Chinese dynasty Min. The Ming Dynasty

As a result of the peasant uprising, the power of the Mongols was overthrown. In place of the Yuan Dynasty (foreign), the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) came. From the end of the XIV century. China thrives economically and culturally. Old cities begin to develop, and new ones appear, in which trade and craft predominate. The process of the evolution of the country is supported by the emergence of manufactories, where the division of labor is being introduced. The imperial court attracted the best scientists, architects, artists. The main emphasis is on urban construction.

Chinese Ming Dynasty: Economic Transformation

Almost immediately after the advent of this dynasty, measures were introduced to improve the existing situation of the peasants, since they helped to change the power. The Ming dynasty revived the all-inclusive system in the North, which eliminated the economic might of the landowning elite (the North Chinese), which had allied with the Yuan-yam earlier. And in the South everything was exactly the opposite - landlordism was preserved. The modernization of the existing accounting and tax system, as well as the authorities' special attention to irrigation, all contributed to rapid economic growth.

The growth of the city economy, the reason of which was the regional specialization (in Jiangxi the porcelain production was located, and in Guangdong - mainly the railway one), the emergence of new directions, the special place among which was occupied by the construction of 4-deck ships, was traced.

Gradually, commodity-money interrelations develop. Private manufactories appear on the basis of merchant's capital. Central and Southern China has become a place for the appearance of handicrafts. Subsequently, the prerequisites for the creation of a common Chinese market were formed (the number of official fairs was already approaching 38).

but on the other hand

Simultaneously with the above-mentioned progressive phenomena, there were a number of obstacles hampering the development of entrepreneurship (this was typical of the whole East). These include state monopolies, state manufactories, in which more than 300,000 artisans worked, gowns with trade and craft activities. They did not give the economy the opportunity to switch to a qualitatively different production.

Foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty

During the period of economic growth and strengthening of the state power, an offensive policy is predominantly carried out (until 1450 it was called "face to the sea", and afterwards it turned into "face to the barbarians").

The most significant event of this time is the expansion of China, which affected the states of the South Seas.

Ming Dynasty, in view of the growing need to address the problem of Japanese, Chinese, Korean piracy, was forced to create a fleet that numbered 3,500 ships. The further economic recovery contributed to the completion of seven expeditions of the separate fleet, which was headed by the chief eunuch Zhen He, to East Africa. This naval commander had at his disposal 60 large 4-deck ships, the length of which reached 47 meters, they had such pretentious names as "Pure Harmony", "Prosperity and Prosperity". At each was 600 crew members, including a group of diplomats.

Extract from the onboard logs

According to them, in the course of the trip to the coast of East Africa, Zheng, speaking modern language, at sea acted calmly and humbly. However, occasionally, small foreigners did not obey the good intentions of the emperor.

Board of the Ming Dynasty: history

The main focus of Zhu Yuanzhang (the first Chinese emperor) in the period 70-80 years. Made for the final expulsion of the Mongols from his country, the suppression of attempts of social protest among the Chinese peasants through the procedure of economic recovery and the strengthening of personal power. Such tasks were solved with the help of increasing the army, strengthening centralization, applying the most stringent methods that aroused discontent in all segments of the population.

Simultaneously with the restriction of the powers of local government, the emperor relied on numerous relatives who later became rulers - vans (titles) of princedoms due to the fact that, in his opinion, the most reliable are children and grandchildren.

Vannosti were throughout the country: near the periphery they performed defensive function against the threat from the outside, and in the center acted as a counterweight to separatism, rebellion.

In 1398, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang died, after which the court camarilla, bypassing his direct heirs, elevated Zhu Yongwen to the throne - one of his grandchildren.

The reign of Zhu Yongwen

He first of all put his eye on the system of destinies created by his grandfather. This caused the war with Jingnan (1398-1402). The confrontation ended in the seizure of the capital of the Nanjing Empire by the ruler of Beijing, the eldest son of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di. She burnt in the fire with his opponent.

The Third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu-Di continued his father's policy of centralizing the state, while abandoning the existing system of vandals (in 1426, the mutiny of the disgruntled Vans was suppressed). He besieged the title nobility and strengthened the significance of the palace secret services in the process of governing the state.

