Ming Dynasty

 1368: Hongwu and a peasant army drove out the
Mongols.
 Ming dynasty lasted until 1644.
 During reign:
 - built a strong centralized government based on
Confucian principles.
 - reinstated the Civil Service exam.
Ming Dynasty

 Also built large fleets.
 Zheng He- led fleets to southeast Asia and the Indian
Ocean, and to Africa a century before Europe.
 Instead of colonizing Chinese turned inward.
Ming Dynasty

 Changed counterfeited money to a “single-whip”
system based on silver currency.
 - Discovery of American silver caused inflation.
 Sixteenth century problems arose:
 - Pirates raiding port cities
 - Portuguese setting up in Macao.
 - 17th Century Famine cripple economy.
Decline of the Ming and
rise of Qing

 Peasant uprisings occurred due to famine.
 1644 – Ming rulers invited Qing warriors from
Manchuria to help put down the uprising.
 - Qing ousted the emperor and the Qing or Manchu
dynast rose and lasted until 1912.
 - Carried on much of the isolation.
Qing Dynasty

 Not ethnically Chinese:
 - Forbid Chinese to learn the Manchu language or
marry Manchus.
 Manchu only made up 3% of the population.
 - Needed Chinese to help run the country – Civil
Service Exam reaches new height.
Kangxi

 1662-1722
 Confucian Scholar
 Chief Successor – Qianlong ruled from 1735 – 1795.
 Both Emperors:
 - supported the arts
 - Expanded the empire: Kangxi conquered Taiwan
and extended to Mongolia, Central Asia, and Tibet.
 Qianlong added Vietnam, Burma, and Nepal to the
Vassal states of China.
Qing Dynasty

 Did not aspire to conquer the world.
 Allowed trade with Europeans but very vigilant with
the trade.
 1724: Christianity was banned.
 1757: trade was limited to just one city, Canton.
 Trade remained constant and a rise of a Chinese
merchant class occurred.