Asia and Exploration Ming Dynasty Ming rulers would

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Asia and Exploration

Asia and Exploration

Ming Dynasty ▫ Ming rulers would not allow outsiders from distant lands to threaten

Ming Dynasty ▫ Ming rulers would not allow outsiders from distant lands to threaten the peace and prosperity they had brought to China after the end of Mongol rule. ▫ Mongols had been a foreign group that invaded China and now finally an ethnically Chinese dynasty was in power.

Ming Dynasty Continued • Yonglo – son of 1 st Ming Emperor • Had

Ming Dynasty Continued • Yonglo – son of 1 st Ming Emperor • Had strong interest in exploring the world • Mongols had been a foreign group that invaded China and now finally an ethnically Chinese dynasty was in power.

Zheng He • Zheng He led these voyages! ▫ Early voyages set out to

Zheng He • Zheng He led these voyages! ▫ Early voyages set out to Southeast Asia and India ▫ Later expeditions roamed as far as Arabia and eastern Africa. ▫ Later expeditions went to Arabia and eastern Africa

Zheng He ▫ 40 to 300 ships sailed in each exploration ▫ Fighting ships,

Zheng He ▫ 40 to 300 ships sailed in each exploration ▫ Fighting ships, storage vessels, and huge “treasure” ships up to 440 feet long ▫ Crews outnumber 27, 000 on some voyages ▫ Sailors, soldiers, carpenters, interpreters, accountants, doctors, and religious leaders ▫ Sailed from port to port along the Indian Ocean ▫ Distributed gifts, such as gold, silver, silk, and scented oils, to show Chinese superiority ▫ More than 16 countries sent tribute to the Ming Court

And then…. • Chinese scholar-officials complained that these voyages wasted valuable resources ▫ After

And then…. • Chinese scholar-officials complained that these voyages wasted valuable resources ▫ After the 7 th voyage ended in 1433, there were no more. ▫ China withdrew itself into self-sufficient isolation.

Isolation • To keep the influence of outsiders to a minimum, only the government

Isolation • To keep the influence of outsiders to a minimum, only the government was to conduct foreign trade, through three coastal ports. ▫ In reality, trade flourished up and down the coast ▫ Profit-minded Chinese merchants smuggled cargoes of silk, porcelain, and other valuable goods out of the country into the hands of eager European merchants ▫ Europeans would pay for these goods with the silver that had been mined in the Americas at the expense of Native Americans

Effects • China did not become fully industrialized for 2 reasons ▫ The whole

Effects • China did not become fully industrialized for 2 reasons ▫ The whole idea of commerce offended Chinese Confucian beliefs. Merchants, it was said, made their money “supporting foreigners and robbery” ▫ Second, Chinese economic policies traditionally favored agriculture. Taxes on agriculture stayed low. Taxes on manufacturing and trade skyrocketed.

Cultural Diffusion! • Accompanying European traders into China were Christian missionaries. • Brought Christianity

Cultural Diffusion! • Accompanying European traders into China were Christian missionaries. • Brought Christianity and variety of European inventions, like the clock and prism to China. • Many educated Chinese opposed Christianity • First missionary was Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci. He gained special place in Ming Court through his intelligence and ability to speak and write Chinese.