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Period: Jan 1, 1400 to
Chinese History
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Mar 6, 1400
Limiting Overseas Commerce
Edicts signed to limit the overseas commerce of the Chinese -
Mar 6, 1405
Overseas Expeditions
Zhenge led seven major expeditions overseas
- the last three reached Persia -
Mar 6, 1580
Absolutist Monarchy in Place
highly centralized, absolutist political structure came into power through the last 2 centuries -
CLOSED COUNTRY EDICT
Closed Country Edict signed in Japan.
Japan was closing its door to overseas expeditions and overseas commerce. Any violations of this edict brought the consequence of execution and severe punishment. -
Asian Sea Trading Network
Asia became part of the Asian Sea Trading Network which included the West, China, and India -
Neo-Confucianism
Revival of Neo-Confucian philosophy gave way to the influence of thinkers -
Colonization of Asia
Increase of European powers began to built true empires in Asia -
Decline of Manchus
Long period of strong rule by Manchus led to official corruption, economic dislocations, and social unrest -
Intrusion of the West
Western powers took advantage of Manchu decline and forced open China's markets -
Official Lin Zexu
Emperors of China sent official Lin Zexu with means to stamp out Opium trade -
Addiction
Thousands of people became addicted to drug Opium. About 1% of China's population- 40,000 people -
Approximating the Opium War
Close to Opium war- nearly 40,000 chests of Opium imported by the Chinese -
Excommunication of Lin Zexu
Britain refused to stop trading the drug Opium with China so General Lin Zexu was defeated and excommunicated from China -
Consequences of Opium Wars
-Great rebellions such as the Taiping Rebellion and Boxer rebellions
- attacking the scholar gentry -
Movements to strengthen China
Dynamic provincial leaders were the most responsible for China's self-strengthening movement -
Boxer Rebellion
Broke out in 1898 and was put down with imperialist powers in 1901 -
Introduction of Opium
Britain began to trade, legally and illegaly, Opium to the merchants on the south China coast