Chp 26 Notes

I.

The quest for political stability

A.

The Ming dynasty

1.

Ming government (1368-1644) drove the Mongols out

of China
a.

Centralized government control; faced new

invasions from the Mongols

b.

Hongwu used mandarins, imperial officers, and

eunuchs

c.

Yongle-navy exploration, Hongwu discontinued

that, but kept centralized state

d.

Later Ming Rebuilt and repaired the Great Wall

to prevent northern invasions (wanted to stop
invasions)
I.
II.

Hundred of thousands of workers

e.

Moved capital from Nanjing to Beijing to keep

close watch

f.

Early ming=controlled mongol army, but later

mongol massacred chinese army and emperor

g.

Ming wanted to eradicate mongol traditions

I.
II.

2.

Was originally built by the Qin

Got people to abandon Mongol dress

adopted during Yuan dynasty
Restored Chinese cultural traditions and
civil service examinations

Ming decline
a.

East Coastal cities and trade disrupted by

pirates, 1520s--1560s

I.
b.

Ming navy and coastal defenses were

ineffective

c.

Government corruption and inefficiency caused

by powerful eunuchs
I.

d.

e.

Governors lived in a Forbidden City and

ignored government affairs

II.

Ex-Emperor Wanli-conducted gov through

eunuchs

III.

Eunuchs used their position to increase

their power and live lives of luxury and
as their influence grew, they further
weakening the Ming stat

Famines and peasant rebellions during the

1630s and 1640s
I.

Gov couldnt organize relief efforts

II.

Peasants ate grass and roots

III.

Peasants rebelled in 1630s and gathered

momentum

IV.

Manchu invaders from North allied with

rebels and attacked

By 1640s, rebel and Manchu forces controlled

China and capital Beijing
I.

B.

Supression took more than 40 years bc

an inept imperial gov

Last emperor didnt even know where

Rebels were until they made it into the
Forbidden City

The Qing dynasty

1.

The Manchus (1644-1911), invaders from Manchuria

to the northeast

a.

Overwhelmed the Chinese forces; proclaimed

the Qing dynasty, 1644

b.

Originally pastoral nomads, organized powerful

military force
I.

Most had turned to agriculture

c.

Ancestors traded with China, but clashed over

land and resources

d.

In late 16th and 17th, Chieftain Nurhaci unified

Manchu tribes into a tight centralized state,
promulgated a code of laws, and organized a
military force

e.

During 1620s, Manchu army expelled Ming

garrisons and captured Korea and Mongolia and
launched invasions into China

f.

Waged campaigns to against Ming loyalist

g.

By 1680s, Manchus had consolidated Qing

dynasty hold

h.

Establishment of Qing due to Machu military

prowess and Chinese Support

i.

During 1630s and 1640s, many Chinese

generals deserted Ming dynasty because of
corruption

j.

Scholar Bureaucrats also abandoned Chinese

since they despised Eunuchs

k.

Manchu Ruling elites=Confucian education

l.

Remained an ethnic elite; forbade

intermarriage with Chinese and traveling to
Manchuria

m.
2.

Kangxi (1661-1722) and his reign

3.

a.

Confucian scholar; effective, enlightened ruler,

voracious leader

b.

Confucian(flood system), patronized Confucian

schools

c.

Conquered Taiwan; extended to Mongolia,

forestall problems with nomads by projecting
influence central Asia, and Tibet

Qianlong (1736-1795) and his reign

a.

A sophisticated and learned ruler, poet, and

artist

b.

Connoisseur of paintings and calligraphy

c.

Vietnam, Burma, and Nepal made vassal states

of China

d.

Under his rule, China was peaceful, prosperous,

and powerful
I.
II.

e.
C.

Treasury had so that he cancelled tax

collection 4 times
Paid less attention to imperial affairs and
delegated responsibilities to eunuchs

By 19th century, Qing faced serious difficulty

The son of heaven and the scholar-bureaucrats

1.

Both Ming and Qing dynasties had a highly

centralized state with Confucian bureaucracy

2.

