China’s Interaction with the West

• Ming---• Allowed some Jesuits across borders –

Matteo Ricci and Francis Xavier• Spanish and Portuguese come and try to

conquer…but China’s too big• Set up embassies and trading post

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier

http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/108995.htm

China’s Interaction with the West

• Qing---• Very isolated…shut off from West• Europeans try to trade, but China refuses• Consequence-shut off from new inventions of the

Scientific Revolution• ETHNOCENTRIC-believed they were superior to

Europeans• Foreign contacts could only go to treaty ports

Kangxi-One of China’s greatest emperors during the Qing Dynasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portrait_of_the_Kangxi_Emperor_in_Court_Dress.jpg)

Japanese/ European Interactions-1543- typhoon winds blow Portuguese trading ships off course; trade begins

-Initially, trade welcomed, Japanese were curious of European technologies (tobacco, clocks, spectacles, weaponry)

-Cultural diffusion; crossbreeding of European and Japanese technologies (castles, ships)

-Weapons used by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi to unify islands, dominate local conflict, also allowed Tokugawa shogunate to maintain authority

Himeji Castle in Japan; a cross between a traditional Japanese fortress and a European castle

Introduction of Christianity• Shortly after Portuguese landing, Christian

missionaries arrived in Japan• Francis Xavier- Missionary with limited success in

converts, “law of God was contrary to the law of Japan”

• Christianity lost favor quickly due to destruction of shrines to make Christian schools and churches

• 1635- Hideyoshi banned Christian activities and all trading except for once annual Dutch visit

                                                                                               

                                                  

Red seal ships were specially licensed by the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 17th century. The aim was to foster Japanese commerce in Southeast Asian markets, thereby discouraging foreign traders