Transcript YUAN AND MING DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT CHINA

YUAN AND MING DYNASTIES
OF ANCIENT CHINA
Global History and Geography – 9
Sachem North High School
Dr. Afxendiou
Background Information
China was ruled by dynasties (line of rulers from the
same family)
Background Information
For most of its history, China was one of
the most advanced civilizations in the
world (sometime it was THE most
advanced civilization).
WHY?
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made luxury goods – silk, spices
 invented new technologies –
Gunpowder - Compass - paper - iron plows
Printing blocks - ship rudders - horse harnesses
Background Information
 China traded with the rest of Asia and
Europe through the SILK ROAD
 Not only goods traveled along the Silk Road
ideas and technologies traveled as well
 The rest of the world got to know about the
riches and advancements of China from
contacts with merchants
THE MONGOLS
 In 1260, Genghis Khan’s grandson,
Kublai Khan, became ruler of the
Mongol Empire
 Kublai Khan conquered all of China
(it took him 20 years!)
 This is the ONLY time in Chinese
history that the country is ruled by
foreigners.
THE MONGOL EMPIRE
The Four Khanates
The Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368
 Kublai Khan creates a new Chinese
Dynasty with himself as emperor
 He gives his new dynasty a Chinese
name: YUAN DYNASTY
 The Chinese people did not want the
foreign rulers and resented them
 Kublai Khan did not force the Chinese
to change to the Mongol ways.
Instead, the Mongols adapted the
ways of the Chinese
The Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368
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Visited by Marco Polo
First all-paper money system
Heavy taxation by Mongols
Money used to make improvements in
the country
 Extended the GRAND CANAL that linked
most of China’s rivers (a water highway
system)
 Built new palaces
 Improved roads
The Grand Canal
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 After Kublai Khan dies Chinese rebel
and overthrow Mongol rule
 The Ming Dynasty begins
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Zjfh-iSYaK8
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 Ming leaders stress returning to
traditional Chinese values
 Confucianism (philosophy based on the
teachings of Confucius about family,
morality, social harmony and
government)
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 Capital of the Dynasty is Beijing
 Forbidden City – the emperor’s palace
complex
 Palaces and gardens where the
Emperor and his court lived
 Entrance restricted - only top
government officials could enter
The Forbidden City
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 Early emperors wanted to expand
China’s power
 They built a large fleet of ships for
sea travel
 Their ships were much more
advanced and complex than European
ships
 Leader of seafaring expeditions was
Zheng He
Zheng He’s Ship and Columbus’
Santa Maria
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 Zheng He
 Sailed to the Middle East (Mecca) and
the coast of East Africa
 Established trade relations with places he
visited
 He made China more visible to the rest
of the world. He made China’s advances
known to other societies and created
demand for its products
 Porcelain vases (Ming vases – valuable to this
day!)
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 Later Ming officials were against
further exploration
 Reasons
 Didn’t like new ideas coming back into
China
 Believed that moneymaking by explorers
and traders was against Confucian
principles because merchants were working
for themselves not the improvement of the
society.
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 After Zheng He died:
 Emperor ordered ships to be destroyed
 China enforced a policy of isolationism
(avoiding contact with other countries)
The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
 The Decline:
 Mediocre emperors
 Corruption among officials
 Heavy taxes cause discontent and
rebellions among the people
 Manchu rebellions
 Manchus consolidate into a political unit
and claimed to have the Mandate of
Heaven to form a new dynasty which
they named Qing, meaning “pure.”
 “How could history be different if the
Ming did not choose to follow a policy
of isolation?”