Emperor considered "the son of heaven"

a.

More than just a mortal, also a god

b.

Lived in the Forbidden City

c.

Everything he did represented a sense of

awesome

d.

Only the emperor could do certain things and

wear certain things that others would not allow

e.

Heavenly powers and an obligation to maintain

order on the earth

f.
3.

Privileged life, awesome authority, and

paramount power

Governance of the empire fell to male civil servants,

called scholar-bureaucrats
a.

Schooled in Confucian texts, calligraphy

b.

Started young, wealthy families

c.

Had to pass rigorous examinations with strict

quotas(300)

d.

Exams are long, had to verify identities, bring

many materials, and were brought into a small
room and were in the room for 3 days and 2
nights
I.
II.

4.

Spent time writing 8 essays

NO interruption

The examination system and Chinese society

a.

Civil service exam intensely competitive; few

chosen for government positions

b.

Others could become local teachers or tutors

c.

Exams encouraged formal education

d.

Allowed upward social mobility

e.

System created a meritocracy with best

students running the country

f.

Wealthy families had some advantages over

poor families

g.

II.

Confucian curriculum fostered common values

and guaranteed that Confucianism would be
the center of the gov

Economic and social changes

A.

The patriarchal family

1.

2.

The basic unit of Chinese society was the family; the

highest value, filial piety
a.

Included duties of children to fathers, loyalty of

subjects to the emperor

b.

Veneration of Ancestors, strengthened the

authority of males

c.

Extended into clans-gentry dominated-clans

assumed responsibilities that exceeded
capacities of nuclear family

d.

Clans could have people pass civil service

exam and and it brought prestige to the whole
clan-enocuraged education

e.

Clans served as a means of transmission of

Confucian values from Gentry leaders to all
social clan

Gender relations: strict patriarchal control over all

females
a.

Parents preferred boys over girls; marriage was

to continue male line

b.

Males could become government officials

c.

During Ming and Wing, patriarchal authority

became tighter than ever

d.

Female infanticide; widows encouraged to

commit suicide and never marry again

e.

Foot binding of young girls increased

I.

f.

Purpose of marriage was to continue the male

line of descent
I.

B.

Popular among lower class because it

demonstrated an ability to support
women who could not work

Wives subordinate to husbands, must

served their husbands

g.

Lowest status person in family was a young

bride

h.

Custom and Law combined to strengthen

patriarchal authority in Chinese families during
Ming and Qing

Population growth and economic development

2.

3.

a.

Small fraction of land is suitable for cultivation

b.

Emperor acknowledged importance of

agriculture

Intense garden-style agriculture fed a large

population
a.

Increased yields of traditional food crops-rice,

wheat, and millet

b.

American food crops in seventeenth century:

maize, sweet potatoes, and peanuts brought by
Spanish merchant

c.

New foods increased food supply and

supported future population growth

d.

Available land reached maximum productivity

by mid-seventeenth century

Population growth: 100 million in 1500, 225 million in

1750
a.

Rose in spite of epidemic

4.

5.

b.

IN mid-17th fell because of rebellion and war

but returned by 1750

c.

Rapid growth set stage for problems because

agricultural production couldnt keep up pace

d.

Entrepreneurs benefited from pop growth

because access to a large labor force and influx
of Japanese and American Silver which
stimulated trade

Manufacturing and trade benefited from abundant,

cheap labor
a.

Exported large quantities of silk, porcelain,

lacquerware, and tea

b.

Not a lot of imports

c.

Compensated for the exports by importing

silver bullion

d.

Tight gov regulation

Foreign trade brought wealth to the dynasty, but

threatened scholar-bureaucrats
a.

Yongle and Zheng He naval explorations

b.

After Yongle, they stopped maritime

expeditions

c.

Qing government tried to end maritime activity

all together

d.

European made their own economic decision

e.

Kangxi began policy of strict control on foreign

contact

f.
6.

Western merchants restricted to Macao and

Quangzhou

Government and technology

a.

