China Limits European Contacts

Ming Dynasty

Ruled China 1368-1644 after the Mongols were driven out

Hongwu

First Ming emperor (1368), a peasant's son who led the rebels against the Mongols

What reforms did Hongwu make?

Restored farming and irrigation, returned to Confucian values, and brought back the civil service exam

What was Hongwu's dark side?

He became a ruthless tyrant and killed thousands of officials in purges

Yonglo

Hongwu's son. Won the power struggle, moved the capital to Beijing, and built the Forbidden City

How did Beijing become China's capital?

Yonglo moved the court there from Nanjing after winning the power struggle

Zheng He

Chinese Muslim admiral who led seven voyages for Yonglo

Why did Yonglo send the voyages?

To impress the world with China's power and expand the tribute system

How many ships were in Zheng He's fleets?

40 to 300 ships

How big were the treasure ships?

Over 400 feet long

How many crew members sailed on some voyages?

Over 27,000

Where did Zheng He's voyages go?

Southeast Asia to eastern Africa

How many countries sent tribute to the Ming?

More than 16

Why did the voyages end?

Officials said they wasted resources needed to defend the northern frontier

What evidence shows China lost interest in the outside world after 1433?

It withdrew into isolation and limited trade to the government and three ports

What 3 ports were open to foreign trade?

Canton, Macao, and Ningbo

Tribute

Payment one country makes to another to acknowledge its submission

Vassal state

A state controlled by a stronger country that pays it tribute

Middle Kingdom

What China called itself, the cultural center of the universe

Why didn't China become highly industrialized? (Reason 1)

Confucian beliefs looked down on merchants and commerce

Why didn't China become highly industrialized? (Reason 2)

Policies favored agriculture, with low farm taxes and high taxes on trade and manufacturing

What did Christian missionaries bring to China?

Christianity and European science and technology, like the clock

Matteo Ricci

Italian Jesuit missionary who won favor at the Ming court through his intelligence and fluency in Chinese

Forbidden City

Palace complex built by Yonglo from 1406 to 1420. Commoners and foreigners were not allowed in

How long did the Forbidden City take to build?

14 years

How high are the Forbidden City walls?

35 feet

Why was the Forbidden City built?

To symbolize Yonglo's power and might

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Largest building in the Forbidden City, used for ceremonies like the emperor's birthday

Hall of Central Harmony

Smaller hall where the emperor rested before ceremonies

Nine-Dragon Wall

Glazed tile wall in the Forbidden City. The dragon symbolized the imperial family

Why did the Ming Dynasty fall?

Weak rulers, corrupt officials, a government out of money, high taxes, bad harvests, and rebellion

Manchus

People from Manchuria (northeast of the Great Wall) who invaded China in 1644

Qing Dynasty

Dynasty founded by the Manchus that ruled for more than 260 years

What did the Qing expand China to include?

Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet

How did the Qing win over the Chinese people?

Upheld Confucian traditions, made the borders safe, and restored prosperity

Kangxi

Qing emperor from 1661 who ruled about 60 years. Lowered taxes, supported the arts, and welcomed Jesuits at court

What did Kangxi do in 1696?

Personally led 80,000 troops to victory over the Mongols

Why did Kangxi go on tours?

To learn about common people's grievances and calm the Chinese in areas devastated by Manchu conquest

Qian-long

Kangxi's grandson (1736-1795). China reached its greatest size and prosperity under him

Kowtow

Ritual of kneeling before the emperor and touching your head to the ground nine times

Why did the Dutch become trading partners?

They accepted China's rules and performed the kowtow

What did the Dutch bring home from China?

Porcelain, silk, and tea

What share of shipments to Europe was tea by 1800?

80 percent

Lord Macartney

British envoy who delivered King George III's letter in 1793 and refused to kowtow

How did Qian-long respond to Britain?

He denied the request, saying China was self-sufficient and didn't need British goods

What happened to Korea in 1636?

The Manchus conquered it and made it a vassal state

How did Korea adopt Chinese ways?

Confucian government, Chinese technology, and a policy of isolation

Why did Korean nationalism grow?

The Manchu invasion and a Japanese attack in the 1590s

How did Korean art show nationalism?

Artists painted popular Korean scenes instead of traditional Chinese subjects

Why did China's population grow from 1650 to 1900?

Peace, better irrigation and fertilizer, and new crops like corn and sweet potatoes

Why were sons favored over daughters?

Only sons could perform vital religious rituals, and they stayed to help parents with farming

What jobs did women have in Qing China?

Fieldwork, supervising children's education, managing finances, midwives, and textile workers

Dream of the Red Chamber

Masterpiece of traditional Chinese fiction by Cao Zhan about upper-class Manchu society in the 1700s

Why was drama popular in rural China?

Literacy was low, and plays about history and cultural heroes entertained people and helped unify society

What happened in 1368?

Hongwu became the first Ming emperor

What happened in 1398?

Hongwu died, leading to a power struggle

What happened in 1405?

Zheng He's first voyage

What happened in 1433?

China withdrew into isolation after the seventh voyage

What happened in 1636?

The Manchus conquered Korea

What happened in 1644?

The Manchus seized Beijing and founded the Qing Dynasty

What happened in 1661?

Kangxi became emperor

What happened in 1793?

Macartney asked for better trade and Qian-long refused

When did Zheng He's voyages begin?

1405

When did the Manchus take Beijing?

1644