2013 Chinese Dynasties

Pronunciations

• Huang He hwahng he • Shang shong • Zhou Joe• Loess less• Henan hey – nahn• Wei way• Qin chin

A Dynasty is a line of rulers that come from

the same family

An aristocrat is a noble, or upper class person, whose wealth comes from their land

Key Terms….

China’s history is usually divided into time periods based on the rule of different dynasties. A ‘dynasty’ is a ruling family that passes the power to rule down through the generations. These rulers were thought to be ‘divine’, or actual gods, and thus were obeyed without question.

Mongols and Genghis Khan

Yuan Dynasty

China Under Foreign Rulers• Twice in its dynastic history China was under foreign rule:

- Yuan dynasty – Mongols- Qing dynasty – Manchus

• The Mongols initially tried to rule China as their own tribal society. Eventually, they adopted China’s political system, the civil service exams, and Confucian philosophy.

In 1206, Genghis Khan united the entire Mongol tribes and extended his power over all of North China.

The conquest of the Southern Song was not completed until 1279, after Kublai Khan, his grandson, had succeeded to Mongol leadership.

Yuan Dynasty 1,271 – 1,368 A.D.

Genghis Khan

The Extent of the Mongol Empire

The Extent of the Mongol Empire

Mongols• Nomadic people• Horseback- primary

form of travel Genghis Khan- elected

ruler of Mongols, 1206 Created largest empire

in history! Used terror to conquer

people Professional, organized

army

The Mongols• The Mongols lived in

an area north of China called Mongolia.

• They lived in tribes, or groups of related families.

• They were nomadic herders who grazed their animals on the steppes, wide, rolling grassy plains.

• The Mongols were well known for their ability to ride horses well and wage war.

MONGOL WARRIORS

• At a meeting of Mongol leaders in 1206, a man named Temujin was elected Genghis Khan, which means strong ruler.

The MONGOLS [“Golden Horde”]

Temujin --> Genghis Khan [“Universal Ruler”]– 1162 - 1227 – from the steppe [dry, grass-covered plains of Central

Asia]

• Genghis Khan built the Mongol Empire using a well-trained army to invade major civilizations.

• Mongol warriors were known for their cruelty and use of terror, or violent acts used to scare people.

You better study for the test… Don’t

make me bring the terror!

The MONGOLS [“Golden Horde”]

Genghis Khan’s Tax Laws:– If you do not pay homage,

we will take your prosperity.– If you do not have prosperity,

we will take your children.– If you do not have children,

we will take your wife.– If you do not have a wife,

we will take your head. Used cruelty as a weapon some areas never recovered

from Mongol destruction!

Kublai moved the capital to Beijing, adopted much of the Chinese administrative system. The Central Asian trade routes were secured. Traffic from West to East increased. Missionaries and traders came to China, bringing new ideas, techniques, foods, and medicines.

Marco Polo arrives to write about the splendor of the Mongol Empire. He wrote of his extensive travels throughout Asia on behalf of the Khan, and their eventual return after 15,000 miles and 24 years of adventures.

Kublai Khan – Yuan Dynasty

• Kublai Khan – grandson of Genghis Khan

• Becomes Mongol emperor in 1260

• Conquers all of China in 1279, uniting China for the first time in 300 years.

• Yuan Dynasty only lasts until 1368, but is very important.

Yuan Dynasty

• Kublai Khan very good ruler for China

• Kublai Khan moved capital from Mongolia to modern day Beijing, China

• Mongols kept separate identity from the Chinese – lived apart and had different laws.

• Tolerated Chinese culture and made few changes to government system

Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty, 1279-1368 C.E.

Kublai Khan [r. 1260-1294]– Pax Mongolica [“Mongol Peace”]

• Tolerated Chinese culturebut lived apart from them.

• No Chinese in top govt. posts.• Believed foreigner were more

trustworthy.• Encouraged foreign trade & foreign

merchants to live and work in China. Marco Polo

Yuan Dynasty & Trade• Open up China to more trade and Western

contact • Marco Polo – Young Venetian who lived in

Khan’s court for 17 years. His travel journal (1271-1295) became hugely popular book.

• First time most Europeans had been exposed to Chinese culture, like silk, gunpowder, playing cards, porcelain, printing, the magnetic compass, and paper money.

• Death of Kublai Khan and high taxes doomed the Yuan dynasty.

Kublai Khan and Marco Polo

1215-1294 1254-1324

Marco Polo (1254-1324)

A Venetian merchant.

Traveled through YuanChina: 1271-1295

– “Black Stones” [coal]

– Gunpowder.

– Noodles.

