Russia from Peter to Catherine

HIST 10042/6/13

Europeans in China

• 1513 – Portuguese arrive, not allowed to trade• Tome Pires• 1522 – Portuguese expelled• 1557 – Macao• Kowtow

Canton Trading System

• Europeans allowed to trade at only one port – Guangzhou - Canton.

• Trade through state monopoly (cohong)• Allows Qing to collect taxes and suppress piracy.

Missionaries in China

• Franciscans and Dominicans – conversion from the bottom up• Jesuits – conversion from the top down• Matteo Ricci (1552-1610)– Learned Chinese and Confucian Classics– Adapt Christianity to meet Chinese culture

Père du Halde (1674-1743)

• French Jesuit• Expert on China, but never visited• Compiled reports of 17 Jesuit missionaries• Encyclopedic survey of Chinese history, culture, and society.

The Magic Lantern and Phantasmagoria

The Magic Lantern in China and Japan

Chinese Influence on Europe• Influence is a two way street…• Jesuits bring European knowledge to China and Chinese knowledge to Europe• Sinophilia• Silk, porcelain (china), tea, jade, painted fans, etc.• Wallpaper!

Macartney Mission (1792-1794)

• British silver for Chinese tea• Cohong set prices• George Macartney sent to negotiate embassy in

Beijing, open access to markets.• “Barbarian” British refuse to kowtow• How do British see the mission?

From Muscovy to Russian Empire

Russia before 1500• 1283 – Founding of Grand Duchy of Muscovy• 1240’s – 1502 – Khanate of the Golden Horde• Ivan III (the Great) (r. 1462-1505) – The Gathering of the Russian Lands• Ivan IV (the Terrible) (r. 1533-1584) – Conquest of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia• Tsar – Caesar – “The Third Rome”

Russia at the End of the 16th Century

• Largest state in Europe• Largest state in Asia• Ural Mountains• But poor, “backward,” and landlocked• Colonization of Siberia• Furs, timber, natural resources

The Strogonov Family

• Fur traders• Financed Russian exploration of Siberia• Mercenary armies – Cossacks• Yermak Timofeevich (d. 1584)• 1582 – Khanate of Sibir• 1640’s – Russian settlers on Amur River• 1648 – First Russian expedition to Alaska

Russian Identity

• Russian Orthodox vs. Islam• Slavic Russians vs. Turkic steppe nomads• Farmers vs. herders• Cossacks – herders, mercenaries, nomads• Boyars – feudal lords• Serfs – Peasants tied to Boyar lands, 50% of population

Peter the Great (r. 1689-1725)• Romanov Dynasty (r. 1613-1917)• Push Russia towards “advanced” Europe• Intellectually curious• Enjoyed working with his hands• Worked as a ship’s carpenter in the Netherlands (while he was tsar!)• Drilled his own army

A Warm Water Port

• Black Sea Navy• Port of Azov (1696-1713)• Great Northern War (1700-1721)• Takes Baltic from Sweden• 1712- St. Petersburg

Peter the Great and Russian Culture

Alexis I (r. 1645-1676) vs. his son Peter the Great

Peter’s Russia

• Russian nobles must shave beards• Wear Western dress• End seclusion of upper-class women• Officials, military officers, and merchants must bring wives to social events• Encourage education

Inauguration of Imperial Academy ofArts under Catherine the Great

St. Petersburg vs. Moscow

“Enlightened” or Absolutist

• The tsar “is not obliged to answer to anyone in the world for his doings, but

possesses power and authority over his kingdom and land, to rule them at his will and pleasure as a Christian ruler.” – Peter the Great, Decree

of 1716

Catherine the Great (r. 1762-1796)

• German princess• 1762 – removes husband in bloodless coup• Latest styles in art, architecture, and fashion from Western Europe• Limits conversion to Russian Orthodox Church

Revolt against Catherine

• No political reform• Serfs grow grain• Nobility trade grain for Western luxuries• Yemelyan Pugachev’s Revolt – 1774-1775• Pugachev declares himself Tsar and ends serfdom