Ming and Qing dynasties considered

technological change disruptive

b.

No technological innovation

c.

Adopted firearms and tech

d.

Ming and Qing favored political and social

stability over technological innovation bc fear
of change
I.

e.
C.

And the availability of skilled workers

With abundant skilled labor, labor-saving

technologies unnecessary

Gentry, commoners, soldiers, and mean people

1.

Privileged classes
a.

Scholar-bureaucrats and gentry occupied the

most exalted positions

b.

Scholar-bureaucrats came from gentry

c.

Scholar-bureaucrats and gentry functioned as

intermediaries between imperial gov and local
society

d.

Organized water projects

e.

Most gentry owned land

f.

Special clothes-black gowns and blue borders

g.

Favorable legal treatment, enjoyed immunity

from corporal punishment and exemption from
labor services and taxes

h.

Income came from gov service to which only

they had access by virtue

i.

Resided in cities and towns, not rural estates

like others

2.

Peasants, the largest class, esteemed by Confucius

for their honest labor
a.

3.

4.

5.

Performed honest labor and provided food

Artisans and other skilled workers, some economic

status
a.

Higher income than peasents

b.

Employees of the state or gentry or merchant

families

Merchants often powerful and wealthy

a.

Bottom level

b.

Looked upon as social parasites

c.

Little legal support, critical gov policy,

d.

Garnered support for enterprises

Lower classes or "mean people": slaves, servants,

entertainers, prostitutes
a.

Beyond social classes-mean people and

military forces

b.

Necessary evil
I.

c.
6.

III.

Avoid military dominance of society by

placing bureaucrats at the top

Mean people=slaves, indentured servants,

entertainers, and prositutes

Although China was basically agricultural,

manufacturing and commerce became much more
important

The Confucian tradition and new cultural influences

A.

Neo-Confucianism and pulp fiction

2.

a.

Imperial sponsorship meant primary support

for Confucian tradition

b.

Song scholar Zhu Zi-emphasized-self discipline,

filial piety, and obedience

c.

Ming and Qing made neo-confucianism

tradition the reigning idea

Confucian education supported by Min and Qing

emperors
a.

Hanlin Academy in Beijing and provincial

schools prepared students for civil service
exams

b.

Imperial cultural projects: encyclopedias and

libraries
I.

3.

Popular culture expanded to include novels,

romances, travel adventures
a.

Urban residents were not too educated,

focused on entertainment and books

b.

Confucian scholars looked down on popular

novels
I.
II.

B.

Yongle encyclopedia and Collection of

Books

Not a lot of merit, but they were

entertaining
Offered thoughtful reflections on life

The return of Christianity to China

1.

Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), an Italian Jesuit in the Ming

court
a.

A learned man who mastered written and oral

Chinese

b.

Impressed Chinese with European science and

mathematics

2.

3.

IV.

c.

Popular mechanical devices: glass prisms,

harpsichords, clocks

d.

Founder of Jesuit mission in China

Confucianism and Christianity

a.

Jesuits respectful of Chinese tradition, but won

few converts

b.

Chinese had problems with exclusivity of

Christianity

End of the Jesuit mission

a.

Rival Franciscan and Dominican missionaries

criticized Jesuits' tolerance

b.

When the pope upheld critics, emperor Kangxi

denounced Christianity

c.

Jesuits had been an important bridge between

Chinese and western cultures, introducing each
to the achievements of the other.

The unification of Japan

A.

The Tokugawa shogunate

2.

a.

Shogun vs Vassal

b.

Emperor was a figurehead, shogun

monopolized power

Tokugawa Ieyasu brought stability to Japan after

1600
a.

Japan divided into warring feudal estates

b.

As shogun, Ieyasu established a military

government known as bakufu

c.

Stabilized realm and prevent return of civil war

d.

Shoguns needed to control the daimyo, the

territorial lords who ruled Japan

I.
II.

3.

Each maintained a gov

Established relationships with European
mariners(gunpowder, weapons, and
personal firearms)

First need to control the daimyo, powerful local lords

a.

