Russia, China and Japan , , , ,

Russia emerges as superpower  Gained freedom from the Mongols  Most Russians remained Christian (Orthodox)  Russia was purely an agricultural economy dependent on peasant labor  Ivan the Great (III)-centralized his rule  Married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor  Claimed Russia had succeeded as a “third Rome”  Called himself tsar, or Caesar, the autocrat of all Russians

Ivan IV (the Terrible)  Motivated by a desire to push Mongol overlords back  Peasant-adventurers (Cossacks) were Russian pioneers, migrating to newly seized lands  Early expansion eliminated independent central Asia and created a multicultural empire  British merchants established trading contacts and soon Western countries established outposts near Moscow  Ivan IV died without and heir, which led to new power claims  Romanov family was chosen to rule and did so until 1917  Continued expansion  State controlled the church-”Old Believers” were exiled to Siberia

17 th /18 th Centuries in Russia  Power of the nobility over serfs increased steadily  Estate agriculture (like grain) brought in manufactured goods and especially luxury items  Russian cities remained small-95% of the population was rural  Nobility prevented the emergence of a substantial merchant class  Manufacturing lagged behind the West  Economic and social unrest led to peasant rebellions

Spain  By 18 th century, Spanish colonial system was crumbling  Weak kings, foreign wars, increasing debt, declining population, internal revolts  Threatened by France, England, Holland  Seized lots of islands and used them for sugar production/slaves/plantations  Spanish colonies became increasingly self-sufficient  Final crisis: Charles II died without an heir-there were many claims to the throne  The War of Spanish Succession took place, and resulted in the Treaty of Utrecht  A branch of the Bourbon family was recognized as rulers of Spain

Bourbons  New Bourbon dynasty aimed at strengthening the state and its economy  The Jesuits were expelled from Spain in 1767  French bureaucratic models were introduced  The navy was rebuilt with new ships  Often allied with France against England  Use French intendancy system-decentralized colonial gov’t  Commerce if the Caribbean greatly expanded  Cuba, Buenos Aires  Silver output reached new heights (Mexico)

Portugal  Marquis of Pombal-suppressed groups that stood in the way of his power  Jesuits were expelled from the Portuguese Empire in 1759  Brazil was the centerpiece of his reforms  Rio de Janeiro became the capital  Abolished slavery in Portugal to ensure a steady supply to Brazil  Not much changes in Brazil

Asia  Overall, Europeans didn’t fare as well in the Asian mainland, away from the sea and coasts  Certain situations of expansion were successful  Ceylon-conquered by Portugal/Holland for cinnamon  Java-Dutch for coffee  Luzon-Spain  In each area of European expansion they set up tribute regimes  Conversion in India of the low caste/untouchables to Christianity was just one example of the isolated conversion in Asia  Philippines converted to a creative blend of Catholicism

Ming Dynasty  Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang- a military commander who declared himself Hongwu  Launched an effort to rid China of all traces of the Mongols  Civil service exam system was reinstated and expanded  Introduced public beatings for bureaucrats found guilty of corruption  Exiled potential rivals to the throne  Promoted public works projects-those who cleared and cultivated unoccupied lands would be tax-exempt, lowered forced labor demands on the peasants  Increased subordination of youths to elders, women to men  Commercial/population boom through Spanish and Portuguese merchants  Maize, sweet potatoes and peanuts were important  Terms of trade: only 2 places allowed to do business- Macao, Canton

Chinese Retreat/Decline  After Zheng He expeditions, China becomes increasingly isolated  Europeans then became more interested  Jesuit missionaries tried to convert the elite  Political corruption eroded the foundations of the empire  Floods, drought, and famine plagued the land  Dynasty toppled in 1644 from rebels within  Created a political vacuum-Jurchens seize power  Established a new dynasty, Qing, which would rule for 3 ½ centuries

Japan  Nobunaga took command, then was killed, but his ablest general, Hideyoshi, quickly moved to take control  Was resisted by the daimyos but became military master  After his death, Tokugawa took over-brought political unity  Europeans traded goods to Japan (firearms, printing press, clocks) for silver, copper, pottery  Firearms revolutionized Japanese warfare  Christian missionaries sought to convert the Japanese  Japan became fearful that Europeans would then start taking over, and begin military expeditions  Began to restrict foreign activities in the late 1580’s  Missionaries forced to leave, handful of cities could trade, Japanese ships were forbidden to trade or sail overseas, Western books banned as they moved toward isolation