HIS 106Chapter 19

East Asia in the Late Traditional Era

China’s Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

Ruled over earth’s most populous state

Possessed vast internal resources and advanced technology

Had the best organized bureaucracy in the world for its time

Had strong military

Ming Dynasty emerged when Zhu

Yuanzhang, a military commander of peasant stock joined in revolts against China’s then Mongol rulers

He over threw Mongols and captured most of China

He became the Ming’s 1st emperor He took the name Hongwu in 1368

Hongwu

Uneducated Suspicious of those who were

educated like the scholar-gentry (advisors to emperors)

Wished to revive Chinese civilization Needed scholar-gentry to do that Gave them high posts in government

Restored imperial academies and regional colleges

Reinstated civil service exam – competitive – that determined entry into public service

Limited influence of scholar-gentry Sought to stop corruption at court

Absorbed the position of Chief Minister into role of emperor

Officials who failed at theirs jobs or were corrupt were severely and publicly beaten

Other Reforms of Hongwu

Wanted those at court to choose wives from humble families

Limited number of eunuchs at court Exiled rivals for the throne to the

provinces

Later rulers did not enforce reforms

Tried to improve lives of peasants Built dikes Extended irrigation systems Allowed peasants to own tax-free land Lessened forced labor demands Promoted silk and cotton cloth

production as a supplemental source of income

However…

Rural landlords had become powerful and privileged

They gladly loaned money to peasants

When peasant missed a payment, landlords would take his land forcing the peasant to become a tenant laborer

Women

They were subordinate to men as youths were subordinate to their elders

Obedience enforced Imperial women could be influential

at court when emperor was weak Non-imperial women were confined

to the household

In all classes, women’s status was connected to their ability to bear sons

Upper class women may be taught to read and to write

They were barred from official positions

Non-elite women worked in many occupations

Main way to gain independence was to be a courtesan or an entertainer Literate Accomplished in painting, music, &

poetry Sex companions Lived in luxury More personal freedom

Agriculture, Population, & Commerce

Early Ming Era Economic growth Contact with those outside of China Population boomed because of better

nutrition from new food crops Health improved People lived longer

By 1800, population was 300-400 million

Chinese product were in demand Merchants made good profits Government became rich from

taxes and bribesIn culture – the novel developed and

fine arts became more impressive

Yunglo

3rd Ming emperor Sponsored expeditions conducted by

eunuch Zhenghe 1405 – 1423 To S.E. Asia, Persia, Arabia, and E. Africa Huge fleet of ships used demonstrating a

potential for global expansion No one else came close to this potential

Chinese people felt these voyages were a waste of money

Voyages stopped in early 1430s when Mongols attacked near Great Wall

People felt money should be used to defend China

Policy of isolation resulted

1390 – first decree limiting overseas commerce

Navy was allowed to decline

Europeans Attracted to China Franciscan, Dominican, and Jesuit

missionaries worked to make converts Jesuits tried to convert the court but

gained access because of their technical skills and scientific knowledge Ex.: Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall They were thought to be barbarians

By late 1500s, Ming Dynasty was in decline Inferior leadership Increased corruption Public works projects in disrepair

Flooding Starvation Rebellion

Dynasty fell to Chinese rebels in 1644

No one was able to truly take control until the Jurchens or Manchus seized controll

Nurhaci, their leader, established the Qing Dynasty – the last of the imperial dynasties

Qing Dynasty

Some generals who had helped Manchus take power had second thoughts and revolted

They were supported by Taiwan Emperor Kangxi put down the

revolt and took over Taiwan in 1683, making it a part of China for the first time

Russians Threatened China from the north 1680s, Kangxi drove them out As a result, Russians were excluded

from northern Manchuria

18th century, Chinese once again confronted the Mongols and won

By 1800, the Manchu people of the Qing Dynasty had ruled successfully for almost 200 years

They had: secure borders, peace and prosperity, and cultural and intellectual achievements

By 1900, the Qing Dynasty would be near collapse

Why? Couldn’t withstand incursions by

foreign powers Unchanging, isolated, & closed

society Felt superior to all others population kept growing

The Qing Dynasty finally collapsed in 1911

Japan

16th century – Nobunaga tried to bring peace and order to a country mired in civil war