Each daimyo absolute lord within his domain

b.

Shogun instituted the policy of alternate

attendance
I.
II.

Allowed shoguns to keep an eye on

daimyo
Tried to distract the daimyo and get them
to invest money in residences

III.
c.

Tokugawa shoguns required daimyo to live

alternative years at Edo

d.

Shoguns controlled relation between Japan and

the outside world

e.

Feared Europeans might jeopardize the

security of the bakufu

f.
4.

Bakufu controlled daimyo marriages, travel,

expenditures

Control of foreign relations

a.

The shoguns adopted policy of isolation from

outside world, 1630s

b.

Foreign trade was under tight restriction at the

port of Nagasaki

c.

Expelled Europeans

d.

Despite the policy, Japan was never completely

isolated

e.
B.

Policy loosened over time

Economic and social change

1.

Population growth
a.

Agricultural production doubled between 1600

and 1700

b.

Rapid demographic growth

c.

Began practicing population control to restrict

growth

d.

Population rose by a one-third from 1600 to

1700

e.

Then slow growth due to infanticide,

contraception, late marriage, abortion
I.

f.
2.

Social hierarchy was based on Confucian

precepts

Social change
a.

Peace undermined the social and economic

role of warrior elites
I.

b.

Became gov officials and admin

II.

Fell in society

III.

Income-rice converted into money

Merchants became prominent, and often

wealthier than the ruling elites
I.

C.

Japan was land poor

Japanese cities flourished in the

Tokugawa era

Neo-Confucianism and floating worlds

1.

Neo-Confucianism (loyalty, submission) became the

official ideology of the Tokugawa

D.

2.

Influence of China

3.

Common people embraced Buddhism

4.

Confucianism was most influencial philosophical

system

5.

Scholars of "native learning" tried to establish

distinctive Japanese identity

6.

"Floating worlds"--centers of urban culture

a.

Included teahouses, theaters, brothels, public

baths

b.

Ihara Saikaku, poet and novelist

c.

Kabuki theaters and bunraku (puppet) very

popular

Christianity and Dutch learning

1.

Christian missions, under Jesuits, had significant

success in sixteenth century

2.

Anti-Christian campaign launched by Tokugawa

shoguns

3.

a.

Feared any movement that might help daimyo

b.

Buddhists and Confucians resented Christian

exclusivity

c.

After 1612, Christians banned from islands,

thousands killed

Dutch learning was one limited connection to the

outside world
a.

Dutch merchants permitted to trade at

Nagasaki

b.

Japanese scholars were permitted to learn

Dutch and, after 1720, to read Dutch books

c.

Shoguns became enthusiastic proponents of

Dutch learning by mid-eighteenth century

d.

European art, medicine, and science began to

influence Japanese scholars

Religious
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.

XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.
XXI.

FounderoftheJesuitmissioninChina
RicciimmersedhimselfinChineselanguageandConfucianismandwasoftenseenintheMing
Courts
HisextensiveknowledgeopeneddoorsfortheJesuits
Hadanadvancedknowledgeofmathematicsandastronomy,oftenmakingmapsandcorrecting
calendars
TheJesuitsalsohadmusicaltalentsandwereknownfortheirselfringingbells(akaclocks)
WantedtocaptureChineseinterestwithEuropeanscienceandtechnology
MademapsplacingChinaatthecenter
BuilthighqualitybronzecannonsfortheMingandQingdynasties
TheJesuitswerenotverysuccessfulinconvertingpeople
PortrayedChristianityasafaithsimilartoChineseculturaltraditions
JesuitsalsoheldservicesintheChineselanguage
Christianityclaimedtobethe"onetruereligion"andthisputoffChinesewhocould'tbelievethat
Confucianism,Daoism,andBuddhismwereallinferior
Werenottoosuccessful
TheFranciscansandDominicanscomplainedtothePopeaboutJesuit'stoleranceforancestor
veneration
ThePopeorderedthattheyhadtoconductmassesaccordingtoEuropeanstandardsandsuppress
ancestorveneration
TheemperorKangxithenorderedanendtopreachingChristianityinChina
Beganin1549andhadmoderatesuccess
SomeDaimyoacceptedChristianityandorderedtheirpeopletoadoptChristianity
TheDaimyowantedtoestablisheconomicrelationshipswithEurope
By1615,therewerehalfamillionJapaneseChristians
However,therewasalotofresentmenttowardsChristiansfromBuddhistsandConfucians
TokugawademandedChristianstorenouncetheirfaithandprohibitedEuropeansfromentering
Japan
HefearedthattheChristianswouldbecomeloyaltothepopeandnottohim
ChristianityonlysurvivedinsomeruralpartsofJapan \

