AN AGE OF EXPLORATION AND ISOLATION

Chapter 3

Christopher Columbus

1400-1800

Chapter Objectives

Identify the factors that led to European explorationDescribe how Portugal established a sea route to

Asia and whyIdentify which nations set up trading empires in the

East and where those nations dominatedIdentify the successes of early Ming emperors in

ChinaDescribe Japanese society and culture during the

Tokugawa ShogunateExplain how Japan’s policies toward Europeans

changed

Section 1: Europeans Explore the East

Driven by the desire for wealth, land, and Christian converts, Europeans began an age of exploration

The Renaissance had encouraged a new spirit of adventure and curiosity

1400 was not first time for exploration 1100- Crusaders fight Muslims for Holy Lands in

Southwest Asia 1275- Marco Polo reached China

“God, Glory, and Gold!”

Reasons for the Exploration1. Seek greater wealth2. Spread Christianity3. Technological advances

Portugal led these sailing innovations Prince Henry- founded navigation school with

mapmakers, instrument makers, shipbuilders, scientists, and sea captains

Started sailing down coast of Western Africa; set up trade ports

Wanted to find sea route to Asia

In order to reach Asia, had to sail around southern tip of Africa

1487- Bartolomeu Dias- 1st to round tip; battered by storm so returned home

1498- Vasco da Gama- reached port of Calicut in India; returned with spices and silk; gave Portugal direct route to India

1492- Spanish jealous so sent Christopher Columbus west to find a route to Asia across the Atlantic; landed on an island in the Caribbean

Increased tension between Spain and Portugal led to Treaty of Tordesillas and Line of Demarcation

Struggle for Dominance 1500-1700s

EnglandFranceNetherlandsPortugalSpain

Each country created an East India CompanyWanted control of trade routes and therefore

the goods and money that came with it

Section 2: China Rejects European Outreach

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 Hongwu- drove Mongols out of China in 1368 Became 1st Emperor of Ming Dynasty Reformed agriculture, erased traces of Mongol past,

increaed China’s power and prosperity, increased rice production, improved irrigation, encouraged fish farming and the growth of cotton and sugar cane

Return to Confucian moral standards; merit-based civil service

Yonglo- 1398- Hongwu’s son came to power; moved royal court to Beijing and launched Chinese explorers

Zheng He- led Chinese explorations Voyaged to Southeast Asia and India, Arabia, and eastern

Africa Increased China’s tribute system 1433- China withdrew to isolation

China’s official trade policies reflected isolation Only government could conduct foreign trade through 3

ports Kept taxes low on agriculture but high on manufacturing

and tradeAs a result, merchants turned to smuggling to

keep up with demand for Chinese silk and porcelain

Qing Dynasty 1644 Manchus from Manchuria invaded China; took over

Beijing Kangxi- 1661-1736 1st Emperor; reduced gov’t

expenses; lowered taxes; favored arts and intellectuals

Qian-long- 1736-1795; brought China to it’s greatest size and prosperity; allowed Dutch traders but they had to pay tribute; Dutch took tea to the rest of the world

Population doubled to more than 300 million in 1800

Section 3: Japan limits Western Contacts

In 1300s, the unity that Japan had achieved started to slip away because of fighting between shoguns

1467- civil war broke out and centralized rule ended; power slipped away from the shogun to territorial lords in hundreds of separate domains

1600- Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated rivals and became sole ruler

Unified Japan until 1867

Tokugawa Society

Led to stability, prosperity, and isolationMerchant classes flourished; rise of commercial

centersCulture also flourished- theatre (kabuki), poetry

(haiku)At first, welcomed outside merchants

(Portuguese); interest in new technology and ideas (guns, clocks, tobacco)

Firearms (guns, cannons) changed Japan forever; had always used swords

Christian missionaries= spread the religions

Closing off the Country

Tokugawa Ieyasu found aspects of Christian religion troubling- thought it led to revolts; persecuted Christian converts and made everyone demonstrate faithfulness to Buddhism

1639- closed Japan’s borders from merchants and missionaries Exception- Nagasaki open to Dutch and Chinese

merchants

For more than 200 years, Japan remained basically closed to Europeans and continued to develop as a self-sufficient country