Daimyos were competing for power and that threw Japan into chaos

It took a succession of 3 military leaders to finally restore unity and order

Nobunaga

Was the first of these military leaders

Was a daimyo from a monor warrior household

Determined to bring order Was one of the first daimyos to use

firearms (acquired from the Portuguese)

Killed anyone who resisted him Example: slaughtered thousands of

monks and villagers at a Buddhist monastery who resisted him

Deposed the last of the Ashikaga shoguns in 1573 ( a family in power since the 14th century)

Nobunaga was killed in 1582

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Was the 2nd of the 3 generals to work for order and unity

Became the master of Japan by 1590

Then launched 2 unsuccessful invasions of Korea

Died in 1598

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Was the 3rd general to fight for unity and power

Appointed shogun by emperor in 1603

Tokugawas remained in power for the next 2 ½ centuries

Ruled from Edo (Tokyo) Controlled Honshu

Brought remaining daimyos under Tokugawa rule

The long period of civil wars had ended and political unity was restored

European Challenge Since 1543, Europeans missionaries and

traders had visited Japan in increasing numbers

Portuguese sailors had washed up on Japanese shores after a shipwreck in 1543

Traders exchanged Asian and European goods including firearms and printing presses for Japanese silver, copper, and handicrafts

The Japanese soon learned to make the firearms themselves and local wars changed forever

Roman Catholic missionaries arrived during Nobunaga’s campaigns

He took the missionaries side against his Buddhist opponents

Jesuits were successful in Japan by 1580s, claiming to have converted thousands of Japanese

Hideyoshi was afraid converts would not be loyal to him

He also feared Europeans would try to conquer Japan

In 1580s, official measures to restrict foreigner influence were taken Christian missionaries were ordered to

leave Japanese Christians were persecuted in

1590s Christianity was officially banned Remaining Christians went underground

Tokugawa Ieyasu and his successors broadened their campaign to isolate Japan from outside influence From 1616 onward, merchants were

confined to a few cities From 1630 onward, Japanese ships could

not sail overseas From the 1640s, only Dutch and Chinese

ships could trade at Deshima Island

Western books were banned

Isolationism was almost complete by the mid-17th century

During the 18th century, the revival of neo-Confucianism that had flourished under earlier Tokugawas gave way to a school of National Learning based upon Japanese culture

The elite continued to follow Western development through the Dutch at Deshima

Korea and Vietnam

Influenced by the Chinese Used Chinese ideographs Modeled their government after China Accepted Buddhism and

Confucianism Accepted Chinese thought about the

universe, the state, and human relationships

They also saw themselves as separate peoples Spoke non-Chinese languages Took pride in being non-Chinese

Korea Was tribal before 108 BCE North taken over by Chinese, 108

BCE-4th century CE 4th century, 3 Korean states were set

up Were periodically challenged by

Chinese and Japanese Made cultural advances in poetry,

literature, and pottery, p. 427

1392 - a Koryo general established a dynasty that lasted until 1910

Vietnam

Heavily influenced by china to its north

Was at times under Chinese rule; ex: 111 BCE for the next 1000 years

Followed Buddhism Married Chinese officials Treated by China as a border region High culture was for the elite

There were 10 major revolts while under Chinese rule

The last revolt led to Vietnamese independence

Vietnam would never again be a part of China

Governed by dynasties, p. 430

Dynasties usually run by military that established a centralized government until there was a breakdown of power

1442 – 1497 saw one of the strongest figures in Vietnamese history with Le Thanh Tong

Tong Established schools Introduced neo-Confucianism Set up a rigorous examination system Established a legal code

Until 15th century, Vietnamese only inhabited the north

Southern part was inhabited by Malayan people engaged in trade and piracy

Intermittent wars as people in overpopulated north began moving south

By 1757, Vietnamese lived in the north and the south

The south differed from the north Seen as a frontier society Less Confucianist Less educated Had minority groups of Islamic Cham

people and Cambodians

There were tensions between the north and the south

19th century North was overpopulated and educated South was educationally backwards,

had a diverse population, was poorly represented in government, and less developed trade and crafts

Vietnamese government ruled over self-sufficient villages

Vietnam, like China and Japan, were not prepared to encounter the West