Eric Otiende March 7, 2019
The native Ming Dynasty established itself in China in 1368, but the central power of the emperor was already in decline by the 15 th Century. They were under constant threat from Mongolian tribes, other internal enemies and also defend itself against the advance of the Europeans. The court EUNUCHS eventually came to exercise real power. Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk, drove the Mongolian Yuan dynasty out of China from the south and founded the Ming Dynasty as Emperor Hung-Wu. A cruel despot, officials and minister were limited to counseling functions, and the administration of the 13 provinces was carried out directly by the ruler in this case a ruler who penalized the slightest infraction with cruel punishment.
As the peasants had supported his rise to power, the Emperor instituted a redistribution of land, made taxes more equitable, and established a work colony for the destitute. He constantly had to defend the against the Mongols and Japanese invasions on the coasts. As early as 1387, China began building fortifications on the east and southeastern coasts and continued construction of the Great Wall. In 1402, Emperor Chengzu who ascended to the throne began rapidly building a fleet of ships and intensified overseas trade. The eunuchs were now increasingly replacing the officials in the internal administration, until they became, under Chengzu s successor, the ACTUAL INSTRUMENT OF RULE.
The leading eunuch Zheng undertook sea voyages to Africa and developed a market for African products in China. The eunuchs and court cliques continued exacting power over the successor weak and young Emperors. Mongolian tribesmen would make forays deep into China as far as Nanjing and Beijing. By 1550 all of the court offices and control of bureaucracy were in the hands of the cliques and court favorites. Through the reinforcement of teaching Confucius in the academies and civil service schools, the internal structure of the state was able to remain relatively stable despite occasional rebellions in the rural provinces.
Due to the Mongolian threat, the capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. The economy of the Ming period was based primarily on expanded trade and agriculture; experiencing an upswing in the 1600s with the cultivation of new, economically useful plants such as potatoes, tobacco, corn, and peanuts. As a result of the general prosperity, the population surged. An incipient merchant and banking class emerged in the rapidly growing cities, some of whom made their way into the state administration, while the emperor remained weak through an extravagant lifestyle and power of the eunuchs. The country was soon faced with innumerable revolts, a Japanese attempt to occupy the Chinese vassal state of Korea, which resulted in a costly battle in 1593-98.
Between 1594-1604, China also unsuccessfully attempted to decrease the influence of the east India Company through wars in Annam, Burma, and Siam. After the Portuguese had established a trading colony in canton in 1516 particularly for the tea trade and Macao a trading base in 1567, Christians began missionary work in China. The Jesuit Matteo Ricci lived in Beijing from 1601 and as a scholar had access to the highest court circles. In 1613, the emperor entrusted the Jesuits with reforming the calendar, and a European, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, soon became director of the imperial observatory, was conferred the rank of first-class mandarin, and functioned as the regent of the young emperor from 1651.
During the reign of the last Ming Emperor, despite the political weaknesses of the empire, China experienced a blossoming of literature, science, the arts, and above all, porcelain production. The political weakness was exploited from the end of the 16 th century on by Jurchen tribes, who rose against Chinese administration and allied themselves with the Mongolians. By 1621 they had conquered Manchuria and marched on Beijing, which they conquered in1636. The Jurchen proclaimed themselves an Imperial Dynasty under the name Da Qing Great Purity. When the last Ming Emperor, Chongzhen, committed suicide in 1644, the Manchus entered Beijing.