Marco Polo’s Travels

• Marco Polo at the Mongol Court– Venetian trader, Marco Polo, visits

China in 1275.– Polo returns to Venice in 1292; tells

stories of what he saw in China.• Fabulous cities, fantastic wealth• Burning “black stones (coal) to heat

Chinese homes• Kublai Khan’s government and trade

in Beijing

– These stories were gathered in a book, but most readers doubt its truth.

Government by Foreigners: Mongol Rule

• Whom did Kublai Khan choose to fill important government positions?– Relatives, other Mongols, &

trusted foreigners

• What happened to Chinese scholars during the Mongol rule?– Worked only as teachers &

minor government officials

Revival of the Civil Service System

• How did hiring scholars help China?– Focused on moral behavior,

justice, kindness, loyalty to the emperor, proper conduct, & the importance of family

– Made sure all officials were trained & talented & allowed the hardworking from all social classes to succeed

• Who did hiring scholars hurt China?– People who knew science, math,

or engineering were kept out of government

– Little respect for merchants, trade & business not encouraged due to Confucianism

Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368 C.E.

The Black Plague was spread by the Mongols in the mid-14c.

Sent fleets against Japan.– 1281 150,000 warriors– Defeated by kamikazi [“winds of the gods”]

Kublai Khan experienced several humiliating defeats in Southeast Asia late in his life.

However, discontent was growing in China. The Chinese resented Mongol’s restriction against the Chinese holding important offices. By the 1350s several major rebel leaders had emerged.

The End of Mongol Rule

• Declining Power– Failed expeditions to Southeast Asia show

weakness of Yuan Dynasty.– High taxes cause resentment.

• Yuan Dynasty Overthrown– Kublai dies in 1294; successors are weak.– In 1300s, rebellions break out, leading to

formation of Ming Dynasty.

End of Mongol Empire

• Decline of the Mongol Empire– Mongol rule collapses in Persia in the 1330s;

in Central Asia in the 1370s.– By the end of the 1300s, only Mongol rule in

Russia remains, the Golden Horde.

Timeline of China’s Dynasties, 500-1500

Ming Dynasty

Ming China 1368- 1644

Yuan Mandate of Heaven lost

A Ming legend tells of farmers digging along the Huang-he River finding a statue with only one eye and the inscription "Do not despise this oneeyed statue: it will be the herald of rebellion all throughout the empire.”

Famine, floods, rebellions all made the inscription ring true: the Mongols had lost the Mandate of Heaven, the t'ien ming

Revolution had begun

Hongjinjun (literally “army with red scarf in the head”) peasant army was one of the important powers in overthrowing the Yuan Emperor

China’s last native imperial dynasty!

In addition, Hongwu worked to eliminate Mongol influences and revive traditional Chinese values and practices, like Confucian principles.

In 1279 the Mongol leader Kublai Khan conquered China and founded the Yuan dynasty. After his death in 1294, the Yuan dynasty weakened. This weakness, combined with Chinese resentment of Mongol rule, made China ripe for rebellion—and the rise of a new dynasty.

• 1368, peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang, rebel army, overthrew last Mongol emperor

• Zhu took name Hongwu, “vastly martial,” founded Ming dynasty

• Ming means “brilliant”; dynasty lasted nearly 300 years, until 1644

China under Ming Rule

The Ming Dynasty

• During this time China’s rulers gained control of Korea, Mongolia, parts of Central, Southeast Asia

• Having expelled Mongols, Hongwu worked to rebuild China

• Reduced taxes, improved trade, agriculture, increased stability

Rebuilding China

Expanded Power• Hongwu also greatly expanded power as emperor

• Did away with positions of some high level officials, took over more control of government

• As result, Ming emperors more powerful than in previous dynasties

• Eliminated anyone challenging authority; killed thousands of rivals

Values, Traditions• To obtain government officials educated in Confucian ideas, Hongwu restored,

improved civil service examination system

• To root out corruption, increased influence of censors, officials who monitored government

Yonglo

• In 1398 Hongwu died

• Following power struggle, son Yonglo became emperor

– Ruled from 1402 until 1424

– Moved Ming capital to Beijing, in northeast China

– Built vast imperial city at center of Beijing

– City complex became known as Forbidden City because most people forbidden from entering

Ming Dynasty

1368 – 1644 ADIn the 1360s, a former Buddhist monk Zhu Yuan Zhang successfully extended his power throughout the Yangtze Valley. In 1371, while the Mongol commanders were paralyzed by internal rivalries, he marched north and seized Beijing. The Mongols withdrew to Mongolia and from there continued to harass the Chinese.

Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored seven naval expeditions. Ming’s Emperor Yongle intended to establish a Chinese presence and impose imperial control over trade.

During the first quarter of the 15th century, the Chinese fleet sailed the China seas and the Indian Ocean, reached as far as the east coast of Africa.

Toward the late Ming Dynasty, long wars with the Mongols, incursions by the Japanese into Korea, weakened Ming rule, which result in alien takeover. In 1644 the Manchu tribe took Beijing and establishing the last imperial dynasty.

