CHAPTER 22: ASIAN TRANSITIONS IN AN AGE OF GLOBAL CHANGE

Mr. TomaAP World History

Midwest City High School

THE ASIAN TRADING WORLD AND THE COMING OF THE EUROPEANS Asian Sea Trading Network can be broken down into three major zones:

Arab Zone- glass, carpets, tapestries, horses, slaves, gold, glassware, ivory, forest products, animal hidesIndian Zone- cotton textiles, gems, elephants, salt, cinnamonChinese Zone- spices, silver, paper, porcelain, silk textiles

Most trading was done on the coast.Europeans attempted to regulate and dominate the trading system for two reasons:

1) No central control2) Exchanges were largely peaceful so military force was usually absent from exchanges

TRADING EMPIRE: THE PORTUGUESE RESPONSE TO THE ENCOUNTER AT CALICUT (MUSLIMS ALREADY THERE)•Portuguese took what they could not get through fair trade by force.•1507- The Portuguese built fortresses on a number of strategic points on the Asian trade network.•1507- Ormuz•1510- Goa•1511- Malacca •The aim was to establish a Portuguese monopoly over key Asian products.

PORTUGUESE VULNERABILITY AND THE RISE OF THE DUTCH AND ENGLISH TRADING EMPIRES•Portuguese did not have the soldiers or ships to maintain monopolies.

•The Dutch and the British challenged the Portuguese trading empire.

•The Dutch overtook Malacca and built port of Batavia on island of Java in 1620.

•Dutch trading empire was similar to the Portuguese.

•Dutch used peaceful means to enter the Asian market.

GOING ASHORE: EUROPEAN TRIBUTE SYSTEMS IN ASIA•Asian armies were able to resist European inroads because of the superior numbers of soldiers.

•In some situations, Europeans were able to penetrate Asian towns and control trade from there.

•Spanish conquered Luzon (indigenous tribes subjugated) and tried to conquer Mindanao (Muslim rulers, determined to resist Catholics).

•Spanish imposed tribute regimes similar to those imposed on Native Americans in the New World.

SPREADING THE FAITH: THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIAPortuguese and Spanish tried to convert parts of Asia, but were mostly unsuccessful.India was one of the most promising fields for religious conversion.

Franciscan, Dominican, and Jesuit missionariesInitially make headway with low-caste membersUltimate refusal of high-caste groups to give up traditional beliefs

Conversion of general population in Asia occurred only in isolated areas. Biggest success for conversion to Christianity occurred in the Philippines.

MING CHINA: A GLOBAL MISSION REFUSED•Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was founded by Ju Yuanzhang, a military commander of peasant origins. •Ju grew up under Mongol rule. •Alternated between begging and living in a monastery to survive. •1340’s- Ju left the monastery to join a rebellion against the Mongols. •His armies overthrew the Mongols and took back most of China. •Zhu declared himself Hongwu emperor in 1368.

ANOTHER SCHOLAR-GENTRY REVIVALHongwu used the scholar-gentry system to revive Chinese civilization.

Examination system was reinstated after Mongols, and made more complex.

Exams took several days to complete and were held in two out of three years.

Those who passed were eligible to take more exams, given every three years.

Test takers competed for degrees and then for positions in the bureaucracy.

REFORM: HONGWU’S EFFORTS TO ROOT OUT ABUSES IN COURT POLITICS

Hongwu sought to limit influence of administrators.

Abolished the position of chief minister.

Public beatings were given to those bureaucrats found guilty of corruption or incompetence.

Hongwu declared that the emperor’s wives should only come from humble family origins.

Potential rivals were exiled to estates in the provinces

A RETURN TO SCHOLAR-GENTRY SOCIAL DOMINANCEHongwu introduced measures that would improve life for common people.

Gentry families enjoyed special benefits.

Growing gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Women continued to be subordinate to men.

Social status of elite women: try to manipulate power

Social status of non-elite women: grim.

AN AGE OF GROWTH: AGRICULTURE, POPULATION, COMMERCE, ARTSPopulation increased during the Ming dynasty and commercialization expanded.

New crops were introduced (corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts.)

Population: 14th century: 80 million, 1600: 120 million people

China had advanced handicraft industries that were in high demand (silk, tea, fine ceramics), and terms of trade were in China’s favor

Merchant classes reaped the biggest profits.

AN AGE OF EXPANSION: THE ZHENG HE EXPEDITIONS1405-1423 Zheng He led seven major overseas expeditions.

First four expeditions were to southeastern Asian seas and kingdoms.

Last three expeditions were to Persia, southern Arabica and the eastern coast of Africa.

Zheng He had 62 ships in his initial fleet with 28,000 crew members.

Some ships in his fleets were over 400 feet long.

ARRIVAL OF THE EUROPEANS AND MING DECLINE

1390- First imperial edict was issued to limit Chinese overseas commerce. Jesuit missionaries targeted the rulers and his chief advisors. Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall (Jesuit scholars) used scientific knowledge and technical skills to convert the elite. Mediocre and incompetent rulers brought down the Ming dynasty.Peasant life declined dramatically. Internal disorder was intensified by foreign invasions.Last Ming emperor= Chongzhen

FENDING OFF THE WEST: JAPAN’S REUNIFICATION

By the 16th century, after the daimyo stalemate and recurring civil war, Japan needed to restore unity.

1573- Nobunaga, a military leader, disposed of the last Ashikaga shoguns.

1580- He unified much of central Honshu and drove armies against the western daimyo.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued Nobunaga’s military campaign, rules by 1590.

Hideyoshi launched attacks on Korea (1592, 1597).

FENDING OFF THE WEST: JAPAN'S REUNIFICATIONTokugawa Ieyasu did not continue Hideyoshi’s military campaigns but focused on consolidating power at home. 1603: Ieyasu granted the title of shogun and organized the remaining daimyos.

Most of the lands in central Honshu were under the control of the Tokugawa family.Now had to pledge alliance to Ieyasu

Tokugawas’s victory put an end to the civil wars and brought political unity to Japan.

DEALING WITH THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGE

European traders began visiting the islands in increasing numbers since 1543

Traders and missionaries brought firearms, printing presses and other western devices (clocks).

Christian missionaries arrived and set off to convert the Japanese to Roman Catholicism; Nobunaga supported missionaries

Late 1580’s, with Nubunaga’s death, the missionaries fell out of favor

Japanese were concerned with possible European conquest.

JAPAN’S SELF-IMPOSED ISOLATIONOfficial measures to restrict foreign activities in Japan. Hideyoshi ordered Christian missionaries to leave Japan. Christianity was banned in 1614 by Ieyasu.In 1616, foreign traders were confined to a few cities. In 1630, all Japanese ships forbidden to trade or sail overseas. By 1640, Deshima was the only island where trade could occur.Mid 17th century- Japan’s isolation was almost totally complete.18th century - School of National Learning