Chapter 3 Section 2 China How were Emperors Hong Wu and Yong Le able to strengthen and expand the their empire? What mistakes did these emperors make which led to the end of their dynasty? Does the Ming dynasty have anything in common with the Gunpowder Empires? Give specific examples
Ming Dynasty Chinese commoner, led huge peasant army proclaimed himself emperor Hong Wu Reorganized legal system with harsh punishments Reorganized the tax system Civil Service Exam making official posts open to all literate Chinese Confucian philosophy Centralized government. Eliminated many positions and killed enemies Improved economy thru irrigation systems and offered free land and tools to farmers
Emperor Yong Le Sent explorer Zheng He to explore the world and dominate trade Stopped expeditions because they were too expensive. Limited trade to SE Asia Focused on agriculture Rebuilt capital city of Beijing and spent money on palaces and gardens. Isolated from the people Raised taxes to pay for buildings, parties, art