History | Reading Passage | In the East

Reading Passage

In the East
China’s civilization is thousands of years old. The emperors of China ruled millions of people spread across
thousands of miles. They achieved this through control of a sophisticated governmental system that administered
justice, collected taxes, and managed vast amies. China has been ruled by several royal families, called
dynasties. The Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. It is remembered as an age in which China’s rulers
sponsored the production of great works of art and culture and sponsored a number of voyages of exploration.

The Ming Dynasty

Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming dynasty after he joined a group of Buddhist rebels and helped lead them to a
victory over the Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty turned China into a superpower through its dominance in trade,
culture, and maritime strength and exploration. China’s population, economy, and culture all grew during the Ming
dynasty.
Emperors of the Ming dynasty made the Great Wall of China even bigger, thicker, and taller. The Ming dynasty
was also known for its blue and white porcelain with things like dragons and clouds painted onto the porcelain.
The Ming dynasty lasted for over 300 years before the capital of Beijing was taken over by rebel forces.

Zheng He
A lot of the advancements that were made during the Ming dynasty happened during the voyages that Admiral
Zheng He led around the Indian Ocean. Zheng He led seven sizable fleets to places including Southeast Asia,
major trading centers in India, the Persian Gulf, and even as far as the east coast of Africa. The voyages were
huge, with hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of sailors. His fleets included giant “treasure” ships, which
were over 400 feet long and several stories high and demonstrated Chinese excellence in ship building.
Zheng He was one of the most trusted generals of the Yongle Emperor, who was the third ruler of the Ming
dynasty. Zheng He actually started as a servant to this emperor and through that became a close friend and
trusted general. The Yongle Emperor wanted to demonstrate his power all around the Indian Ocean, so he sent
Zheng He on these missions to show Chinese strength and to collect gifts and respect from other leaders.
The size and strength of the ships during the Ming dynasty were very impressive. After the Ming dynasty, the
knowledge about how to build such massive ships was lost, and it took hundreds of years before similar ships
were built.

Indian Ocean Trade

The Indian Ocean was the center of global trade for hundreds of years. One of the main reasons for this was the
monsoon winds because they were so predictable. Voyages could be planned and scheduled around the winds
because they always changed direction twice a year.
As trade grew, the major port cities also grew. There started to be a greater mix of people in each trading port
because groups, languages, religions, and cultures would spread through trade. Trade also helped new
technologies, new ideas, and new goods reach new places. Some of the popular goods included Chinese
porcelain and silk, East African gold and ivory, and Southeast Asian spices.

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 History | Reading Passage | In the East

One of the most notable things about Indian Ocean trade is how peaceful it remained. A big part of this was the
Ming dynasty’s decision to not use a lot of military force to show its dominance.

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