Ming dynasty 明 (1368 - 1644 AD)

Early stages of the Ming dynasty:

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD) was founded by Emperor Hongwu 洪武 (Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋), who led the uprising against the Mongolian rulership. He ruled over China by using an absolutist system and did not tolerate competition of any kind. The administration of the empire was restructured and the 6 ministries were directly subordinate to the emperor. In addition, eunuchs were used to control the civil service. The capitals of the Ming dynasty were Beijing and Nanjing.

Hereditary occupational groups were set up in the population, including soldiers and craftsmen. The majority of the population was defined by the peasantry. Therefore, the focus of the Ming dynasty was first on rebuilding agriculture, which resulted in an increase in the amount of arable land.

The foreign policy of the Ming dynasty:

Foreign policy was of particular importance during the Ming dynasty. This is reflected in the five military campaigns against the Mongols, the occupation of Vietnam and the legations to Central and West Asia, Tibet and Nepal. In addition, seven sea exeditions took place in the Indian Ocean. The sea expeditions were under the direction of the Sino-Muslim general Zheng He 郑 和.

After the death of the Yongle Emperor 永乐 (1360-1424), the 3rd emperor of the Ming dynasty, the empire became increasingly isolated. The expansion of the Great Wall represents a symbol of this development. Until the 16th century, pirates had made raids deep into the interior of the country. The 16th century was also shaped by the expansive policy of the European colonial powers. Macao's status as a trading colony was established at that time.

Ming dynasty society:

The society was shaped by social changes. The boom in trade and economy gave rise to trade professions. Products were commercialized and the three traditional family categories (military, handicrafts and agriculture) declined. Because of this, revolts broke out in the 15th century.

Culture, technology and economy:

A literary culture emerged in the Ming dynasty as a result of the printing process. The four great classical Chinese novels date back to this time.

The foreign policy brought about a promotion of knowledge about medicine, geography and botany. These international contacts made it possible for China to take an economically relevant position worldwide through exports of tea, silk and porcelain. The development of the Ming dynasty was marked by industrialization, which had an impact on the agricultural development.

Fall of the Ming Dynasty:

The history of the Ming dynasty was also threatened by the nomadic people in the north, who repeatedly pushed into Chinese territory, especially between 1540 and 1552 AD. In addition to this threat from the north, piracy was another challenge.

Problems within the empire increasingly fueled this fateful situation. The imperial lack of competence, the deficits in the state treasury, the conflicts between officials and eunuchs, as well as bad harvests and famine led to uprisings. These popular uprisings were the main reason for the decline of the Ming dynasty. The uprisings of society were finally ended by the Manchurians, who then established the Qing dynasty.