When he finally decided on the issue of the Chinese capital, which significantly influenced the political weight of the South and North. So, the latter, acting as the cradle of Chinese civilization, loses its weight in the III - V centuries. In favor of the first because of the constant threat of nomads. These parts of the country are carriers of fundamentally different traditions, mentality: Southerners are benign, carefree, and the northerners are resolute, tough, having a higher social status - "Han-Zhen." All this was reinforced by the existing linguistic (dialectical) differences.

Yuani and Suna have chosen the political base of the North, but the Ming dynasty, on the contrary, the South. This is what gave them the opportunity to win.

In 1403, the new emperor of the existing Beypin (translated as "The Emaciated North") was renamed Bayjing ("Northern Capital"). So until 1421, China had two capitals-the imperial capital in the north and the government-bureaucratic capital in the south. Zhu Di thus got rid of the influence and patronage of the southerners, while simultaneously depriving the Southern bureaucracy (Nanking) of excessive autonomy.

In 1421 there was a final consolidation of the capital in the North. In this regard, the Ming dynasty secured itself the support of the North Chinese population and strengthened the country's defense capability.

Ming Emperors

As mentioned earlier, this dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. Ming replaced the Mongolian Yuan during the popular uprising. Only sixteen emperors of this dynasty ruled for 276 years. For convenience of perception, the Ming dynasty emperors are listed in the table below.

The outcome of the peasant war

It was she who caused the fall of the Ming dynasty. It is known that the peasant war, unlike the insurrection, is not only numerous, but also affects various strata of the population. It is more large-scale, long-lasting, well-organized, disciplined because of the presence of the leadership center and the presence of ideology.

It is worthwhile to take a closer look at this event in order to understand how the fall of the Ming dynasty happened.

The first stage of the peasant movement began in 1628 and lasted for 11 years. Over 100 foci failed to unite, due to which they were suppressed. The second stage occurred in 1641 and lasted only 3 years. The combined forces of the rebels were headed by the able commander-in-chief Li Ziychen. He managed to form a peasant army out of the existing numerous chaotically formed squads, which was disciplined, had clear tactics and strategy.

Lee quickly came under popular slogans popularly overthrowing the Ming dynasty. He promoted universal equality, made a promise regarding non-taxation at the end of the war.

As it became known, in the early morning of 26.04.1644, to ring the bell, which urged ministers to come to the emperor Chung Cheng for an audience, absolutely no one came. Then he said that it was the end, his people began to cry. The Empress last time turned to her husband and told him that she had been devoted to him for 18 years, but he never bothered to listen to her, which led to this. After that the empress hanged himself on her belt.

The Emperor could do nothing but how to ineptly kill his daughter and concubine with his sword and hang himself on the belt on the ash-tree. Following the emperor, according to the customs of that time, all 80 thousand officials passed away. According to one version, the Great Sovereign left a note on a piece of silk, which was addressed to Li Zichen. In it, he said that all officials are traitors, so they deserve to be killed, they must be executed. The Emperor justified his departure from life by his reluctance to be obligated to the very last, despicable of his subjects. After a few hours, the invader's messengers removed the emperor's body from the tree, and then placed it in a coffin intended for the poor.

Tomb of the Great Ming Dynasty

More precisely, the tomb, as in the territory of the famous memorial are the graves of thirteen emperors of this dynasty. The Tomb of the Ming Dynasty stretches for 40 square kilometers. Km. It is located about 50 km from Beijing (to the north) at the foot of the great Mountain of Heavenly Longevity. The tomb of the Ming Dynasty is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many people come to Beijing just to see it.

Conclusion

The Manchu yoke of the newly formed Qing Dynasty, one might say, was imposed on the country during the European bourgeois revolutions, which condemned China for as much as 268 years of political and socioeconomic stagnation to the growing colonial expansion from Europe.

The two most powerful dynasties are Ming and Qing. But the differences between them are colossal: the first showed the people the opportunity to enter a new, progressive path, allowing them to feel free and meaningful. The second destroyed all that was created by years of work, made the state reclusive.