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China’s Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
Ruled over earth’s most populous state
Possessed vast internal resources and advanced technology
Had the best organized bureaucracy in the world for its time
Had strong military
Ming Dynasty emerged when Zhu
Yuanzhang, a military commander of peasant stock joined in revolts against China’s then Mongol rulers
He over threw Mongols and captured most of China
He became the Ming’s 1st emperor He took the name Hongwu in 1368
Hongwu
Uneducated Suspicious of those who were
educated like the scholar-gentry (advisors to emperors)
Wished to revive Chinese civilization Needed scholar-gentry to do that Gave them high posts in government
Restored imperial academies and regional colleges
Reinstated civil service exam – competitive – that determined entry into public service
Limited influence of scholar-gentry Sought to stop corruption at court
Absorbed the position of Chief Minister into role of emperor
Officials who failed at theirs jobs or were corrupt were severely and publicly beaten
Other Reforms of Hongwu
Wanted those at court to choose wives from humble families
Limited number of eunuchs at court Exiled rivals for the throne to the
provinces
Later rulers did not enforce reforms
Tried to improve lives of peasants Built dikes Extended irrigation systems Allowed peasants to own tax-free land Lessened forced labor demands Promoted silk and cotton cloth
production as a supplemental source of income
However…
Rural landlords had become powerful and privileged
They gladly loaned money to peasants
When peasant missed a payment, landlords would take his land forcing the peasant to become a tenant laborer
Women
They were subordinate to men as youths were subordinate to their elders
Obedience enforced Imperial women could be influential
at court when emperor was weak Non-imperial women were confined
to the household
In all classes, women’s status was connected to their ability to bear sons
Upper class women may be taught to read and to write
They were barred from official positions
Non-elite women worked in many occupations
Main way to gain independence was to be a courtesan or an entertainer Literate Accomplished in painting, music, &
poetry Sex companions Lived in luxury More personal freedom
Agriculture, Population, & Commerce
Early Ming Era Economic growth Contact with those outside of China Population boomed because of better
nutrition from new food crops Health improved People lived longer
By 1800, population was 300-400 million
Chinese product were in demand Merchants made good profits Government became rich from
taxes and bribesIn culture – the novel developed and
fine arts became more impressive
Yunglo
3rd Ming emperor Sponsored expeditions conducted by
eunuch Zhenghe 1405 – 1423 To S.E. Asia, Persia, Arabia, and E. Africa Huge fleet of ships used demonstrating a
potential for global expansion No one else came close to this potential
Chinese people felt these voyages were a waste of money
Voyages stopped in early 1430s when Mongols attacked near Great Wall
People felt money should be used to defend China
Policy of isolation resulted
Europeans Attracted to China Franciscan, Dominican, and Jesuit
missionaries worked to make converts Jesuits tried to convert the court but
gained access because of their technical skills and scientific knowledge Ex.: Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall They were thought to be barbarians
By late 1500s, Ming Dynasty was in decline Inferior leadership Increased corruption Public works projects in disrepair
Flooding Starvation Rebellion
Dynasty fell to Chinese rebels in 1644
No one was able to truly take control until the Jurchens or Manchus seized controll
Nurhaci, their leader, established the Qing Dynasty – the last of the imperial dynasties
Qing Dynasty
Some generals who had helped Manchus take power had second thoughts and revolted
They were supported by Taiwan Emperor Kangxi put down the
revolt and took over Taiwan in 1683, making it a part of China for the first time
Russians Threatened China from the north 1680s, Kangxi drove them out As a result, Russians were excluded
from northern Manchuria
18th century, Chinese once again confronted the Mongols and won
By 1800, the Manchu people of the Qing Dynasty had ruled successfully for almost 200 years
They had: secure borders, peace and prosperity, and cultural and intellectual achievements
By 1900, the Qing Dynasty would be near collapse
Why? Couldn’t withstand incursions by
foreign powers Unchanging, isolated, & closed
society Felt superior to all others population kept growing
