Transcript China - Ming and Qing Dynasties

China – Ming Dynasty & Admiral Zheng He
and the Qing Dynasty
19-2: SSWH11a & SSWH11b
I. Ming Dynasty – invaded and overthrew
Mongols around 1368
A. Peace and prosperity
1. reformed agriculture, restored civil service, and
Confucian moral standards
2. increased rice production, irrigation, introduced
fish farming and commercial crops
B. Government only allowed to trade with
foreigners at certain ports: Canton, Macao, and
Ningbo
1. led to smuggling
2. increased commerce and manufacturing
3. introduction of Christianity and European
inventions
II. Zheng He Voyages 1405-1433
A. During Ming Dynasty
1. Chinese Muslim and Eunuch
2. 7 voyages as far as eastern Africa and possibly to
America
a. Large fleets (300 ships), ships
as long as 400 feet (Columbus’s
ships only 85’ long)
b. distributed gifts (silver & silk)
in return 16 countries sent
tribute to China
c. Voyages ended and China moved
into isolation; records destroyed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzFq0Ivwz9g
III. Qing Dynasty (means “pure”)
A. Manchu invaded around 1644
1. Took over Ming Dynasty and expanded borders
2. Accepted over time by Chinese because they
preserved Chinese traditions and Confucian beliefs
3. Restored prosperity and safety
4. Restricted trade only to special ports
a. demanded tribute and “kowtow” rituals
b. British demand more port cities for trading…
no go
c. Dutch accept Chinese trade restrictions and
“kowtow”
IV. Emperor Kangxi – 1661; Manchu Qing
Emperor
A. Ruled for 60+ years
B. Defeated Mongols in 1696
with army of 80,000
C. Did not isolate himself in
Forbidden City
1. Toured empire & spoke to
common people
D. Reduced gov. spending
E. Lower taxes
F. Patronized arts
G. Jesuits in court shared
European developments in
science, medicine, math
“But I was careful not to refer to these Westerners as “Great
Officials,” and I corrected Governor Liu Yin-shu when he referred
to the Jesuits Regis and Fridelli… as if they were honored
imperial commissioners. For even though some of the Western
methods are different from or own, and may even be an
improvement, there is little about them that is new. The principles
of mathematics all derive from the Book of Changes, and the
Western methods are Chinese in origin: this algebra- “A-erh-chupa-erh”- springs from an Eastern word. And though it was indeed
the Westerners who showed us something our ancient calendar
experts did not know—namely how to calculate the angles of the
northern pole—this but shows the truth of what Chu Hsi arrived at
through his investigation of things: the Earth is like the yolk
within an egg.”
Kangxi
By 1800 tea made up
80% of shipments to
Europe
V. Missionaries
A. Largely Jesuits
B. Shared European
inventions
VI. Population Boom
A. 1650 – 1900
B. Caused by peace & agricultural prosperity
C. Large families to work farms
Side Note: Female foot binding began about 960 CE. The
smallest foot was most prized. The Qing Dynasty tried to
do away with the practice, but was not successful. It was
finally outlawed in 1912, but many mother’s still practiced
foot binding on daughters in secret. The ideal foot size was
three inches.