The Ming Dynasty of China

Ming Dynasty Policies

In Module 3, we learned that the Black Plague devastated the Chinese with equal ferocity as it ravaged Europe. The Khans could not retain the Mandate of Heaven in the face of such loss. This opened the door for a Chinese-born peasant to lead a rebel army against the Khans and begin the Ming Dynasty. To help restore authentic Chinese practices to China, Emperor Hongwu brought back Han Dynasty practices including the Civil Service System and Confucian relationships. His son, Emperor Yongle (pictured to the right), continued to promote the glory of China by returning the capital to Beijing. He also launched a series of seven exploratory voyages, with upwards of 20,000 people in each fleet, designed to increase tribute from faraway lands

Zheng He's Exploratory Fleet

Zheng He, the voyage captain, traveled as far away as the Swahili Coast and Indonesia. At each location, Zheng He gave the locals gifts and brought back either the ruler or diplomat to meet the emperor. He also brought back spices and live animals, including rhinos and giraffes. This whetted the Chinese people’s appetite for foreign luxuries. However, after the deaths of Zheng He and Emperor Yongle, later emperors felt the cost of exploration was too high. They prioritized rebuilding the Great Wall of China (to keep out the Mongols) and outlawed the construction of ocean-going ships.

A modern diorama of Zheng He’s fleet

Ming Impact on Chinese Social Structure

With Confucianism re-established, so too was education valued highly. After the emperor, the bureaucratic scholars were the highest on the social pyramid. Confucius also valued farmers since they made food for everyone else. Additionally, as the population stabilized (and grew) after the Black Plague, cities flourished. These cities needed to be fed, so farmers grew in importance and were next in the social order. Initially, since international trade was devalued, artists and merchants were at the bottom of the Ming social pyramid.

Even though the Ming emperors rejected exploration, the outside world would not allow China to be completely isolated. As we will learn in later modules, in the 15^th century, Europeans began exploring. When they first contacted China, the emperor limited the merchants to trade in only a few select ports. However, Europeans began to export New World goods (like silver and tobacco) and the Chinese nobility loved it. The Ming emperors changed course again and allowed international trade. Soon New World vegetation would be grown in China – which would further elevate farmers, improve the economy, and provide extra wealth for the elite. China’s wealthy invested in pottery, printed literature, plays, and gardens. Therefore, towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen and merchants saw their status in society rise because of China’s somewhat timid re-entry into international trade.

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