Early Modern China (Ming and Qing Dynasties) Flashcards
Ming Administration
Emperor wields the power from the Forbidden city, and depends on lower bureaucrats to enforce laws and collect taxes. Tde district Mandarin bureaucrats take the civil service exams to get higher positions. Village bureaucrats were governing small townships. Eunuch bureaucrats take care of the emperors every need. Was similar to Europe. The cabinet of Louis XIV was similar to Eunuchs, people were assigned tax collection, ect. Emphasis on the importance of the ruler, was a way to keep the nobles at bay to not take over the government.
Qing administration
Qing emperor was able to keep China stable, making the examinations even harder to pass. They studied confucian classics and kept scholar-gentry class. Took over taiwan and brought it under China’s control. Sponsored building of irrigation/flood control and agricultural projects. Taking care of subjects, keeping Confucianism and filial piety, meant happy and fed peasants. Didn’t have Eunuch bureaucrats. Expand into Tibet, where Manchus encouraged merchants to settle here, and Central Asia. vietnam, burma, Bhutan, and Nepal were tributary states, making them so much silver.
Qing use of Ritual and Art to legitimize rule
Built the Forbidden city, making sure the emperor was so protected like they were a myth to legitimize their rule. They also used imperial portraits to gloralize emperor images. Continuing confucian public rituals were huge, where kowtows were held (when they kneel and touch the ground with their forehead as worship). Paintings of the emperor where he was seen as doist, bodhisattvas, and other religions to enlarge their reach.
Ming Government Use of Silver
Because of the influx of silver in China, the peasants lose land since they cannot keep up with inflationary taxes. During their decline, the corruption and over indulgence of rulers became an issue for years. Eunuchs gain power to collect taxes, convincing confucian scholars bureaucrats were not taking taxes appropriately. They couldn’t organize relief efforts because of their spending habits for the floods, crop failure, and famine strikes, causing peasant revolts. Eunuchs line their pockets with money, as they lose money from inflation.
New American Crops in China
Crops from spanish merchants in Manilla. Got potatoes, maize, sweet potatoes, and chilies (this affected the Sichuan cuisine), peanuts. This supported population growth.
Impact of Columbian Exchange on China
Their new crops supported population growth. Wanted to protect themselves from outside invaders, and from harming their culture since they wanted everything to be strictly confucianist and have no influence from European countries, so they hardly let anybody trade with them or have large groups in China.
Ming and Qing resistance to European Conquest
They protected themselves from outside invaders (mongols) on their land. The ming repaired the great wall that fell during the Mongol rule, and moved their capital from Nanjing to Beijing, a far away point from any European settlement. Qing had military prowess as well, having mercenaries and samurai, but did little against guns. European culture was not welcome in fear of disruption of the empire. They only allow Europeans in macau, limiting the presence like they did in the Ming.
Silver in China
Trade With Europeans
Rising european wealth brings in new silver to china, causing inflation. The need for chinese goods becomes heavily demanded, a continuity. Cerca 1420, they had treasure fleets, and got lots of silver and other items from Zheng He. From Manila, they got silver from Spain. Traded with the dutch and VOC in batavia for silver during the Ming.
Silver in China
Impact of Silver on Chinese Economy
During the Ming empire, merchants began hoarding silver since there was less of it, forcing the ratio of he value of copper to silver into a steep decline. However, during the Qing, they avoided inflation by producing large amounts of luxury goods Europe wanted with their large labor force. It kept the treasury full and peasants happy.
Peasant Labor in China
During the ming, peasants held higher status than merchants because they were seen as “do’ers”. They helped repair the great wall. The build a labor force kind of like the mit’a where men outside of the harvesting season to go north to make sure they helped rebuilding the wall as their physical taxes. In the Qing, there was a large labor force available to produce silk and porcelain to get more silver because of the new crops and population growth.
Artisan labor in China
There were thousands of small scale manufacturers who made good money. Made things like porcelain, silk, lacquerware, ect. Increase in world trade helped silk manufacturing organize itself into guilds of sorts. Weavers worked in worships, and fine satins and broccades were for export.
Christianity in China During the Qing Dynasty
The Qing wiped out Nestorian Christians however, trying to keep things “pure”, by bringing back Confucian culture. A Jesuit, Matteo Ricci, attempted to convert Wang Li, like they did in other parts of southeast Asia before. They showed similarities with Christianity and Confucian ideas, but the pope becomes enraged, causing the emperor to feel that way as well, because they were mixing and synchronizing the religions which was against Christian beliefs. Wang Li ends up banning proselytizing the faith, punishable by death. It kept the Spanish and Portuguese people at bay.
Qing Treatment of Chinese
They were very similar to the Mongols, outlawing intermarraige with chinese to not buddle the bloodline. Did not allow them to travel to manchuria, cannot learn the Manchurian language, and Chinese men had to shave their heads in a manchu-style “queue”. Manchurians always had higher position in the government besides Han Chinese taking the Civil service exams.
Qing Rise to Power
The manchus were like the spanish, russians, ottomans, ect, and were able to create a large land-based empires. They took the weakening of china to revolt during the famine crisis. Since China was not big on military, it left them uncontrolled. Chinese generals deserted the Ming dynasty because of corruption and inefficiency because of the Emperors, joining forces with the Manchus. They made sure their people were fed and happy, causing stability.
Ming Decline
It took 40 years for them to lose power. They were pushed to the south. The Eunuchs isolated the emperor from the Confucian Mandarin bureaucrats to take power. Leaders over indulged for years, making eunuch intermediaries conduct affairs, gaining them military power, granting them to collect taxes in 1590. Pirates hamper trade after the treasure fleets dispanded. They start losing money from inflation and fewer taxes. Eunuchs take all the money, while they cannot organize relief efforts for floods, crop failures, and famine. Peasants revolts, the armies restoring order and taking over.
