Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Asian Transitions in an era of Global Change

AP World History II

European Arrival

Vasco de Gama and his Portuguese crew arrive in India in 1498

Found a sea route around AfricaPortugal, not Spain!Initial trading in CalicutAsians weren’t interested in European-made goodsAsians were, however, ready to trade for silver bullion!

Europeans realize that the Muslims arrived in Southern Asia well before they did!

Asian Sea Trade Network

3 Main ZonesWest: Arab Zone-glass, carpet, and tapestry making.Center: Indian Zone-superb cotton textiles.East: Chinese Zone-paper, porcelain, and silk textiles.Places like Japan, East Africa, and South East Asia were known to contribute raw materials.

Come from places like Ceylon (known for Spices).Indonesian ArchipelagoSpices, ivory from Africa

European Arrival

There were two characteristics of the trading system that needed to be understood by the EuropeansFirst…NO CENTRAL CONTROLSecond…Military force was absent from commercial exchanges

European Arrival

Mercantilist: one who taught that a state’s power depended heavily on the amount of precious metals a monarch had.Trading along the Asian network was therefore going to be unprofitable

It would enrich and strengthen merchants and rulers from rival kingdoms (Muslims)

De Gama turns to force instead of peaceful trading. Creates tribute payments along the coastPortuguese were united in their drive for wealth and religious converts.

European Arrival

Portuguese trading empireEstablish control over key Asian products, particularly spices, such as cinnamon

Resistance, poor discipline, corruption, and shipping losses take a heavy toll on the empire by the end of the 16th century.English and Dutch compete to win control over the trading system

The Dutch are the victors (short-term), and the English fall-back to India

Dutch Trading Empire

Fortified towns and factories (supply)Warships on patrolMonopoly control over limited productsMore efficient than the Portuguese

Inland…Asians were able to defend territory much better on the interior, on the mainland and on islands.Europeans found themselves to be not as effective on land-warfare for trading empires.Spanish conquest of LUZON in 1560s (Philippines)

Muslim rulers resist on the southern island of Mindanao

Spreadin’ the faith…

Spread of Roman Catholicism was a major force in the Europeans thrust into the Indian trade network.

Initial indifference and open hostility

India appeared to be one of the more promising fields for conversion.

Some learn different languagesAdopted vegetarian diets Aimed at converting upper-caste Hindus, who would then set the example for lower-class (untouchables, etc.)

Conversion

Conversion only occurred in isolated areasSomewhat successful on the Northern islands of the Philippines.

Friars built new settlements with town squares where the church was located.

Represents a mix of Christian and Filipino ways

China and the Ming Dynasty

Restoration of ethnic Chinese rule under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Largest population of any civilization of the timeRenewed agricultural/commercial growthEuropeans use New World bullion to pay for goodsHigh degree of technologyLarge numbers of skilled engineers and artisansCentralized bureaucracy

China and the Ming Dynasty-Hongwu

Zhu Yuanzhang declares himself the Hongwu Emperor

First Ming EmperorHongwu=“Vast Military”

Wants to rid China of all traces of the “barbarian” Mongols

Mongol dress was discardedMongol names were droppedMongol palaces were destroyed

China and the Ming Dynasty-Hongwu

Return of the Scholar-GentrySomewhat suspicious of this class because of his Peasant upbringingsScholars versed in Confucian classics were appointed to high positions in governmentCivil Service Examination system was reinstated

Abolished the position of chief minister Instituted Public beatings for bureaucrats found guilty of corruption and incompetence

China and the Ming Dynasty-Hongwu

Hongwu tries to cut down on factionalism and conspiracies that eroded power from earlier DynastiesExiled all potential rivals to the throne to estates in the provinces

Forbade them to be involved in political affairsThought control-deleted sections of Mencius’ writings

China and the Ming Dynasty-Hongwu

Introduced measures to improve lives of peasantsPublic works projectsUnoccupied land would become the tax-exempt property of those who cleared and cultivated it

China and the Ming Dynasty

Women: subordinate to men as per Confucianism.

