The East Asian World

Chapter 9, Sections 1-3

Outline• Rise of Ming Dynasty

– Zheng He– Contact with Europeans– Culture/Society– Decline of Ming

• Rise of Qing Dynasty– Kangxi– European influence– Culture/Society

• Tokugawa Japan– European influence– Economy and society

• Korea

Rise of the Ming Dynasty• 1368-1644• Ruler was Ming Hong Wu, or

“Ming Martial Emperor”• China grew to include parts of

Mongolia, Central Asia, and Vietnam

• Ming improvements– Centralized government– School systems– Factories for producing goods– Public works projects like canals

for shipping– Introduction of new, easier to

produce, crops

Exploration and Invitation• Voyages of Zheng He

– Yong Le, son of Ming Hong Wu, begins voyages into Indian Ocean

– Made an enormous profit through trade…but some did not agree with trade• Confucius ideas condemned it

– Voyages halted following Yong Le’s death (1424)

• Contact with Europeans– Portuguese arrive in 1514, first

contact since Marco Polo• Brought Christian missionaries• Exchange of ideas was biggest gain

(no trade)

– Chinese saw themselves as superior to European “barbarians”

Fall of the Ming Dynasty

• Problems within the empire– Weak rulers, high taxes, and

poor crop production all led to a downfall

– Disease epidemic also killed thousands

• Li Zicheng’s peasant revolt– Sparked by epidemic– Capital city of Beijing taken in

1644– Fighting over who would rule

China ensued

Rise of the Qing Dynasty• Manchu Dynasty

– Came from Manchuria, area northeast of the Great Wall• Made up 1% of Chinese population

– Conquered Zicheng’s army, taking control of China

• Qing adaptations– All Chinese men had to shave heads

and braid their hair into a pigtail called a queue

– The Manchu people were made “distinct” from all other people• Most were made nobles• Some were made banners, the chief

Chinese fighting force

– Chose to share power with the Chinese• 80% of government jobs owned by

Chinese

• Qing economy– Popularity of artwork like blue

and white porcelain grows– Growth in business and jobs

• Higher population and food production

– Did not see commercial capitalism, or private business based off profit, we see in Europe• Government controlled

business• Agricultural jobs still the

biggest employer

Reign of Kangxi• Kangxi’s rule

– 1661-1722– Ruled for longest period in the

history of China

• Expansion– Stopped revolts within China– Gained territories in Taiwan,

Vietnam, Russia, Mongolia, & Tibet

• Religion– 1692 – Issues Edict of Toleration

allowing worship of Christianity, as well as missionaries• Christians split on issue of ancestor

worship

– 1715 – Pope condemns ancestor worship in China • Kangxi forbades missionaries, says

they cause trouble

Role of Europeans• Qianlong

– Ruled 1736-1795– Weak ruler, corruption grows in

China

• White Lotus Rebellion– 1796-1804– Launched in response to high

taxes, weak rule, corruption– Rebellion is stopped, but at great

cost to Qing dynasty

• European interference– See moment of weakness as

opportunity– Chinese allow trade, but under

strict rules– British request more open trade

with the Chinese• Told the Chinese do not need the

British or their manufacturers

Family Life• The Chinese family

– Society revolves around the family

– Individuals sacrificed their desires for benefit of family

– Extended family – grandparents, parents, children, and children’s spouses under same roof

– Clan – Up to hundreds of families sharing religious and social activities

• Role of women– Inferior to men– Could not be educated– Could not divorce or inherit

property– If they did not produce a son, a

second wife could be picked up

Tokugawa Japan• Rise

– 250 separate territories called hans– Daimyo, or heads of noble families,

ruled and controlled their own lands• Controlled by a hostage system in which

their families are held under shogunate custody

– Late 1500s, 3 leaders emerged to change this

• Oda Nobunga– Seized the capital, Kyoto, and began

the change

• Toyotomi Hideyoshi– Inherited power from Oda– Persuaded many daimyo to surrender

power

• Tokugawa Ieyasu– Inherited power from Toyotomi– Took complete control of Japan,

creating central authority and beginning the “Great Peace”

European Influence• Portuguese arrive in 1543

– Want to capitalize on Japanese trade with China

• Goods– Japanese impressed with

European goods– Use guns to conquer enemies

• Religion– Francis Xavier is first missionary– Thousands converted

• Kicking out Europeans– Christian practice of destroying

shrines upsets Japanese, Europeans booted

– A small Dutch community is allowed to remain and trade

Economy and Society• Trade

– Like Chinese, Japanese reluctant to trade (Confucius)

– Tokugawa rule encourages trade

• Class System– 4 classes

• Warriors, peasants, artisans, and merchants

• Below these are the eta, or Japanese outcasts

– Marriage between classes is forbidden

• Role of Women– Parents arranged marriages, wife

moved in with husband’s family– Valued for role of child bearers and

homemakers

• Culture– Literature, theater, and art grew in

popularity and importance

Korea

• Yi Dynasty• Rulers patterned their

economy and society after the Chinese

• Because of isolation, Korea known as “the Hermit Kingdom”

• 1630s – After being weakened by Japanese invaders, Koreans are conquered by Chinese