China Rejects European Outreach Chapter 19: Section 2
You Decide How to Take Notes: Suggestions: PERSIA notes Having
your paper in 2 columns (one for Ming and one for Qing)
China Rejects European Outreach Main Idea: Advances under the
Ming and Qing dynasties left China self-contained and uninterested
in European contact Why it matters now? Chinas independence from
the West continues today, even as it forges new economic ties with
the outside world
Setting the Stage Europeans made profits in the Indian Ocean
Trade Europeans were looking for additional sources of wealth China
By the times that westerners arrived in the 1500s, China had driven
out the Mongols and were united under the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) 1514: Portuguese arrived in China
Tributes paid to China: Korea and Southeast Asia Chinese expected
the Europeans to pay tribute as well Ming rulers would not allow
Europeans to destroy the peace that they fought to get from the
Mongols
The Rise of the Ming Hongwu= son of a peasant, commanded the
rebel army that drove the Mongols out of China (1368), first
emperor of the Ming Dynasty 1. Hongwu tried to restore Chinas land
and destroy traces of Mongol past 2. Encouraged: rice production,
improved irrigation, fish farming, commercial crops (cotton and
sugar cane) 3. respected traditions (Confucian standards) 4.
Restored civil service tests 5. Ruthless tyrant (began
Yonglo Power struggle after Hongwus death = son of Hongwu,
continued his fathers policies, moved royal court to Beijing
Curiosity of the outside world He launched the first of seven
voyages of exploration Zheng He= Chinese
Voyages of Zheng He Voyages were remarkable because Distance
traveled Size of fleet (40-300 ships) Size of the ships themselves
(440 feet treasure ships) First voyages Southeast Asia and India
Later voyages Arabia and eastern Africa Why? Wanted to impress the
world with the power and splendor of Ming China, distributed gifts
as he went Result: 16 countries started to pay tribute to Ming,
increase of travel to China
Ming Relations with Foreign Countries Mings trade policy in
1500s: ISOLATION Only used 3 seaports Merchants would smuggle
things out to Europe (Europeans paid for it with silver discovered
in Americas) DEMAND for Chinese goods INCREASED Manufacturing and
commerce increased
Chinas Industry: China did NOT become industrial for 2 reasons:
1. Idea of commerce offended Chinas Confucian beliefs 2. Chinas
economic policies traditionally favored agriculture
Foreign Missionaries: With European traders came Christian
missionaries Missionaries brought Christianity AND inventions like
clock and the prism Matteo Ricci= Italian Jesuit missionary, gained
favor in the Ming court by his intelligence and his ability to
speak and write Chinese
Qing Dynasty After 200 years, Ming weakened Why? Ineffective
rulers, corrupt officials, government out of money, peasants were
starving, rebellions followed Manchus (from Manchuria) invaded
China, Ming could not repel the invasion Manchus took a Chinese
name for they dynasty (like the Mongols did- Yuan Dyansty) Qing
Qing Dynasty brought in Taiwan, Central Asia, Mongolia
China under the Qing Dynasty Many Chinese resisted control from
a nonChinese dynasty Manchus forced Chinese to wear hair in
pigtails as a form of submission (this is just funny, you cant make
this stuff up) What did they do? Upheld Chinese Confucian beliefs
Made frontier and borders safe Slowly gained respect by
Kangxi = became emperor in 1661, ruled for 60 years Reduced
government (decentralized) expenses and lowered taxes Liked the
Jesuits (informed him on their latest developments in science,
medicine and mathematics in Europe)
Qian-long = Kangxis grandson, 17361795, China reached its
greatest size and prosperity Problems he faced: nomads at borders,
Christian missionaries, European merchants
Manchus: Policy of Isolation If others wanted to trade with
China, they had to follow their rules Dutch, masters of the Indian
Ocean Trade, paid tribute to China, performed kowtow ritual Kowtow=
kneeling in front of emperor and touch their head to the ground 9
times Dutch returned home with: porcelain, silk, TEA (Chinas highly
prized new trade item, made up 80% of shipments to Europe)
Britain and China Britain wanted to trade with China, didnt
like Chinese trade restrictions 1793, British invasion led by Lord
George Macarney, delivered a letter from King George 3 to Qianlong
What did the letter say? Asked for a better trade arrangement,
Chinese needed to accept British goods Macarney refused to
kowtow
Letter from Qian-long to King George There is nothing we lack,
as your principal envoy and others have themselves observed. We
have never set much store on strange or ingenious objects, nor do
we need any more of your countrys manufactures.
Korea under the Manchus Korea had adopted Chinas technology,
culture, and its policy of isolation Korea had been conquered by
Manchus, had to pay tribute When Qing Dynasty was established,
Koreas relationship with China did not change, if anything, it grew
stronger (Korea was Chinas little brother) Korea nationalism
increased with Manchus invasion
Daily Life in Ming and Qing Devotion to agriculture (rice
production) Population doubled (reached 300 million in 1800)
Family and the Role of Women Most farmed the land (just like
their ancestors did for centuries) AdvancementsIrrigation,
fertilizer, food production, nutrition and diet, families and
populations exploded New Crops- corn, sweet potatoes (brought
by
Son vs. Daughters Favored sons over daughters Only son could
carry on vital religious rituals Son raised his own families under
his parents roof Many female infants were killed Women: worked in
fields, raised children, managed finances Most women were secluded
in the homes, few found jobs outside like midwives or textile
workers
Cultural Developments Conservative China was effected by:
Manchu invasion, Europeans, population growth Art- traditional
style (valued technique over creativity) Pottery- technical styles,
porcelain Drama- popular in rural areas where literacy rates were
low, were plays that presented Chinese history and cultural heroes
Purpose of plays: 1. entertain 2. created