Japan
16th century – Nobunaga tried to bring peace and order to a country mired in civil war
Daimyos were competing for power and that threw Japan into chaos
It took a succession of 3 military leaders to finally restore unity and order
Nobunaga
Was the first of these military leaders
Was a daimyo from a monor warrior household
Determined to bring order Was one of the first daimyos to use
firearms (acquired from the Portuguese)
Killed anyone who resisted him Example: slaughtered thousands of
monks and villagers at a Buddhist monastery who resisted him
Deposed the last of the Ashikaga shoguns in 1573 ( a family in power since the 14th century)
Nobunaga was killed in 1582
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Was the 2nd of the 3 generals to work for order and unity
Became the master of Japan by 1590
Then launched 2 unsuccessful invasions of Korea
Died in 1598
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Was the 3rd general to fight for unity and power
Appointed shogun by emperor in 1603
Tokugawas remained in power for the next 2 ½ centuries
Ruled from Edo (Tokyo) Controlled Honshu
Brought remaining daimyos under Tokugawa rule
The long period of civil wars had ended and political unity was restored
European Challenge Since 1543, Europeans missionaries and
traders had visited Japan in increasing numbers
Portuguese sailors had washed up on Japanese shores after a shipwreck in 1543
Traders exchanged Asian and European goods including firearms and printing presses for Japanese silver, copper, and handicrafts
The Japanese soon learned to make the firearms themselves and local wars changed forever
Roman Catholic missionaries arrived during Nobunaga’s campaigns
He took the missionaries side against his Buddhist opponents
Jesuits were successful in Japan by 1580s, claiming to have converted thousands of Japanese
Hideyoshi was afraid converts would not be loyal to him
He also feared Europeans would try to conquer Japan
In 1580s, official measures to restrict foreigner influence were taken Christian missionaries were ordered to
leave Japanese Christians were persecuted in
1590s Christianity was officially banned Remaining Christians went underground
Tokugawa Ieyasu and his successors broadened their campaign to isolate Japan from outside influence From 1616 onward, merchants were
confined to a few cities From 1630 onward, Japanese ships could
not sail overseas From the 1640s, only Dutch and Chinese
ships could trade at Deshima Island
Western books were banned
Isolationism was almost complete by the mid-17th century
During the 18th century, the revival of neo-Confucianism that had flourished under earlier Tokugawas gave way to a school of National Learning based upon Japanese culture
Korea and Vietnam
Influenced by the Chinese Used Chinese ideographs Modeled their government after China Accepted Buddhism and
Confucianism Accepted Chinese thought about the
universe, the state, and human relationships
They also saw themselves as separate peoples Spoke non-Chinese languages Took pride in being non-Chinese
Korea Was tribal before 108 BCE North taken over by Chinese, 108
BCE-4th century CE 4th century, 3 Korean states were set
up Were periodically challenged by
Chinese and Japanese Made cultural advances in poetry,
literature, and pottery, p. 427
Vietnam
Heavily influenced by china to its north
Was at times under Chinese rule; ex: 111 BCE for the next 1000 years
Followed Buddhism Married Chinese officials Treated by China as a border region High culture was for the elite
There were 10 major revolts while under Chinese rule
The last revolt led to Vietnamese independence
Vietnam would never again be a part of China
Governed by dynasties, p. 430
Dynasties usually run by military that established a centralized government until there was a breakdown of power
1442 – 1497 saw one of the strongest figures in Vietnamese history with Le Thanh Tong
Tong Established schools Introduced neo-Confucianism Set up a rigorous examination system Established a legal code
Until 15th century, Vietnamese only inhabited the north
Southern part was inhabited by Malayan people engaged in trade and piracy
Intermittent wars as people in overpopulated north began moving south
By 1757, Vietnamese lived in the north and the south
The south differed from the north Seen as a frontier society Less Confucianist Less educated Had minority groups of Islamic Cham
people and Cambodians
There were tensions between the north and the south
19th century North was overpopulated and educated South was educationally backwards,
had a diverse population, was poorly represented in government, and less developed trade and crafts