The Forbidden City: China’s New CapitalThe Forbidden City: China’s New Capital

The Civil Service Exam

• With all its imperfections, the exam:

- provided for more efficient government

- more opportunity for upward mobility

• It was abolished just before the Ming were overthrown.

Revived the Civil Service Exam

Revived the Civil Service Exam

Ming Cultural Revolution

Ming Cultural Revolution

Printing & Literacy Cheap, popular books:

woodblock printing. cheap paper.

Examination system. Leads to explosion in

literacy. Leads to further

popularization of the commercial market.

Culture & Art Increased literacy leads

to increased interest in cultural expressions, ideas, and things:

Literature. Painting. Ceramics. Opera.

Prosperity

• Ming rule brought prosperity to China

• Improved methods of irrigation increased farm production

• Peasants produced huge rice crops in southern river valleys

Growth of Cities, Industries

• As population grew, so did cities

• Industries like manufacture of porcelain, silk expanded in response to growing European demand

• At same time, China remained mainly agricultural society

Growth of Crops, Population

• 1500s, new crops like corn, sweet potatoes from Americas reached China

• These crops further increased farm output

• Stability, plentiful food led to substantial population growth

Ming Economy and Society

Ming Silver MarketMing Silver Market Spanish Silver Convoys

Triangle route: Philippines to China to Japan.

Silver floods Chinese Market: Causes devaluation of currency &

recession Adds to reasons for Chinese immigration

overseas. Reduces price of Chinese goods in

Europe Increases interest in Chinese culture &

ideas in Europe.

Helps fund conquest of New World Encourages Europeans in conquest &

trade.

Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 C.E.

Golden Age of Chinese Art– Moderation– Softness– Gracefulness

Three different schools ofpainting developed.

Hundreds of thousands ofworkers constructed theForbidden City.

Ming Emperor Tai Zu (r. 1368-1398)

The Tribute System

• Fleets included trading ships, immense treasure ships

• Zheng He presented gifts from China wherever he went; in return several foreign leaders sent tribute to China’s emperor

• Voyages demonstrated Ming China’s growing sea power

• After 1433 voyages ended

• Resources needed for frontier defenses

Growing Sea Power

• Yonglo sponsored overseas voyages to extend China’s influence

• Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He, Chinese Muslim admiral, led seven voyages around Indian Ocean as far as Africa

• Sailed with fleets of as many as 300 ships to show China’s power

Extending Influence

Ming Sea Voyages

Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)

Ming “Treasure Fleet” Each ship 400’ long & 160’

wide

1371-1435

Ming China 1368- 1644

Admiral Zheng He (1371-1435)

From 1405 to 1433, Emperor Chengzu sent a Muslim eunuch named Zheng He to across the Indian Ocean.

In 1435 court scholars convinced the emperor that the voyages were wateful, encouraged foreign ideas, and would ruin China

The Emperor ended Naval exploration and tribute and destroyed the records of the voyages

Confucian scholars were resistance to change. Not impressed with the outside world

Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)

China’s “Columbus?”

Admiral Zheng He’s Voyages

First Voyage: 1405-1407 [62 ships; 27,800 men].

Second Voyage: 1407-1409 [Ho didn’t go on this trip].

Third Voyage: 1409-1411 [48 ships; 30,000 men].

Fourth Voyage: 1413-1415 [63 ships; 28,500 men].

Fifth Voyage: 1417-1419 Sixth Voyage: 1421-1422

Emperor Zhu Gaozhi cancelled future trips and ordered ship builders and sailors to stop work.

Seventh Voyage: 1431-1433 Emperor Zhu Zhanji resumed the voyages in 1430 to

restore peaceful relations with Malacca & Siam 100 ships and 27,500 men; Cheng Ho died on the

return trip.

Ming China 1368- 1644

Ming China 1368- 1644

Ming China 1368- 1644

Ming China 1368- 1644

1498 --> Da Gama reached Calcutta, China’s favorite port.

Ming China 1368- 1644

Economy China continued its shift from agricultural and

rural to commercial and urban Porcelain production and painting (China dishes)

became VERY important Commercial port cities including Beijing, Nanjing,

Yangzhou, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Xian and Chengdu grew to trade with Japan and Europe

Farming still important; especially rice and tea Markets and merchants more important than

before

Ming China 1368- 1644

Ming China

Europe traded silver from S. America to China for porcelain

Resold all over Europe

Linked China to Europe via sea trade

Also sold to Middle East along Silk Rd

Ming Porcelain / Ceramics, 17c–18c

Ming China 1368- 1644

Agricultural Developments

crop rotation introduced in China

– fields could be kept continuously in cultivation

– while still maintaining their fertility

stocking the rice paddies with fish, which fertilized the rice and provided peasants w/ protein .

food production and new farming tools improved nutrition for peasants and city dwellers

peasants grew cash crops, such as cotton for clothing, indigo for clothing dyes, and cane.

dramatic population growth, largely due to the increased food supply on account of the agricultural revolution.