1. Matteo Ricci was a Roman Catholic missionary in China.

2. Matteo Ricci and other Europeans discovered they were more
successful in their negotiations with the Chinese if they presented
them with mechanical clocks.

3. After the arrival of the Europeans, east Asian societies largely

controlled their own affairs until the nineteenth century.
4. In 1368 the Ming dynasty replaced the ________ dynasty. Yuan
5. The Ming dynasty was founded by Hongwu.
6. In founding his new dynasty, Hongwu chose the name Ming, which
meant brilliant.
7. In 1421, Yongle moved the capital of China to Beijing.
8. In an effort to stabilize China internally, the Ming emperors stressed
Chinese traditions from the era before the Mongol Yuan dynasty.
9. The Manchus called their dynasty Qing, which meant pure.
10. The leader who first organized the Manchu tribes into a
centralized state was Nurhaci.
11. Which of the following was NOT an action of the Manchus after
conquering China? They encouraged intermarriage between
Chinese and Manchus.
12.

Taiwan was conquered by Kangxi.

13. Which ruler made Vietnam, Burma, and Nepal vassal states of
China?Qianlong
14. In regard to ruling philosophy and techniques, the Qing followed
the same pattern that the Ming had established.
15. The phrase Son of Heaven refers to the Chinese emperors role
in maintaining order on the earth.
16. Which of the following was NOT one of the accomplishments of
the Chinese clans? bringing the different social classes in the clan
up to equality with the gentry
17. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, patriarchal authority over
females became tighter than ever before.

18. The practice of foot binding represented the increasing

subjugation of women during the Qing dynasty.
19.

By 1750, the population of China had grown to 225 million.

20. Foreign trade during the Qing dynasty was limited and under
tight governmental control.
21. China fell behind technologically during the Ming and Qing
dynasties because the governments favored political and social
stability over technological innovation.
22. With the exception of the emperor and his family, the most
exalted members of Chinese society was/were the scholarbureaucrats.
23. According to Confucian tradition the most honorable class among
the peasants, artisans, and merchants was the peasants.
24.

Zhu Xi was the foremost scholar of neo-Confucianism.

25. The Dream of the Red Chamber shed light on which of the
following? scholar-gentry
26. Which of the following popular novels dealt with the intrigue
following the collapse of the Han dynasty? The Romance of the
Three Kingdoms
27.

Who sought to convert China to Christianity? Matteo Ricci

28. The Chinese were hesitant to convert to Christianity because of

Christianitys exclusivity concerning other beliefs such as Daoism
and Buddhism.
29.

The term bakufu means tent government.

30.

In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu finished the process of unifying Japan.

31.

Daimyo were powerful Japanese territorial lords.

32. Beginning in the 1630s and enduring for the next two centuries,
Japanese foreign policy included all of the following EXCEPT open,
vibrant trade with Europeans.
33. The process known as thinning out the rice shoots refers to a
Japanese attempt to limit population growth.

34. One of the results of the peace brought by the Tokugawa period
was a reduction in status for the samurai and daimyo.
35. The term native learning relates to a growing Japanese
emphasis on indigenous traditions.
36. The term floating worlds originally related to the entertainment
and pleasure districts of cities such as Osaka.
37. The author of The Life of a Man Who Lived for Love was Ihara
Saikaku.