Do Now
11/7/14
PAGE 203
1. What
feature forms
the Northern
border of the
Ming dynasty?
2. Along which
river is the city
of Nanjing?
The Ming Dynasty
McGraw-Hill Connect ED
CHAPTER 8 LESSON 4
THE MING DYNASTY
Mrs. Stoll
7th Grade
Social Studies
The Rise of the Ming




Civil unrest ended the Mongol rule
A.D. 1368, military officer, Zhu Yuanzhang (Joo
Ywahn Jahng) became emperor
Reunited the country and founded the Ming dynasty
in his capital city of Nanjing (Nan Jihng) in southern
China.
Ruled for 300 years.
The Rise of the Ming




Zhu took the name Hong Wu (Hahng Woo) or the
“military emperor”
Brought peace and order
Harsh ruler; trusted few people and punished
officials suspected of treason, or disloyalty to the
government.
A.D. 1398, his son became emperor and took the
name Yong Le
The Rise of the Ming



Yong Lee moved the capital city north to Beijing
Built the Imperial City, large area of palaces and
government buildings
Forbidden City, where the emperor and his family
lived, only top government officials were allowed to
enter.
The Forbidden City –Video Segment
Discovery Education
How did the Ming Change China?



Emperors brought back the civil service
examinations
One job of government official was to carry out a
census- or a count of the number of people in China.
Census helped to identify who owed taxes.
How did the Ming Change China?
Strong government of early Ming emperors provided
peace and security
 As a result, the economy grew
 Rebuilt canals, farms, roads, and planted new forests
 Expanded the Grand Canal
which increased trade between
southern and northern China
 Ming dynasty also supported
the silk and cotton industries

Arts and Literature




Printed novels and theater
flourished during the Ming dynasty
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms
most popular novel
Many novels were written in
vernacular, or everyday language;
formal language was avoided
Traditional Chinese dramas were
banned during the Mongol rule, but
restored under the Ming rule
Chinese Exploration




Early Ming emperors wanted to explore the world
and expand Chinese influence
Built large fleet of ships, known as junks, traveled
along the coast of China
Between A.D. 1405 and 1433 Chinese fleets went
on seven sea voyages.
They wanted to trade with other kingdoms and
demand that weaker kingdoms pay tribute to China
Junks
Chinese Exploration
Leader of the voyages was a Chinese
Muslim and court official named Zheng
He (Jung Huh)
The Travels of Zheng He
 First fleet to Southeast Asia
 Later reached western coast of India
and the city-states of East Africa
 Brought back giraffes and other
African animals
 Encouraged Chinese merchants to settle
in Southeast Asia and India and spread
Chinese culture

Travels of Zheng He
Despite the benefits,
Chinese officials complained
that the ongoing trips cost
too much money and would
introduce unwanted foreign
ideas
 Some officials also believed being a merchant was a
selfish and unworthy occupation
 A Confucian teaching said that people should place
loyalty to society ahead of their own desires.

Travels of Zheng He



Zheng He’s death in A.D. 1433 marked the end of
the sea voyages.
Ships were taken apart and trade with other
countries sharply declined
Within 50 years, Chinese shipbuilding technology
became outdated.
Arrival of Europeans



In A.D. 1514, ships from
Portugal arrived off the coast
of southern China
Portuguese wanted to trade
with China and convert them to
Christianity
To the Chinese, the Europeans
were barbarians, or uncivilized
people
Arrival of Europeans




At first, local officials refused to trade with the
Portuguese
By A.D. 1600 the Portuguese established a trading
post in the port of Macao (muh KAU) in southern
China
Portuguese ships carried goods between China and
Japan
Trade between Europe and China remained limited
Arrival of Europeans



Despite limited contact
European ideas did reach China
Christian missionaries made the
voyage to China on European
merchant ships
Many of these missionaries were
Jesuits, a group of Roman
Catholic priests.
Arrival of Europeans



Jesuits were highly educated and hoped to
establish Christian schools in China
Their knowledge of science impressed Chinese
officials
However, they did not convince many Chinese to
convert to Christianity
The Fall of the Ming




After a long period of growth the Ming dynasty
began to weaken
Dishonest officials took over the country
Placed heavy taxes on farmers and the farmers
revolted
As the dynasty began to crumble, the Manchuspeople from the north prepared to invade.
The Fall of the Ming




Like the Chinese, the Manchus had been conquered
by the Mongols
They retreated to an area northeast of China’s
Great Wall, known today as Manchuria
The Manchus defeated the Chinese armies and
captured Beijing
In A.D. 1644 they established a new dynasty
named the Qing (CHEENG) dynasty
Review Questions


Answer questions # 1-5 on page 207
Use complete sentences and evidence from the
textbook