Ming China 1368- 1644

Better Rice

• Champa rice introduced from southeast Asia:

• grown in a little over half the growing season

• much larger harvests.

• crop rotation

• – fields could be kept continuously in cultivation

• – while still maintaining their fertility

Ming China 1368- 1644

Reforestation of China

Hong-wu (founder of Ming Dynasty) - reforestation beginning in the 1390's.

Nanjing was reforested with 50 million trees in1391; these trees became the lumber that built thnaval fleet put together by Yung-lo in the early1400's.

one billion trees were planted in this decade in a reforestation project that greatlyreplenished both the timber and the food supply.

Ming China 1368- 1644

Ming Industrial Development textiles, paper, silk, and porcelain traded with Japan,

Europe (especially Spain), India, SE Asia and Indonesian islands for

firearms, and American goods such as sugar,potatoes, and tobacco.

In exchange for raw goods such as silver—probably half the silver mined in the Americas from the mid-1500's to 1800 ended up in China—

technological boom in every area .

Ming China 1368- 1644

Tea Time

The Dutch imported tea from China and other parts of Asia and started the English and European love of tea

Dutch East India Tea Company and later the British East India Tea Company become powerful and wealthy from this trade

Trading tea to China was more profitable than trading silver to China as the Spanish had done

Ming China 1368- 1644

Religion/Philosophy

Neo-Confucianism Matteo Ricci the first

Christian missionary started nearly 300 Catholic churches

Christian influence condemned in late Ming and early Qing

Ming China 1368- 1644

Social Life

Confucianism dominates

Interaction with Japan and Europe increases

Patriarchical Cities provide

opportunity for parties with music and drama

Ming China 1368- 1644

Intellectual Life

Literacy increased and books became cheaper because of the printing press and a stable govt

Yongle Dadian - biggest and earliest encyclopedia in the world.

Many inventions to China from Europe (telescope)

Gunpowder Weapons improved

Revolving cannon with 10 shots Toothbrush invented (pigs hair for bristles) Great furnaces for porcelain

The policy to end the voyages was part of a move in Ming China toward isolation from the outside world.

• 1500s, move toward isolation gained full force

• Ming heavily restricted foreign trade and travel

• Foreign merchants allowed to trade only at few ports, during certain times

• Policies impossible to enforce; smugglers carried out brisk trade with foreign merchants

Ming Foreign Relations• Arrival of European traders,

Christian missionaries influenced decision to isolate China

• Europeans introduced new goods and ideas

• Ming disliked European influences

• Sought to preserve Chinese traditions

Beginning of Isolation

Ming Foreign Relations

European Influence

• Some Europeans gained influence in China

• One was Matteo Ricci, Italian Jesuit priest; arrived 1583

Mongol Threat

• Ming also faced renewed Mongol threat to north

• To improve defense, Ming restored China’s Great Wall

European Learning

• Ricci learned Chinese, adopted customs to gain acceptance

• Introduced European learning in math, science

Great Wall

• Parts of earlier walls repaired, but most construction new

• Much of Great Wall seen today built during Ming period

Outside Influences

• Ming China weakened; the Manchu, a people to northwest in Manchuria, saw their chance

• 1644, Manchu swept into Beijing, took capital

• Last Ming emperor killed himself to avoid capture

• Manchu formed own dynasty; gave it Chinese name—Qing

The Manchu

• Late 1500s, Ming Dynasty began to decline

• Weak rulers took throne, corruption increased under their rule

• Defense efforts drained treasury; rulers raised taxes

• 1600s, high taxes, crop failures led to famine, hardship; rebellions broke out

Reasons for Decline

Ming Decline

Ming China 1368- 1644

Fall of Ming corruption of the court officials and the

domination of the eunuchs. natural disasters like famine from “little ice

age” and worst earthquake of all time in Shaanxi(800,000 dead)

the rebellions that racked the country in the 17th century – high taxes on peasants

Bad harvest

– the aggressive military expansion of the Manchus.

By 1643 the government was bankrupt from fighting and the peasants were broke because of the constant taxes imposed to pay the armies to fight

Ming China 1368- 1644

The Ming ends Northern Chinese Manchu slowly grew in

power until they threatened the Ming Dynasty Ming military grew weak so Ming often used

Manchu to stop the “barbarians” from taking China

One leader, Manchu rebel Li Zicheng, eventually decided to take China rather than protecting it. He entered Beijing in 1644

as he did so the last Ming emperor,Chongzhen, hanged himself on a tree overlookiing the forbidden palace