The East Asian World, 1400-1800

Ming Dynasty !   With the overthrow of

the Mongols in 1368, Ming Hong Wu founded the Ming Dynasty of China that would last until 1644

!   Ming rule would include Mongolia, Central Asia, & Vietnam (briefly)

Ming Dynasty !   1406: Emperor Yong Le begins

building the Imperial City (also known as the Forbidden City). Completed by 1420, this city served as the capital of China until 1912, when the last ruler of China, Puyi (of the Qing Dynasty), abdicated the throne. Called the Forbidden City as no one was allowed in or out of the city without the emperor’s approval

Forbidden City of China

Forbidden City of China

Covering about 180 acres in modern day Beijing, the city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and national treasure for China – showcasing art & architecture from the previous 400 years

Chinese Exploration – Zheng He (1405-1433)

Led by court official Zheng He, China explored SE Asia, India, & the eastern coast of Africa, bringing back animals, riches, & information about the outside world

1514: the Portuguese arrived in China – the 1st Europeans to visit them since Marco Polo in the late 1200’s.

Europeans in China – Christian Impact/Missions •  Matteo Ricci (1552-1610): arrived in China 1601. His gifts of clocks to the emperor & his adoption of Chinese culture, customs, & dress won him favor w/the people; by 1700, more than 200,000 converts

•  Francis Xavier (1506-1552): arrived in Japan 1549; by 1614 more than 300,000 converts; Emp. Tokugawa Ieyasu began persecuting Christians as agents of European imperialism

•  Robert de Nobili (1577-1656): adopted native ways of speaking, dressing, & living; India

•  Catholicism spread through Indochina, Vietnam, & Philippines during this time

KEY CONCEPT: First sharing of ideas between East and West came through these missionaries

Matteo Ricci (left) and Xu Guangqi (right) in the Chinese edition of Euclid's Elements published in 1607

Ming Dynasty Falls !   Fall of the Ming Dynasty:

!   Earthquakes – late 1500s to 1620’s !   Little Ice Age in 1600-1650s caused famine when crops failed !   Wars with Japan !   Plague (1641) !   Misrule !   Financial crisis !   Internal rebellions led by Li Zicheng (1641-1644)

!   Victory of the Manchus (1644) !   Facing the rebel army who held Beijing as well as a Manchu army

across the border, a Ming general who guarded the Great Wall named Wu Sangui (1612–1678) sided with the Manchus and opened the gates of the Great Wall. In this way, the Manchus conquered Beijing.

Qing Dynasty !   Dorgon, regent for the child Qing Emperor

Shunzhi, devised a test for enabling the government to identify loyal supporters of the new Manchu Qing Dynasty, Ming men must shave the front of their hair and leave a long pony tail in the back…otherwise known as a queue

“keep the hair, lose the head…lose the hair, keep the head”

Japan: Tokugawa !   Tokugawa Ieyasu – took control in 1603

!   Established capital at Edo (Tokyo)

!   Tokugawa rule lasted until 1868

!   Ushered in an era of Japanese history known as the “Great Peace”

!   Excluded Christianity

!   Made Japan isolated

Japan: Kabuki Theatre

!   An art form of theatre, music, & dance with highly stylized costumes and make-up

!   Used in modern days to denote any situation where there is the appearance of one story when there is another behind it

Korea !   Yi Dynasty, founded in 1392 had their capital at

Hanyang – modern day Seoul

!   Established their society & government along Chinese lines

!   Made themselves isolated from the rest of the world…earning it the nickname of the Hermit Kingdom

!   In 1630s, Manchu forces invaded from China and largely controlled the island

General Yi Seong-gye, later known as King Taejo