Intro 3 Flashcards
(15 cards)
hat were the dates of the Ming dynasty, and who founded it?
The Ming dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 and was founded by the leader of peasant rebels. (Zhu Yuonchzhang)
How did the Ming dynasty eventually come to an end?
It was overthrown after about 300 years by another peasant rebellion, which paved the way for the conquest of China by the Manchus.
When did the Qing dynasty rule China, and who founded it?
The Qing dynasty ruled from 1644 to 1912 and was founded by the Manchus.
In what key way did Qing rule differ from Ming rule?
While the Qing ruled in a manner similar to the Ming, they also closed China’s nomadic frontier by conquering regions such as Mongolia and Tibet by the late 18th century.
How did the vast population of Ming and Qing China (150 million to 300 million people) stay administratively unified?
The emperors maintained control through a thin central government that depended on scholar-officials recruited by the Civil Service Examinations and their cooperation with powerful local elites.
What role did the Civil Service Examinations play in Ming–Qing China?
They were used to recruit government officials based on merit (testing knowledge of Confucian classics), conferred local status and tax exemptions even at lower levels, and helped create an empire-wide elite culture shared by both central officials and local elites.
What challenges arose from relying on a thin central government and a merit-based system in China?
Population Growth: Rapid doubling of the population led to smaller landholdings for peasants and increased competition among local elites.
Meritocracy Trap: Wealthier families could better prepare for the exams, monopolizing power, while exam success did not always guarantee moral or effective leadership, paving the way for corruption.
Describe the political situation in Japan around 1500.
Japan was politically fragmented, divided among numerous daimyos (feudal lords) who ruled locally with their own samurai armies, while the emperor remained a symbolic figure with little real power.
What factors contributed to Japan’s prolonged political fragmentation until the 1500s?
-The country’s geography—being divided into multiple islands and having a mountainous terrain that led to isolated pockets of settled agriculture.
-The presence of non-agricultural groups (hunter-gatherers, pirates) that remained loosely attached to the emperor rather than the local daimyos.
Who were the key figures during the Warring States Era that contributed to Japan’s unification?
Prominent warlords such as Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged, with Tokugawa Ieyasu eventually establishing a hereditary position as shogun.
What were the dates of the Tokugawa shogunate, and what major political change did it bring?
The Tokugawa shogunate lasted from 1600 to 1868. It established Japan’s first strong centralized government, ending centuries of continuous warfare and political fragmentation.
What measures did the Tokugawa shogunate implement to control the daimyos?
- Alternate Attendance System: Daimyos had to spend every other year in Edo (the shogun’s capital) and leave family members as hostages.
- A ban on constructing new fortifications, ensuring that daimyos could not strengthen their independent military power.
How did the status and role of the samurai change under Tokugawa rule?
Samurai were no longer allowed to own land; instead, they received a fixed stipend as salaried employees of their daimyos. Over time, this often led to financial hardship, as their stipends did not keep pace with inflation, even as their social status as an elite warrior class persisted.
How did the methods of governing peasants differ between Ming–Qing China and Tokugawa Japan?
- Ming–Qing China: The central government taxed peasants relatively lightly and relied on cooperation with local elites (many of whom were tax-exempt due to exam success).
- Tokugawa Japan: The strong central state imposed heavy taxes on peasants, a legacy of prolonged warfare and centralization.
How did these differing state structures affect China’s and Japan’s responses to Western industrial powers in the 19th century?
Japan: The strong centralized state enabled rapid industrialization, eventually making Japan a Western-style imperialist power by the early 1900s.
China (Qing): Faced with internal rebellions and a less centralized system, China was unable to effectively mobilize against Western powers, leading to its subjugation and the carving out of spheres of influence.
