History Paper
trx450rmb
ming_china.pptxMing Dynasty 1368-1644
Establishment of Ming Dynasty
Reasons for Ming Success
Ming Economy and Society
Integration with World Economy
Threats to Stability
Arrival of Europeans – explorers, merchants, missionaries
Conclusion
Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
Establishment of the Ming Dynasty
Centralized bureaucratic regime
Traditions of rule and government
Integrated society
Rejection of sinicized Mongols
Loss of mandate of heaven by Mongol rulers
Establishment of Ming dynasty by peasant, Zhu Yuanzhang
Ming Dynasty within Asia
Sources of Strength
Confucianism:
Ideology
Educational system
Family-state connection and patriarchy
Neo-Confucianism
Timeline of Chinese Philosophy through the Song Dynasty
Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368-1398)
Ming Government
Strong Emperors:
Direct involvement in government
Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368-1398) established Ming capital at Nanking (Nanjing)
Yongle Emperor (r. 1403-1425)
Troops sent into Northern Vietnam
Set up elaborate tribute system
Promoted maritime expeditions to Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Gulf and East Africa (1403-1433) under Zheng He, but last one sent in the 1470s
Yongle Emperor (r. 1403-1425)
Importance of taxes
Population growth
Increased agricultural yield and products
Government Finances and the Economy
Ming Bureaucracy
Importance of competent officials:
Structure of government based on Tang-Song models
Grand Secretariat, Censorate, Military, etc.
Multiple levels of government
Mandarins = government officials
Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden, c. 1437
Artistic representation of Chinese scholar- bureaucrats in the Ming dynasty
Portrait of a Ming dynasty scholar-official of the highest rank (jinshi)
Education and Officials
Importance of scholar-officials
Civil service examination system:
Based on Confucian classics
Staffed the government bureaucracy
Elaborate and intensive system of exams
Painting that depicts the Chinese examination system
Ming Gentry
Growth in numbers and importance in Ming dynasty:
Intermediaries between government and people
Chinese gentry
Link to local politics and education
Source of stability
Social Pyramid in Imperial China
Ming Economy and Society
Increased interaction between China and the rest of the world, including Europe, by 1500
Rising demand for Chinese goods led to expansion of the economy and later to negative effects on internal affairs
Arrival of European missionaries and merchants in the sixteenth century
Integration of Ming China in the World Economy
The effect of rapid growth in textile and porcelain industries on:
Agriculture
Currency
Trade
Cities
Ming porcelain vase
Lacquer box from Ming era
Urban Life in Ming China
Increased population
Diverse urban society
Dynamic urban culture
Urban economy:
Small businesses
Factories
Trade in Ming China
Problems in Ming China
Lack of technology
Corruption
Poor harvests
Inflation – influx of silver
Spanish Silver Coins Used in China
Spanish Colonial Cob
Spanish Pillar Dollar
Arrival of Europeans to Ming China
Reasons for European exploration
Navigation around the Cape of Good Hope – Vasco da Gama (1498)
Arrival of Portuguese in China, 1513 – expelled in 1533 – right to trade in Macao, 1557
Limited contact between foreigners and Chinese
Portuguese Exploration in the Early Modern Age
Missionaries in East Asia
Franciscans – appealed to the masses
Dominicans – appealed to the masses
Jesuits, such as Matteo Ricci – appealed to the scholar-elites and gentry in China
Matteo Ricci’s career and strategy in China
Matteo Ricci dressed in traditional robes of Chinese scholar
Ricci’s Success at Court
Knowledge of science and gave gifts to the Imperial Court
Adapted Catholic Christianity to Chinese cultural traditions
Primary Source: “On Chinese Government – Selections from his Journals”
In Beijing 1601-1610 with imperial stipend
European appreciation and knowledge of Chinese culture = sinology
Conclusion
Early Ming dynasty’s sources of strength:
Confucianism; Strong emperors; Improved government finances; Competent officials; Increased role and influence of the gentry
Latter half of Ming dynasty marked by economic prosperity, but with both positive and negative effects on Chinese society
Exacerbation of internal problems
Arrival of Europeans upset balance of power and influence within East Asia
