1.   1368: Hongwu and a peasant army drove out the Mongols.  Ming dynasty lasted until 1644.  During reign:  - built a strong centralized government based on Confucian principles.  - reinstated the Civil Service exam. Ming Dynasty

2.   Also built large fleets.  Zheng He- led fleets to southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, and to Africa a century before Europe.  Instead of colonizing Chinese turned inward. Ming Dynasty

3.   Changed counterfeited money to a “single-whip” system based on silver currency.  - Discovery of American silver caused inflation.  Sixteenth century problems arose:  - Pirates raiding port cities  - Portuguese setting up in Macao.  - 17 th Century Famine cripple economy. Ming Dynasty

4.   Peasant uprisings occurred due to famine.  1644 – Ming rulers invited Qing warriors from Manchuria to help put down the uprising.  - Qing ousted the emperor and the Qing or Manchu dynast rose and lasted until 1912.  - Carried on much of the isolation. Decline of the Ming and rise of Qing

5.   Not ethnically Chinese:  - Forbid Chinese to learn the Manchu language or marry Manchus.  Manchu only made up 3% of the population.  - Needed Chinese to help run the country – Civil Service Exam reaches new height. Qing Dynasty

6.   1662-1722  Confucian Scholar  Chief Successor – Qianlong ruled from 1735 – 1795.  Both Emperors:  - supported the arts  - Expanded the empire: Kangxi conquered Taiwan and extended to Mongolia, Central Asia, and Tibet.  Qianlong added Vietnam, Burma, and Nepal to the Vassal states of China. Kangxi

7.   Did not aspire to conquer the world.  Allowed trade with Europeans but very vigilant with the trade.  1724: Christianity was banned.  1757: trade was limited to just one city, Canton.  Trade remained constant and a rise of a Chinese merchant class occurred. Qing Dynasty