2. 1514- Portuguese ships
arrive off coast of China
which was under the control
of the Ming Dynasty (1368-
1644.)
3. Ming Dynasty
Hongwu was a peasant who commanded the rebel
army against the Mongols and drove them out of
China in 1368. He became the first emperor of the
Ming Dynasty. He initiated reforms to repair
agriculture, encouraged fish farming and improved
imperial administration by restoring the merit-based
civil service examination system. He feared
outsiders. Died in 1398.
4. Yonglo was the son
of Hongwu who won
the power struggle
over the throne. He
continued many of
his father’s policies.
He moved the royal
court to Beijing. He
was curious about
outsiders.
5. 1405- 1433 Yonglo launched
the first of 7 voyages led by
Zheng He, a Chinese Muslim
admiral.
6. Expeditions went to Southeast Asia, India Arabia
and eastern Africa.
.
About 40 – 300 ships sailed in each voyage.
The discredited book 1421 -The Year China Discovered
the World, asserted that Zheng He circumnavigated
the globe and explored the Americas and Antarctica
7. The Purpose of the voyages was
to increase China’s tribute system
by impressing the world of China’s
superiority and splendor. Gifts
were given at each port to
demonstrate superiority and as a
result, more than 16 countries
sent tribute to the Ming court.
8. China’s trade policies
reflected its isolationist
beliefs and only the
government was allowed
to conduct foreign trade
through 3 coastal ports.
However, smugglers of
Chinese silk, porcelain
and other valuables
traded with Europeans.
9. Matteo Ricci
Italian Jesuit missionary who
gained favor with the Ming court
through his intelligence and his
ability to speak and write in
Chinese. Christianity however
was still opposed by many
educated Chinese.
In 1583 he entered the Chinese
Empire, settling in Kwantung
province. After establishing
missions in different parts of the
empire, in 1601 Ricci finally
settled in Peking, where, under
the protection of the Emperor
Wan-li, he remained until his
death.
10. Qing Dynasty
Hong-Li
by the 1600’s, the Ming
Dynasty was weakened
through ineffective
rulers, corrupt officials,
bankrupt government
and poor harvests.
1644 – Manchus invade
China and take over
Beijing establishing the
Qing Dynasty.
11. Kangxi becomes the
4th emperor in 1661
and ruled for about 60
years. He earned the
respect of the Chinese
people by lowering
taxes and offering
government positions
to Chinese
intellectuals.
12. Trade under the Manchus
in the Qing Dynasty was a
continuation of the
isolationist beliefs of
before. The Chinese
believed that if
Europeans wanted to
trade, then they would
have to follow Chinese
rules by using only special
ports and paying tribute.
13. The Dutch were successful because
they accepted the restrictions, gave
gifts (tribute) to the emperor and
even performed the required
“kowtow” ritual.
14. By the 1800’s, the British,
Dutch and others attempted to
chip away at China’s trade
restrictions until the empire
itself began to crack
15. George Macartney (British aristocrat) had been informed
that when he arrived in court, he must perform the Chinese
kowtow, prostrating himself before the Emperor. But
Macartney, a proud and haughty man, felt that kowtowing
would be an intolerable humiliation for him and thus for his
sovereign, His Majesty King George III. The arguments
went backward and forwards. Macartney suggested,
“What if I take off my hat and kneel, same as I would do to
my own king?” “No way,” came the Chinese response.
