Asian-European Trade,
Ming & Qing China, and
Japan (1450-1750)
Asian Transitions in an
Age of Global Change
General Themes
1. Da Gama’s exploration around the Cape of Good
Hope opened up major contact between Europe and
Asia
2. The European contact in Asia was much less decisive
than its intrusion into the Americas.
• Asia was only marginally affected
3. Asian states were powerful and could repel force of
Europeans…
• Many maintained/developed new powerful dynasties
• China and Japan set policies of isolationism
• Christian conversion was largely ineffective
4. Europeans made efforts to undermine economic and
political instability wherever they could interact in
order to gain control over Asian empires
The Asian Sea Trade Network (3-Zones)
The Asian Sea Trade Network (3-Zones)
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Important Characteristics of Asian Sea
Trade with Portuguese Arrival
• General trading characteristics of Asian sea
trade at time of Portuguese arrival
1. There was no central control of the trade zone; it
was really a free market
• Those participating were primarily merchants sailing
for princes or their own wealth
• They all had high demand goods to trade
2. Military force was exceptionally minimal
• Majority of ships were lightly armed
• Weaponry only for pirate attacks
More on Asian Trading Zone
1. In West – the Arab zone centered on glass, carpets
and tapestries of Islamic heartlands
• Key locations: Red Sea and Persian Gulf (key today)
2. In Central –India with its excellent cotton textiles
• Calicut the major port
3. In east –China superior silk textiles, paper, and
porcelain
• Of raw materials, highest demand was for spices
coming from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Indonesia (Spice
Islands)
• Most navigation by Arabs and Chinese followed coast
lines, even though they could sail effectively in long
distances
• They had experience with the monsoons
Where are the Spice Island?
1640 Dutch Map
Indonesian archipelago of the Moluccas (or
Maluku Islands), Spice Islands, lie on the equator
north of Australia and west of New Guinea
Portuguese Trade Reality at Calicut
• Portuguese goods were inferior to Arab and
Chinese goods
• Discovered at Calicut that no Asian merchants
wanted to trade for inferior Portuguese goods
• Only viable trade item was gold or silver
• Mercantilism prohibited this exchange on a large
scale
• Portuguese response was forced trade
• Portuguese ships had a large advantage with
their weaponry and maneuverability
• Da Gama forced seaports in both the African and
Indian coasts setting up a tribute system
Portuguese ships 1500-1600s
Bronze Gun
Caravel
Portuguese Conquests in Trade Ports
• Portuguese in 1507 took control of Ormuz in the
Persian Gulf
• 1510 they captured Goa on western India coast
• 1511 they successfully took Malacca on the tip of
the Malayan peninsula
• These ports served as factories(storage ports for
shipping)
• Portuguese tried to regulate sea vessel traffic in the
Indian Ocean-- unsuccessfully
Portuguese Conquests of Trade Ports
Rise of the Dutch and English Trading Empires
• Portuguese efforts to control the Asian trade zone
were in decline by late 1500s caused by
• Resistance of Asian rivals
• Governmental corruption in Lisbon
• Overloading of cargos by ship captains
• In early 17th century Dutch and English began taking
lead
• Dutch captured Malacca and built a new port at Batavia
on island of Java
• Dutch had better ships and better organization than the
Portuguese
• Dutch secured monopoly on Spice Island trade with
some brutal tactics; uprooted plants and people of
competing islands
• Mid-17th century was “Golden Age” of Dutch
Rise of the Dutch and English Trading Empires
• Dutch finally figured out it was in their best
economic interest to work peacefully in Asian trade
zone
• Dutch settled on charging fees for shipping and
transporting goods across the trading zones
• Also, they bought and sold items at a profit
• English lost its battle for control of the Spice Islands
and settled their efforts in India and China
• They adopted peaceful trading patterns and focused on
the cloth exports of India
Advancements Inland
• Despite have the technological advantages, the vast
number of Asians was overwhelming…
• Europeans accepted the power of Asian rulers in
return for trading rights
• War with Asian populations only occurred in a few
places
• Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Java and the Philippines
• “Joe” or “Java” (coffee) comes from the Dutch
moving inland from their base at Batavia and
discovering great coffee growing soil
• Dutch became big exporters of coffee by mid-18th
century
Advancements Inland by the Spanish
• Spanish took advantage
of the Treaty of
Tordesillas and invaded
the northern portion of
Philippines (Luzon)
• Unable to conquer the
southern portion due
to stubborn resistance