Played role in Hongwu’s courtHundreds/Thousands of women would wait at the palace to be seen by the emperor as one of his concubinesStatus was defined as to their ability to bear male children

Ming China

Territory controlled was not as expansive as in the T’ang DynastyCommercial and Population boom began in the Song Dynasty was continued

Spanish and Portuguese mercantile contacts imports crops from the New World

From the Andes highlandsMaize, sweet potatoes, peanuts

Grown on inferior soil with little irrigation

Cultivation spread quickly through marginal areas

Ming China

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Population(inmillions)

Food crop importation is key to hedging famine amongst HUGE population growth

Ming China

Commercial growth:Advanced handicraft industries

Silk textiles Tea Fine ceramics

Balance of trade was VERY MUCH in China’s favorArab, Asian, and now European traders arrive at Macao and Canton

These are the only two places where Europeans were allowed to do business in Ming China

Ming China

Merchants make lots of money in this trade

Taxes paid to scholar-gentry (bribes, too)Merchants invested more in land

Ming prosperity was reflected in the fine artsDevelopment of Chinese literature (the Novel)

Ming China

Between 1405 and 1423 China launched a series of impressive expeditions at Sea

During Yunglo’s reign

Went to Southeast Asian kingdoms, Persia, southern Arabia, East Africa

Ming China

Zhenghe’s expeditions62 ships (4 for De Gama, 3 for Columbus)28,000 sailors, merchants, soldiers400 foot long shipsChina had the capacity to expand at least a century before the Europeans rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

Ming China

After 1400, China aims to LIMIT China’s overseas commerce

Ming war fleet dramatically declines

As the Chinese shut themselves in, the Europeans were irresistibly drawn to the Middle Kingdom for converts.

Some scholars show interest in Christianity, but never took a real hold on the court, or the people.

Ming China-DeclineHighly centralized, absolutist structure developed by Hongwu and continued by Yunglo could not be continued.

Official corruptionIsolation of weak rulersPublic works projects fall into disrepair.Floods, droughts, famine afflict the land

Increased foreign threats, mostly by the ManchuThe last emperor of the Ming, Chongzhen, commits suicide as the walls of the Forbidden City are scaled by rebels…the Dynasty ends in 1644.

Japan

Kamakura Shogunate: 1185-1333, establishment of the Shogunate under Minamoto no YoritomoAshikaga Shogunate: 1336-1573, weaker with most of the power lying in the hands of regional Daimyo

By 1500’s, continual civil war amongst the DaimyoThree able-military leaders were needed to restore unity and order

Japan

Oda Nobunaga used firearms that Japan had gained from the Portuguese in the 1540s. Deposed the last of the Ashikaga Shoguns in 1573By 1580 he puts most of Honshu island under his commandKilled in 1582

Japan

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (one of Nobunaga’s Generals) moved to punish those who betrayed Nobunaga and renewed the drive to break the power from the Daimyo.Ruled most of Japan by 1590Launched two attacks on Korea in 1592 and 1597 with almost 150,000 soldiers

No real success…

Dies in 1598

Japan

Tokugawa Ieyasu concentrates on consolidating power at home.By 1603 he was granted power as Shogun by the EmperorBeginning of the TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE

Ends civil wars, brought the semblance of political unity to the islandsRules from Edo (later to be, Tokyo)

The Tokugawa Shogunate

The Tokugawa Shogunate

Europeans had increasing contact with the Japanese throughout the warring period

Brought goods traded in India, China, and SE AsiaExchanged for Silver, copper, pottery, etc.Traders and missionaries brought firearms, printing presses, and other western devices, like clocks

Contacts with Europeans changed warfare (guns), and led to increased commercial contacts with China, Korea, Philippines, and Siam

Conversion (before Tokugawa)

Jesuits employ the top-down model of impressing the leader (in this case, Nobunaga in the 1570s) Convert many of the Daimyo’s Nobunaga himself was said to be at the verge of conversion.Hundreds of thousands of converts by the early 1580sHideyoshi though, was distrustful of the Europeans, and saw the writing on the wall…

Commercial and Military ventures first…then conquer the islandsConversion is cut short in the 1580s

Tokugawa Isolationism

Beginning in the 1580’s, amid skepticism about the intentions of the Europeans official measures are taken to restrict foreign activities in Japan.

Christian Missionaries are ordered off the islands by HideyoshiIeyasu continues the persecution and bans Christianity by 1614.

Missionaries are hunted, killed, or expelled. Japanese were required to renounce their faith, or face imprisonment,

torture and execution.

Tokugawa Isolationism

1630: All Japanese ships were forbidden to trade, or even sail overseas1640s: Only a limited number of Dutch and Chinese chips were allowed to trade on the island of Deshima, in Nagasaki Bay.

Copper export was restrictedWestern books bannedForeigners were permitted to live and travel only to VERY restricted areas.

By the 1650s total isolationism was almost complete.Emphasis on Japan’s unique historical experience