Transcript China at its Height

China at its Height
The Ming Dynasty
• The Ming dynasty was a time of greatness
in Chinese history.
• The Chinese extended their rule into
Mongolia and central Asia.
The Ming Dynasty
• The Ming rulers had an effective
government using a bureaucracy.
– Also set up a nationwide school system.
• More manufactured goods were produced.
• New crops were introduced.
The Ming Dynasty
• Ming rulers also completed the Grand
Canal.
– Made it possible to ship grain and other goods
from southern to northern China.
The Ming Dynasty
• Emperor Yong Le began constructing the
Imperial city of Beijing in 1406.
– He moved the capital there in 1421
The Ming Dynasty
• In 1514, a Portuguese fleet arrived off the
coast of China.
– It was the first direct contact between the
Chinese Empire and Europe for roughly 200
years
The Ming Dynasty
• an exchange of ideas and cultures took
place
– Christian missionaries brought new inventions
• Ex: clocks and eyeglasses
The Ming Dynasty
• During the late 16th century a series of
weak rulers led to a period of government
corruption in China
– A peasant revolt ultimately brought the Ming
dynasty to an end.
The Qing Dynasty
• The Manchus, farming and hunting people
who lived Northeast of the Great Wall
(Manchuria) took power after the Ming
– Conquered Beijing and set up the Qing
dynasty
• The dynasty remained in power until 1911
The Qing Dynasty
• At first the Chinese resisted the new rulers
– the Qing eventually adopted the Chinese
political system and were gradually accepted
as the legitimate rulers
The Qing Dynasty
• Under the Rule of
Emperor Qianlong
(1736-1795), corrupt
government and high
taxes led to unrest in
rural areas
– Population growth put
pressure on the
farming land
• Led to economic
hardship for many
peasants
The White Lotus Rebellion
• Unhappy peasants eventually revolted in
the White Lotus Rebellion
– Greatly weakened the Qing dynasty
Contact With Europe
• At the same time, Europe was seeking
more trade with China
• To limit European contact, the Qing
confined all Europeans to a small island
– Also limited the number of Chinese firms that
Europeans could trade with
Contact With Europe
• By the end of the eighteenth century,
British traders began to demand access to
additional cities along the Chinese coast.
Contact With Europe
• In 1793, a British
mission led by Lord
George McCartney
visited Beijing to ask
for more liberal trade
policies.
– Emperor Qianlong
replied that China had
no need for British
manufactured goods