of Muslim rulers
• Philippines today is
Christian in the north
and Muslim in the
south
Blue—Christian
Green Muslim
European Tribute System
• With early expansion of Europeans in east
Asia, they set up a tribute system
• It mirrored the Spanish system in Latin America
• Europeans overlords let the conquered
indigenous peoples live normally
• Tribute quotas were set in the form of
agricultural crops
• Peasants in the region did all the hard labor
under as before under their previous social
hierarchy
• Quotas allowed the local population to subsist
Missionary Efforts in south and
southeast Asia
• Dutch and English were not of the
same missionary zeal as the
Iberian Peninsula
• Realize this had much to do with the
religious split: Protestant and Roman
Catholicism (1520)
• Part of the Catholic Reformation was
seeing the need to create a global
missionary effort
• Islam had already arrived in
southeast Asia in the 13th century
and was dominate by the 16th
Ignatius Loyola
Society of Jesus,
the Jesuits
Missionary Efforts in south and southeast Asia
• What appeared ripe for Catholic
missionary work was India
• Franciscan and Dominican missionaries
found success with those in the lowercaste
• Problematic were the high-caste groups
• In early 1600 Robert di Nobili adopted
new strategy (when in Rome do as the
Romans)
• He learned Sanskrit, became a vegetarian, &
dressed like a Brahman
• Effort failed as Brahmans would not mix
with Christian untouchables
• Eventually the Pope removed di Nobili
Di Nobili
Missionary Efforts in south and southeast Asia
• There was Catholic missionary success
in the Philippines
• Most probably not fully understood by
the native peoples
• Their faith was a mixture of traditional
beliefs and blend of the friars teachings
The Philippines boasts to
be only Christian nation
in Asia. More than 86
percent of the population
is Roman Catholic today
Moving to China: Late Ming Dynasty
• Ming Dynasty began with
overthrow of Mongols in
1368
• Ming brought back
Confucianism in an effort
to be “Chinese” without
outside influences
• However, Chinese still had
great export potential with
their silks and porcelain
• They cautiously stayed in
international trade market
Quick
Review of
Chinese
Dynasties
Chinese Dynasty Song (Frère Jacques)
Political Characteristics of Ming Dynasty
• Ming emperor was deemed allpowerful, but not divine (Mandate of
Heaven)
• Corps of palace eunuchs served the
emperor
• Government was moved to Beijing
• Forbidden City
• Over 20,000 people served the emperor
and his family
• Confucian exams reappeared and
stayed in place until 20th century
• Ming army was huge & well organized
Economic Progress & Technological Resistance
• Commercial activity during 16th
century in China far outstripped any
empire in the world
• Many Chinese made their livings in
trade and manufacturing (in spite of
low status of merchants)
• Portuguese traded silver for luxury
Chinese goods
• Chinese didn’t care for them & only
allowed one port of trade, Macao
• Urban areas grew rapidly during this
time: Macao, Guangzhou, Hangzhou,
& Shanghai
Economic Progress & Technological Resistance
• Ming experienced very brisk trade
during 16th century, but did not
advance technologically
• Up to the 1200s China had full lead in
science and technology
• Europeans took the advancements of
the Chinese & improved them
• Gunpowder & movable type
(remember Portuguese cannons &
Gutenberg Press)
• Chinese took little notice of
European advancements; their
ultimate undoing on a global scale
Trade & Cultural Contacts with Outsiders
• Remember China’s concept of the “Middle
Kingdom”
• Chinese saw themselves as cultural center of the
world; foreigners were "less civilized" or "barbarians
• Foreign rulers were expected to recognize the
prominence of the Chinese court- (kowtow)
Trade & Cultural Contacts with Outsiders
• Voyages of Zheng He were exception to Middle
Kingdom concept of the Ming
• High point of Chinese & Japanese trade took place
during Ming Dynasty
• Shoguns of Japan often embraced Chinese culture and
artifacts from China
• Chinese and Japanese pirates often would raid ports
together
• Trade contacts with westerners, however, were
limited to a few trading enterprises with Dutch and
Portuguese
Trade & Cultural Contacts with Outsiders
• Ming had a tolerance for
Christian missionaries—primarily
a fascination with their
technology
• Most of Chinese focus was
however keeping their homeland
safe from outside intrusion
• By end of 15th century
Christianity had almost been
eliminated in China, but it was
revived in 16th century
• Jesuits led by Matteo Ricci it made
a resurgence
Matteo Ricci
Trade & Cultural Contacts with Outsiders
Matteo Ricci
• Matteo Ricci – an ambitious Italian hoped to
convert Emperor Wanli
• Understood the Chinese and how they
revered learning and refinement
• Ricci was exceptionally bright & learned how
