2. From ming to qing

3. Aim Articulate factors that led to the decline of the Ming Dynasty
Evaluate the extent to which the Qing changed China after taking power from the Ming.

4. Ming decline Poor leadership
Wan Li and his successors were weak leaders
late emperors isolated themselves in the Forbidden City (royal palace)
Some focused on philosophy and art rather than leadership
Some used royal treasury for personal reasons
Most ignored trade, hurting Chinese wealth
Tax corruption meant they had little money to maintain military and infrastructure
Most ignored maintaining military strength and agricultural systems
Eunuchs and advisers betrayed emperors and maintained their own security forces (small armies)
Government loses support from upper classes
Some of the Gentry begin to adopt Buddhism in favor of traditional Confucian values
Confucian scholars begin to question the authority of the government

5. Ming decline Public Safety and Infrastructure Failures
Flooding and irrigation systems not maintained
Insufficient grain and rice storage, famines cannot be addressed
Insufficient funds and resources to handle natural disasters like earthquakes, drought and flooding

6. Ming decline Military weakened Trade restrictions and weak navy
Soldiers not paid or trained well
Recruitment suffered, army lacked numbers, eventually reduced to 10% the size needed to maintain control of borders
Outposts and forts were not maintained, especially in the north
Mongols and Manchus made border raids
Trade restrictions and weak navy
Leads to smuggling and piracy issues, stalls trade, hurts economy
Foreigners gained control of key ports as a result
Example = Portugal took control of Macau
High taxes
Middle and lower classes unfairly taxed
Corrupt bureaucrats would steal tax money

7. Ming decline Rebellions Manchu overthrow
Confucian scholars betrayed government
Peasant uprisings occurred after natural disasters and famine
Deserters from the army were stealing grain and causing conflict between peasants and former soldiers
Some advisers and bureaucrats joined forces with Manchus to overthrow government
Many people argued the emperors had lost the Mandate of Heaven
Manchu overthrow
1644, large Manchu army sweeps into Beijing, recruiting smaller peasant armies and the armies of Ming advisers along the way
Forms Qing Dynasty

9. Qing dynasty vs. Ming dynasty
Change
Continuity
Manchus not Han
Expanded territory
More involved in global trade
Cities grew larger
More popular culture = art, literature, theater develop
Claimed Mandate of Heaven
Ethnic homogeneity
Maintained Confucian system = civil service exams, built Confucian schools
Highly Patriarchal = foot binding increased
Tried to limit influence of foreign merchants
Rigid social hierarchy
Limited technological innovation

10. Emperor kangxi Kang Xi Built military Expanded territory
Studied Confucianism
Focused on agriculture and infrastructure

11. ttl
Was the Qing dynasty mostly a change or continuity from the Ming?