Ming+Dynasty



** Ming Dynasty **

After a period of instability under the feisty Mongols, China was restored by the virtue of a military commander of peasant origins known as Zhu Yuanzhang. A period of restoration and expansion had begun under the mighty Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was a period of stability and reunification as the Chinese civilization enjoyed a new age of splendor. During the Ming Dynasty, China’s population was the largest of any center of civilization at that time, probably exceeding that of all Western Europe combined. The Ming Empire’s resources were boundless, and it acquired some of the world’s most advanced technology as well as large numbers of skilled engineers and artisans to make good use of its rich soils and mineral wealth. Zhu took a very cautious approach against the so called “Barbarians”, dragging them out of the gigantic empire. After declaring himself the Hongwu emperor in 1368, he enacted a number of reforms including the revival of the scholar gentry that helped China develop a centralized bureaucracy which remained the best organized and most effective in the world.



After dragging out the Barbarians, Ming china was given a great lift by the importation of European crops such as maize, potatoes, and peanuts. This also turned out be a huge factor in the already over populated Ming Dynasty. China, the isolated empire, took a new surge during this period with merchants engaged in long distance trade. Spanish and Portuguese merchants were brought new food crops from the Americas which were traded with fine goods and tea. Unlike the other dynasties, Ming dynasty launched a series of expeditions led by Zhenghe, going as far as Persia, Southern Arabia, and the east coast of Africa thus reestablishing the legendary Silk Road. Along with trade, the nations that traded with each other also experienced a cultural change. An example would be art.
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 * Technology: ** The early decades of the Ming dynasty witnessed a great boom in the technology sector. China’s exceptional handicraft industries were far ahead of the Europeans, producing goods, from silk textiles and tea to fine ceramics. The economy experienced growth during the early decades of Ming Dynasty. A great milestone known as the Great Wall of China was achieved during this epic period of Chinese Civilization. A project started early in Han dynasty could not be finished without advanced technology and resources. Ming China had exactly what was required to put it all together and complete the Great Wall of China.

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 * Culture: ** Ming Chinese culture really bloomed throughout the Ming Dynasty. They got new crops through interactions with Europeans which helped the stability of agriculture. Jesuits taught western sciences to the Ming Courts. The Jesuits entered the Ming court and helped introduce western sciences to the public and officials. One scholar that was working alone produces what is considered the best natural medicine encyclopedia. The Ming Dynasty was greatly affected [[image:http://iwannafile.com/img_store/0/14/59/2.jpeg width="470" height="361" align="right" caption="http://iwannafile.com/img_store/0/14/59/2.jpeg"]] culturally with the ideas of the European Jesuits, both with science and agriculture.

In present day China, it’s very hard to tell your social class from your clothes. Whether you were a government official or a businessman, you both wore formal suits with a tie. Hundreds of years ago in the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese were forced to have a dress code to distinguish those from the lower class and those in the higher class by a distinct Chinese garment.Official garments had a square patched in the front and the back of the robe. Pictures would indicate which type of official the person was. Birds were used to symbolize a civil official, and a animal would symbolize a military official. Different animals were used to distinguish higher ranking officials. For example, the starting rank for a civil official would follow: red-crowned crane, golden pheasant, and a peacock, etc. and finally ending with top rank as quail. Mothers/wives of officials were given garments with patches as unif orm with the matching animal patch that their husband/son have. The uniform is worn to celebrations or special occasions.China led a agrarian-centered social structure which made them a almost perfect civilization.
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 * Political: ** Emperor: Zhu Yuanghang, declared himself the Hongwu Emperor

(1368-1398) > Scholar-Gentry & examination system
 * Get rid of Mongol traces
 * Monarchy government
 * New emperor(grandson):Zhu Yunwen (1398-1402)

Religion in the Ming Dynasty was diverse. People believed in Chinese Folk Religion, Daoism, Chu Hsi, Confucianism, and forms of Buddhism. Confucianism had always been the key religion of China. During the Tang dynasty when Buddhism was on the rise, Confucian scholars admitting it was a major threat to the chinese economy convinced the emperor to get rid of it. Even though Buddhism remained till the end of the qing dynasty, there was little buddhist influence during the Ming dynasty. European trade along the coasts led to the spread of christianty. Striving for success, europeans spread christianity among the Chinese. Even though it didn't earn much success, It still became a part of Ming China.
 * Religion **

Stearns, Peter N. "Chapter 22." //World Civilizations: The Global Experience//. New York: Pearson Longman, 2003. Print. Chunming, Gao. "Traditional Chinese Garments." Chinese Literature (Beijing, People's Republic of China). Winter 1997: 166-180. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 03 Apr 2012. ThinkQuest Team 16325. "Empires Past: China: Ming dynasty" 31 August 1998.  [Accessed 3 April 2012]. Cultural-china.com. "Ming Dynasty." Ming Dynasty: O //Silk Road //. 2002. Photograph. By NASA. // Great Wall of China //. Photograph. China. By Great Wall of China Facts. // Chinese Trade Port //. Photograph. Yaqing/The Epoch Times, Xie. //Gold-plated Bronze Buddha Statue//. 2007. Photograph.
 * Citations: ** "Great Wall of China." //History.com//. A&E Television N etworks. Web. 01 Apr. 2012.