to read and write Chinese
• Knew the Chinese court was curious about
western technology and mechanical devices
• Jesuits knew math and astronomy & helped
Chinese correct calendars
• Helped create calendars with China as the
center of the map
• Used display of bronze cannons, cuckoo
clocks, and chiming clocks to impress them
Matteo Ricci
Jesuit Attempts for Christian Conversion
• Jesuits brought the European innovations to the Chinese
court to create good will
• Worked to point out similarities between Christianity and
Buddhism
• Held religious services in Chinese
• Allowed converts to keep their shrines to their ancestors
• By 1750 number of converts was estimated at 200,000 out
of 225 million
• Pope decreed that ancestral veneration end & services be
conducted in European fashion
• Final outcome: Christian China did not happen, but China
did get exposure to European gadgets & European’s gained
respect for Chinese culture
Decline of Ming
• Ming faced same problems of Chinese
Dynasties
• Asian nomadic groups penetrated the Great Wall
• A series of weak leaders tolerated corruption in
the imperial administration
• In Chinese terms, the central government lost the
mandate of heaven
• The Manchurians became the next group to
overthrow the Ming
• Named their new empire: Qing (pure) Dynasty
• They came from northeast China & originally
were called Jurchen
Rise of the Qing Dynasty
• A peasant revolt in 1644 in Beijing opened
the door for the Manchu to overthrow the
Ming Dynasty
• Manchu feigned the idea that they were
helping the Ming, but they seized power
themselves
• Over a 40 year period the Manchu migrated
to China and eventually controlled China
under the name of Qing Dynasty (lasted for
250 years)
Qing Dynasty
• Manchu, like Mongols, were ethnically & culturally
distinctive from the people they ruled
• They were less tolerant than the Mongols—
resolved to make their culture dominant in China
• Men had to dress in Manchu style wearing queues
& those who refused were executed
Emperor Kangxi
• Kangxi was one of the longest
reigning emperors in Chinese
history
• Kangxi sent forces into Taiwan,
Kangxi
Mongolia, and Central Asia and
At age of 45
incorporated those area into
painted in 1699
China
(1661 to 1722)
• Kangxi imposed a protectorate
over Tibet, which reflects China’s
policy today
Emperor Kangxi
• Kangxi had mixed policies towards Christian
missionaries
• Showed great tolerance at times with hundreds
of thousands converting to Roman Catholicism
• Leaders after him were not as tolerant, but
generally Jesuits were respected by Chinese, as
they could speak and write the Chinese
language
• Jesuits knew Confucianism & could teach
advancements in European science
Emperor Kangxi
• Kangxi was a Confucian scholar himself &
poet
• Strong proponent of schools
• Authorized the compilation of the Kangxi
Dictionary with about 42,000 Chinese
characters
• Sponsored a massive Collection of Books
comparable to Diderot’s Encyclopedia
Emperor Qianlong
• Qianlong ruled from 1736 – 1795
• He was a poet & knowledgeable in
calligraphy and art
• He rule began with China in excellent
financial condition
• Qianlong initiated military campaigns in
lands west of China (Xinjiang)
• Led to mass killings of in this area (Uighurs
today)
Xinjiang (Uighurs-Muslims)
Emperor Qianlong
• Qianlong sent armies into Tibet
• Put the Dalai Lama on the throne
• Was able to subdue Nepal, but was
unsuccessful against Burma & Vietnam
• These campaigns were very costly to the
1736 – 1795
treasury
• Qianlong sold trading privileges to European
powers, but confined them to Guangzhou
(Canton)
• Inadvertently opened the door to British
involvement in the region
• Ultimately wrote a letter to King George
stating the Chines had no need of British
manufactured goods
Guangzhou
today
Emperor Qianlong
• Last part of Qianlong’s reign
• His bureaucracy became corrupt
• Levied high taxes on the people
• Group of peasants wanted to restore
the old Ming dynasty
• Organized the White Lotus Rebellion
(1796-1804)
• Qing government responded by killing
around 100,000
Economic Characteristics
Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912)
• Economy under Qing based on agriculture
• Rice, wheat, & millet (healthy grain)
• Columbian exchange eventually reached China
via the Philippines (sweet potatoes & peanuts)
• Chinese population grew under Qing
• Workers produced silk, porcelain, & tea for
consumption in Eurasia
• In general influx of silver to China helped its
economy because it was invested into more silk
shops, etc. (building infrastructure)-cultural
difference (savings)
Social Characteristics
Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912)
• Chinese society was highly patriarchal
• Control of men over women in Qing Dynasty
increased
• Preference for male children
• Widows encourage to commit suicide after
husband died
• Women could not divorce, but men could put
