Download China: The Ming Through the Qing Dynasty

China: The Ming Through the
Qing Dynasty
Great wealth is from heaven; modest
wealth is from diligence.
Chinese Folk Saying
What is a Dynasty?
Ming China, 1388-1644
Began with the overthrow of the hated Mongols, who ruled
China for 100 years.
Founded by the peasant Zhu Yuanzhang who took the
imperial title Hongwu (meaning The Generous Warrior)
built the city of Nanjing (Nanking) as the capital near the
coast of the Yangtze river. (Why a river?)
His son Yongle, ruled from 1402-1424
Yongle increased China’s territory, rebuilt part of the Great
Wall and triumphed against Mongol and Turkish
opponents
The Emperors: Hongwu and Yongle
The Great Wall of China
The Wall
Ming Economic Progress,
Urbanization & Technology
population of increased; need for larger food supply
New crops introduced from the Americas: corn, squash,
peanuts and beans from trading with the Portuguese and
Spanish starting in the 1500’s
Europeans traded silver from the Americas for luxurious
goods from China
Increase in people living in urban centers; one or two
cities may have even had a population of 1 million
Chinese Technology Continued…
great “commerical” revolution through trade of its
goods, but never jumped to an “industrial
revolution”.
valued artists and scholars, held little value for
accumulating material goods. (Remember
Confucius and Laozi)
Great Chinese inventions included: fireworks,
gunpowder, the compass, spaghetti, kites, cast iron
tools, harnessed animals, blast furnace,
acupuncture, paper, printing press, silk harvesting
The Ming Political System
The Mandate of Heaven
4 Principles of the Mandate of Heaven
1. The right to rule is granted by Heaven.
2. There is only one Heaven therefore there can be only one ruler.
3. The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler.
4. The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty.
The ruler is all-powerful, but not divine (or a God), their power comes
from the divine.
The Ming system of government had a highly trained bureaucracy (a
government of departments)
The Ming Political System
Emperor Hongwu created a corps of palace workers, men
without families, raised since boyhood to be dedicated
servants to the ruler. (sound similar?)
Direct access to the emperor and often had great authority
Led to some abuses of power, and these men were feared
and hated.
The Capital was Beijing in the center was the Forbidden
City, a quarter square mile of great palaces, offices and
living quarters for high officials. No ordinary person could
ever enter its walls.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City
Chinese Civil Service
Civil Service: group of workers hired to carry out the
government’s work.
Entry into the system required mastery of the Confucian
philosophy and ethics.
System of examinations; influenced Chinese education;
kept the curriculum to a very narrow range.
Schooling was designed to prepare students for civil
service examination
Dealing with Foreigners
The Mongols and other nomadic peoples continued to menace China’s
northern and northwestern frontiers during the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty spent most of its military budget maintaining the
2,000 mile long Great Wall.
A huge army of over a million was kept at the ready.
This time was a high point in cultural and commercial exchange with
Japan.
Dealings with the Portuguese were so upsetting to the Chinese that
they were limited to doing business in one port, Macao.
Journal Entry: Look closely at this painting. Give a brief description of
the scene. What is going on? Who is important in the scene? Where and
when do you think it is taking place?
Maritime Expeditions/Zheng He
Background Information:
1405-1433: The Chinese emperor sent huge sailing fleets to the East
Indies and as far west as the Coast of Africa led by the Admiral Zheng
He.
Zheng He was China’s great explorer, just as Columbus and Magellan
were to Europe.
Zheng He was a Muslim who worked for and was a friend of the
Emperor Yongle since childhood.
Zheng He (who was given the title Admiral) led 7 voyages of the
Chinese fleets.
The main purpose of these expeditions was to show China’s might and
exact tribute from other nations. What is tribute?…………
The Chinese fleet was successful due to superior ship design, advanced
seamanship and equipment.
Unlike its European counterparts, the Ming Dynasty never established
colonies or trading posts as part of its explorations, this was not the
intended purpose.
In 1433 the age of maritime exploration suddenly ended.
The Chinese then had limited contact with westerners, mostly Dutch
and Portuguese traders and Spanish or Roman missionaries.
The Voyages of Zheng He
Decline of the Ming Dynasty
String of ineffective
emperors who allowed
the government power
to slip to the corps of
palace workers.
The corrupt cliques of
palace workers made it
impossible for the
government to
function.
Some government
officials believed in an
extreme version of
Confucianism that
rejected innovation.
There were rebellions
throughout China in
response to the lack of
leadership.
Manzhou tribesman,
who admired Chinese
culture, took advantage
of the rebellions and
promised to be good
leaders.
Manzhou invaders
finally take over and
founded the last most
successful Chinese
dynasty, The Qing
(Pure).
Qing Dynasty/Government
1644-1911
Under the Qing Dynasty China had the largest territory and population
under one government of any country in the world at the time.
The Manzhou had been close to Chinese culture for many years, so the
transition of the new dynasty was relatively easy.
Most Ming officials and generals voluntarily joined the conquerors.
High positions in central and provincial governments were held by two
officials: one Manzhou and one Chinese.
The army was sharply divided by the ethnic groups and Manzhou had
superior status and were called Bannermen.
The early years of the Dynasty brought reform, order and respect for
authority
The Great Emperors of the Qing
Kangxi
Longest ruler in Chinese history
1662-1722.
Quick intellect, great
administrator.
Retained traditional Chinese
system of 6 ministries of govt.
Improved waterways, canals
and dams.
Active economic policy.
Opened 4 ports to westerners
and allowed them to live there.
Qienlong
Kangxi’sgrandson.
Ruled from 1736-1795.
Great warrior and administrator.
Rid China of its border
problems with Mongol raiders.
Brought Tibet under Chinese
control for the first time.
Kangxi and Qienlong
Qing Culture and Economy
The most respected cultural activities were philosophy, history,
calligraphy, poetry and painting. In literature, novel writing
became popular.
Porcelain artistry was sought all over the world as fine “china”
tableware.
Painting on scrolls and screens were popular and sought after.
China had a large number of educated people. Schools educated
the children of anyone who could afford the fees.
They chose to focus on fine arts and turned away from technology.
This would have a negative affect when faced with the Western
world in more modern times.
Progress Under the Qing Dynasty
Improvements in agriculture and engineering.
Improved internal trade among cities in China.
Large numbers of shopkeepers, market porters, carters, artisans and
moneylenders. All part of the “commercial” life.
Circulation of money (coins).
Problems
Eventually the size of the population was so large that it was difficult
to feed.
Limited trade with the outside world.
Limited machine industry made farming and competition with the
western world difficult.