Chapter 20 – East Asian World,

Lesson 1 – The Ming and Qing Dynasties

Ming Dynasty The return of Chinese rule Territory expands into Mongolia and central Asia Peace with northern nomads Centralized government manned by civil servants New crops increases production A new golden age for China

Yong Le ( ) After moving the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, Yong Le had the Imperial Palace built – also known as the Forbidden City.

Zheng He – Ming-era explorer Zheng He’s voyages during the rule of Yong Le Voyages brought China to the attention of the world. The Portuguese arrived in China in 1514 but the Chinese saw the Europeans as barbarians not to be taken seriously.

Trade Imbalance between China and Europe

Reasons for the Ming Downfall: Increase of government corruption, leading to high taxation Peasant tensions rose against taxation and low crop yields (weather) Epidemic 1644 – peasant revolt Invasion of the Manchus

Qing Dynasty ( ) Strong resistance led to demands for all male Chinese to adopt Manchu dress and hair styles Those who refused were assumed by the government to be rebels and were executed.

How did the foreign Manchus rule the Chinese: Isolated their culture and heritage from the larger Chinese people Allowed ethnic Chinese to be a part of the government Kangxi ( ) The résumé of Kangxi Considered one the greatest emperors of Chinese history Conscientious with great political skills Settled disputes with northern nomads and signed a peace and economic treaty with Russia Tolerant of other faiths and their missionaries

Qianlong ( ) The rule of Qianlong – great but the beginning of the end As Qianlong grew old, fell under influence of people used taxes to hurt farmers White Lotus Rebellion ( ) Attempts to limit European presence but they grew more aggressive Britain, in particular, sought to correct trade imbalance with more liberal access to China

Economic changes in China: Increase in population due to peace, faster growing rice and increased food supplies Expansion of trade and manufacturing but merchants were not as independent as in Europe – stymied growth Cultural conditions in China: Based on Confucius ideas, center of life was on the extended family – elderly held in high esteem Beyond family were the clans Women held as inferior to men but within home, were much stronger

Foot binding What is it? The practice of binding feet to gain status, either economic or social. Why? Theories vary. It began in the wealthy classes and filtered down. Some say it was tied to controlling women more easily. Is it still going on? There are examples of it but it is largely a rejected idea, made illegal at the end of the dynastic period.

Lesson 2 – The Reunification of Japan

Late 1400s – Japan is in chaos with the shoguns no longer controlling the country and the daimyos warring with themselves. Then, three emperors changed all that… Toyotomi Hideyoshi ( ) Moved capital to Osaka and convinced daimyos throughout the islands to accept his centralized rule. Oda Nobunaga ( ) Conquered the government in and capital city of Kyoto and by 1582, had unified central Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu ( ) Completed the unification of the Japanese islands, moved the capital to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and started the Great Peace period.

During the unification period of Japanese history, the Portuguese began making regular stops, taking part in regional trade.

Jesuit priest Francis Xavier arrived in Japan in 1549 and converted thousands of Christians. However, when Jesuits destroyed some local shrines, Hideyoshi kicked out first the missionaries and then, merchants and traders.

The Tokugawa Era The country was divided into territories called hans, semi- autonomous states that were ruled by the daimyos. The shoguns controlled the daimyos through the hostage system. Samurai grew to become more managers of daimyo estates than warriors.

Tokugawa Economy Banking Trading Paper money Rise of the merchant class

While some farmers benefitted from growing cash crops, most were crushed by taxes and high costs.

Tokugawa Society Rigid class distinction:Royal members (emperor and family) Warriors (shogun, daimyo, samurai and ronin) Artisans, merchants and peasants Eta (societal outcasts) Society was largely male-dominated with women restricted by lack of economic opportunities and dominated by father or husband

Tokugawa Era – Literature and the Arts Poetry, namely Matsuo Basho, remained a serious form of literature about nature during the 1600s. Kabuki theater focused on drama in tearooms and dance halls. Women were forbidden to be on stage so men played female roles.

Lesson 3 – The Kingdoms of Korea and Southeast Asia

Yi Song-gye ( ) Yi (Choson) Dynasty ( s)

Based in their capital of Hanseong (modern-day Seoul) Adopted Chinese government style but maintained their own culture Hangul – Korean alphabet Like Japanese, based in Chinese but is phonetic Invaded by Hideyoshi of Japan and the Manchus of China – able to defeat both but grew isolationist as a result Part of the royal palace that housed the Choson dynastic rulers.

Kingdoms in Southeast Asia There were four main types of political structures in Southeast Asia during its pre-colonial days: Buddhist kings – this was the type of government seen in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Kings were considered superior and connected to the universe. Javanese kings – Coming from India, kings were thought to be sacred with their palace being the center of the universe. Islamic states – ruling the Malay Peninsula, the Islamic head of state was a sultan. Though mortal, he was viewed to have special qualities and served as defender of the faith. Vietnamese emperors – Following the Chinese model, the emperors ruled based on Confucianism. A connection between heaven and earth, the emperor was taught to treat his subjects with love and respect.

The Portuguese were very interested in the spices coming from the modern-day Indonesia. Spices were used for all sorts of things: flavorings, medicines, preservers. In 1511, the Portuguese seized Melaka to control the spice trade. In the 1600s, as the Portuguese were declining, the English and the Dutch were taking over the region. The Dutch seized Melaka and controlled the entire area, driving all other Europeans from the region.