their women aside for disobedience or adultry
• Foot binding increased
Social Characteristics
Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912)
• Scholar bureaucrats grew stronger during this
time (adherence to Confucianism strong)
• Wore distinctive clothing
• Income came from government service and they
became land owners
• Social order
• Scholar-gentry
• Artisans (craftsmen, physicians, tailors, & workers in
manufacturing)
• Peasants (valued for honest hard work)
• Merchants (still the lower class)
• Mean people (slaves, indentured servants, & beggars)
Cultural Influences
Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912)
• Argument that the modern novel can be traced to
Journey to the West (1590’s)
• A fictional version of Xuanzang’s pilgrimage to Buddhist
sites in India
• 20 years after Journey to the West came The Golden
Lotus (1610), with life about 18th century aristocracy
written in Mandarin Chinese (vernacular)
• Porcelain became a major art form during the Ming &
Qing Dynasties
• By 1700’s there were many well-educated Chinese with
families sending their children to advanced schools of
learning
• Scholar gentry class led refined and comfortable lives
Decline of the Qing
• The Qing Dynasty will end in 1913 with the
following causes
• Rebellions, wars, natural disasters, economic
problems, famines, and invasions
• Opium wars will take place with the British
• There will be wars with the French and Japanese
• There will be two rebellions: The White Lotus
Rebellion and the Taiping Rebellion lasting for 13
years (25 million killed—second only to WWII)
• There will be natural disasters; earthquakes,
floods, famines, and the bubonic plague killing
60,000
• To be continued……………
Japan
• Remember the period before Early Modern
Period in Japan
• Japan was organized into a feudal state (12th to 16th
century)
• Emperor was important, but the shogun had the real
power (Shogun— a military ruler at the top)
• Territorial lords were called daimyos who had a lot
of local control
• Daimyos pledged allegiance to the shogun
• Daimyos had the loyalty of the samurai
• Several warlords began to dominate and a competent
general, Hideyoshi, rose to the top to unify Japan
Tokugawa Shogunate
• After death of Hideyoshi, a new leader emerged,
Tokugawa Ieyasu
• Established the Tokugawa Shogunate (bakufu) in
1603
• Bakufu originally meant the house of the shogun,
but came to be interchangeable with the
governmental system
• Tokugawa capital in Edo (modern-day Tokyo)
• Tokugawa bakufu was the term for “tent
government,” which implied it was temporary –real
power was supposed to be with the emperor
• Ieyasu’s decedents ruled Japan for 250 years up to
1867
Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa Shogunate
• Even with unification of
Tokugawa, daimyos had a lot
of power and autonomy
• Shogun’s instituted a policy
of “alternate attendance”
• Every other year had to spent
at the Tokugawa court
• Purpose to weaken the
daimyos; decreased their
wealth (two households to
maintain) and decreased their
power base
Tokugawa Economic & Social Change
• Political unification ended some of the fighting
• Increase in food production with higher rice
yields brought rise in population
• This was offset with birth control, late marriage,
abortions, and infanticide
• Japan limited space with its size and mountainous
terrain
• Social hierarch influenced by Confucianism
• Top: ruling elites –shogun, daimyos, samurai
• Middle: peasants & artisans
• Bottom: merchants like China, but merchant class
during this time became most prosperous
Tokugawa Arts and Learning
• Japanese culture during this time
period shaped by Confucianism,
Buddhism, & Shintoism (native
Japanese religion)
• Tokugawa court promoted neoConfucianism
• Literacy rates became higher in
Japan
• Wood block press provided reading
material & poetry and novels
became popular in urban middle
class
• Kabuki theater became popular as
did bunraku (puppet theater)
Japan and the Europeans
• At same time Japan was becoming unified, European
ships were coming the islands
• European traders and missionaries began arriving in
mid-16th century
• Europeans brought goods from Asian mainland and
European firearms
• Main goal was Christian conversion of native peoples
• They had some success at first, but then Hideyoshi
worried about converts not following orders of
overlords
• Hideyoshi ordered all missionaries to leave in 1580’s
Japan and the Europeans
• Ieyasu, first Tokugawa shogun, banned the
practice of Christianity in 1614
• Drove missionaries out and killed those refusing to
go
• Japanese converts had to renounce Christianity or
be tortured or executed
• Tokugawa regime began to restrict foreign
traders and restrict Japanese ships from
leaving
• Only a limited number of Dutch and Chinese ships
were allowed to trade with the Japanese on the
island of Deshima