus on SE Asia & Japan
  Domestic trade
 Promoted manufacture of export goods
 Silk & cotton
 Porcelain
 Lacquer products
 Result  in silver & gold (esp. from
Spain)
Ming porcelain vase
Economics
 Development of regional banking
 transfer of currency w/in & btw
China, Russia & Japan
 Shift from Barter Currency
 Problem.  silver reserves
 ∴ hoard silver
 Paper $$$ not accepted
 Counterfeiting copper coins
 Taxes consolidated & collected in
currency
 Single Whip Reform
 Taxes collected once/year
 Paid in silver only
 Peasants forced to sell produce to pay taxes
 Made possible by Manila Galleons
and silver from Spain America
Religion
 Influence of religion in China
virtually unchanged
 Buddhism & Taosim still dominant
religions
 John of Monte Corvino establishes
church in Beijing
 ltd success at converting Chinese
to Christianity
 Chinese not eager to convert
 Saw Christianity as exclusionary
 Preferred universality of Buddhism
& Taoism
Society
 Promote revival of Chinese culture
 Yüan period seen as harmful to
Chinese culture
 Reject ‘non-Chinese’ elements
 Feared negative influence
 Role of women declines to levels of
Song period
Big Toe
Heel
Toes
 progress of Mongol era reversed
 Seen as inferior
 Peasant women often had more rights
than MC & UC
 Footbinding expands among UC, despite
objections of some emperors
 Concubines accepted as norm
 Esp. among MC & UC
Foot binding
Intellectual
 influence of Confucianism
 Emperors encouraged expansion of
Confucian education
 Emperors generally skeptical of scholars
 Specialised schools for civil service
exams
 Strengthen Meritocracy of Tang & Song
  Influence & wealth,
 position=test performance
 education as means to examine
society, produce literature & art
 Benefitted peasants & growing MC
Mandarin Jiang Shunfu w/ Attendants
Crane on Chest signifies 1st rank Bureaucrat
Yongle Encyclopedia
 commissioned by Emperor Yongle
 23,000 scrolls
 +11000 volumes
 synthesis of Chinese History,
Philosophy, Literature, Science
 Widespread publication of
literature
 esp. Pulp fiction
 Focused on heroic tales,
sexual exploits, satire, &
comedy
 Growth of Chinese poetry
Zheng He & the Treasure Ships
 Yongle Emperor sends 7
expeditions across Indian Ocean
to E. Africa
 Commanded by Muslim eunuch
Zheng He
 Treasure ships over 400’ long &
150’ wide
 Traded goods & forced tribute
from regions along Indian Ocean
 Indian, Malacca, E. Africa
 Voyages mostly diplomatic,
but also exacted tribute t/o
region
Zheng He -6’6” Muslim eunuch who led
the Seven Voyages
Treasure Ships & Chinese Isolation
 Mongol invasions in north
straining resources
 Need $$$ to fight
 Mandarins object to continued
voyages
 Object to foreign influences
 Convince Emperor of need to
terminate expeditions
 1434 Xuande Emperor brings
treasure ships back
 All vessels destroyed
 Plans and maps destroyed
 Ships only allowed to continue
trade with Korea, Japan &
Vietnam
 Emperor closes China to
foreignors except port of
Guangzhou
 1521 emperor orders
destruction of all records
related to the Seven Voyages
Chinese ‘Treasure Ship’ dwarfs
Columbus’ Santa Maria
Art
 Ming Period considered the
greatest period of Chinese art
 Reflected stability, peace &
harmony embodied in
Confucianism & Buddhism
 Also the relative stability of the
period
 Pieces of Ming art were among
the first to find their way to
Europe (16th century)
 Excellence in painting
 Best known for the unique and
numerous works in porcelain
Qing Dynasty (1644-1913)
 Northern nomads de-stabilise
Ming
 Ming asks help of N. Manchu
to defeat nomads
 Manchu help defeat nomads
and take over
 Establish Qing Dynasty
 Continue Ming policies
 Weaken aristocracy
 Strengthen Chinese culture
 Esp. Confucianism
 Enforce isolationism from
foreign influence
 Last Chinese dynasty