HIS 112 BB

Example1 :

I enjoyed the way in which the chapter is set up, especially how the book speaks about the Columbian exchange in one of the first paragraphs.The layout of the chapter made it easier to understand why some of the countries were able to advance. As one reads it becomes clear that with the decline of the Ming many things changed such as their position as technological innovators and this had an effect on their title as a "military superpower".This made it easier to understand why some times it is hard for the different societies to continue being the way they were.  It is interesting to see how Japan and China reacted to the growth of trade. It seems as if China was threatened by the commercial growth the U.S and Europe were achieving and even though Japan was still trading, but it was starting to become excluded as well. The main reason why I find these trends interesting is because it seems like the countries that were closer to each other were following the same trends. Finally, it is also interesting to see how some things that we do today such as the regulation of exports, control of imports and the monitoring/preventing of monopolies also existed during these past centuries. 

Example2

I found the Tokugawa Shogunate to be an interesting read. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s claim of office was the beginning of Japan’s most peaceful, most secluded, and one of the most regulated intervals of its history lasting over 260 years. His government ran with one emperor and multiple heads or shoguns. In the early years, Christianity began making its footprint. Ieyasu soon saw Christianity as a threat to the stability of the Shogunate and quickly banned the practice. It was that strict mindset that led to the Tokugawa’s ability to vastly improve their economic growth, isolate Japan from foreign policies, and establish an independently sustainable country.

Example 3

A particular part of this chapter that I found interesting was the Banner System. The Manchus were organized by their social status into eight different groups, which were distinguished by their specific banner. It was required for 300 soldiers to be picked from each of the 8 houses to assist the Manchu government. What made this more interesting is that this system set the foundation for the future Chinese warrior classes. A prime example of this is the Han dynasty, which uses colored flags for organization of the soldiers. 

I also found it intriguing that the Manchu dynasty began as a peasant army, but ended up capturing Beijing and creating the Qing Dynasty. The Manchus were classified as a dyarchy, which means that the Chinese and Manchus had equal power over the system of administration. Overall, they still had more power over the administration, which is interesting considering it was a minority ruled dyarchy.