Ming Dynasty

Territory it Controlled  Korea to Southeast Asia

Decline of Yuan/Rise of the Ming  Civil war  Change of life  Repeated natural disasters  Massive peasant rebellions

Characteristics of the Ming Dynasty  Last Chinese dynasty  Zenith 15 th c.  One of China’s most prosperous  Strong and complex central government

Key People  Zhu Yuanzhang a.k.a.- Hongwu, meaning Vast Military –Founder –Favored violence –Created reforms –Wanted to erase Mongol past –Maintained a strong military

Key People cont’d  Yanglo –Pursued aggressive and expansionist policies –Continued Hongwu’s policies and moved capital to Beijing –Launched expeditions

Key People cont’d  Zheng He –Led expeditions to SE Asia, India, and eastern coast of Africa starting in 1405 –Distributed gifts to show Chinese splendor –Last voyages completed in 1433

Foreign Relations  Isolationists/Superiority  Chinese economic policies- agricultural  Only government conducted foreign trade  Foreign encroachment multiplied- Japanese pirates, Mongols

Foreign Relations cont’d  First Europeans appeared in 1514  Portuguese  Spanish  Christian missionaries

Society  Neo-Confucian bureaucrats pushed for agrarian-centered based society  Incredible advances in sciences and arts

Economy  Money was a problem from the start  Initially paper currency  Led to return of copper coins  Outlook on merchants/trade  Southern China utilized

COPPER COINS

Additional Information  Development of the novel  Wood-cut and block- printing  Blue and white porcelain  Encyclopedias  Dictionaries  Great wall  Far ahead of world in naval capabilities at this time

BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN

THE GREAT WALL

Fall of the Ming/Rise of the Qing  Internal power struggles  Groups worked to gain sole power  Children placed on the throne  Ming accepted Manchu aid