The Ming Dynasty
By Amela Pjetrovic
1. Examine the foundations (economy) of the Ming dynasty.
The Ming dynasty came into power after the Yuan dynasty fell, which brought back native rule back to the country of China, starting with Chinese emperor Hongwu. He was the founder of the Ming dynasty, and laid the foundations for the empire by putting plans into place that served the purpose of keeping the state centralized. Hongwu wasn’t the only key leader that made an impact in the early years of the Ming Dynasty; Emperor Yongle sent out many expeditions that sailed around the Indian Ocean showcasing Chinese pride all over the globe, but this practice wasn’t continued after his death. However, keeping the state centralized was still a priority for the predecessors. The foundations of their economy were on agriculturally based; the production of cash crops was key as the quality of land decreased and the population increased. There were efficient methods such as crop rotation and water-powered plowing that allowed farmers to grow the most common crops such as tea and fruit orchards.
Pictured Below: Map of the Ming Dynasty
Pictured Below: Map of the Ming Dynasty
2. What were the greatest accomplishments of the Ming?
The most significant accomplishments of the Ming include the building of the Great Wall of China, renovation of the Grand Canal, and obliterating of the Mongol. Both of these projects were to protect China and create a sense of Chinese pride. The Great Wall was constructed because Ming emperors wanted to build several barricades around China, specifically for the northern border, where the Great Wall was to be built. However, the wall was no easy task, as hundreds of thousands of people worked day in and day out for years to build the massive fortification. After all that manual labor throughout the fifteenth into the sixteenth centuries, a massive final product was produced. The Great Wall was about 2,500 kilometers wide and fifteen meters high. Although they didn’t build it entirely as they did with the Great Wall, the Ming played a big role in the Grand Canal by restoring it after the orders of Emperor Yongle. Another great accomplishment of the Ming include eliminating outside influence, especially from the Mongol, in order to maintain a sense of stability throughout China. This focused on having respect for the Chinese past and traditions; the government did this by providing the finances for the study of Chinese culture.
Pictured Below: Great Wall of China
Pictured Below: Great Wall of China
3. What led to their decline?
There was a time when problem after problem occurred in the Ming Dynasty, and this period ultimately led to its fall. During the 1520s through the 1560s, there were several pirates and smugglers inhabiting the coast of China. The Ming navy tried to resolve the problem but were inevitably not effective in defeating the pirates. There was continuous conflict between the Mings and the pirates, and caused strife in towns near the coast. Pirates went on rampages where they stole from several cities and killed thousands of innocent people; they were extremely hard to stop, especially with a crumbling government. When the eunuchs won over the Ming emperors, they abused their power to ensure they could live lives of luxury for themselves. After this point, the longer they stayed in power, the more corruption increased in the Ming’s government. This lead to the once tightly centralized state lead by the Ming to become weak, and the inefficiency continued to increase as a chain of famines overcame China. A rebel group of peasants formed in the 1630s and joined forces with Manchu invaders, and they attacked the Ming dynasty together. This series of devastating events was impossible for the Ming to overcome, and caused the dynasty to collapse entirely.
Pictured Below: A painting of Chinese citizens
Pictured Below: A painting of Chinese citizens
4. How did religion affect their society?
Religion affected the Ming Dynasty in several ways, and still affects modern-day China as many people still practice Taoism and Chinese Buddhism today. There were several different religions practiced during the time period of the Ming Dynasty, but Taoism and Buddhism were the most prevalent. This is because a strong importance was placed on having a peaceful relationship with nature, and this reasoning can be seen throughout the scriptures and other religious traditions practiced at this time. However, Christianity was not completely absent in the Ming Dynasty either. There were Jesuit missionaries that came to China in hopes of converting them to the Christian lifestyle. A particular Jesuit, Matteo Ricci persuaded some upper class Chinese citizens to convert to Christianity by showing them modern technology of the west they would have access to if they joined him.
Pictured Below: Chinese Art
Pictured Below: Chinese Art
Video Summary of the Ming Dynasty
Watch this video below for a detailed overview of the Ming Dynasty.
Pic Collage of the Ming Dynasty
This Pic Collage overviews the Ming Dynasty's greatest accomplishments, influential leaders, and key religions.