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Period: Jan 1, 1368 to Jan 1, 1398
Reign of the Hongwu emperor
The reign of the Hongwu emperor shows a change in not only the ruling family of China, but the change in the way China was run. Under Hongwu’s reign, commerce and population increased hand in hand. Because of the introduction of American crops that could withstand drought and be grown on inferior soils, the crops flourished and supplemented peasant diets. These crops were transported to Asia through the Spanish and the Portuguese. Through the commercial boom, China also ended up having the most -
Jan 1, 1390
Edict limiting Chinese commerce overseas
This shows a continuity in the traditional way of thought because the edict limited the expansion that China might have had without it. Because the laws limited overseas commerce, the Chinese war fleet dwindled down in number and quality over time and expansion and sea expeditions started to slow. -
Period: Jan 1, 1405 to Jan 1, 1423
Zhenghe expeditions from China to southeast Asia, India, and east Africa
The Zhenghe expeditions show a change in the expansion of China by sea. These expeditions were the largest ever in Chinese history, spanning as far as Arabia and east Africa and asserting China’s naval power overseas. -
Jan 1, 1573
End of the Ashikaga shogunate
The end of the Ashikaga shogunate shows a change through Nobunaga, the first in a trio of post-Ashikaga shogunate military rulers. Nobunaga was delighted in the Europeans and took the missionaries under his wing. The European traders brought the Japanese goods from India and other far-away lands. The European missionaries converted many samurai and daimyo through a top-down strategy. -
Period: Jan 1, 1580 to
Jesuits arrive in China
The Jesuit missionaries attemped the top-down strategy of conversion as well. Chinese scholars shows interest in Christian teachings and Western thinking, showing a change and exception in Chinese thinking. During their time in the capital, they taught them about cannons, corrected faulty calendars, and fixing clocks that were imported from Europe. However, they made few converts and their presence made the isolationist view more apparent in the imperial court and family. -
Hideyoshi becomes the military master of Japan
During Hideyoshi’s reign over Japan, Christians fell out of favor, showing a continuity in Japan’s isolationist views. Hideyoshi was not as taken with them as Nobunaga and the converts were giving the overlords resistance and that made the Christians become resented, as well as the impending signs that Europe may invade Japan. He first ordered the Christians out of Japan, and then began to openly persecute them. -
Japanese invasion of Korea
The Japanese invasion of Korea is a change because previously Japan had not expanded past its island center. During this time, Japan not only invades another country, but threatens the Europeans in the Philippines, showing interest in countries outside of its homeland. -
Tokugawa shogunate established
Tokugawa continued the persecution of Christians and encouraged the school of National Learning. This school laid emphasis on Japan’s history and culture over any other country’s, thus showing a continuity in Japan’s isolationism. -
Christianity banned in Japan
The ban of Christianity shows continuity through the open distrust against European and Western ideas and eventual complete resistance against the religion. They were persecuted to such an extent that they rebelled, however they were defeated and eventually driven underground into small communities for the religion. -
Period: to
Japan moves into self-imposed isolation
As Japan moved more into isolation, they displayed the continuous and usual behaviour of neighbouring countries. They denied European and even Chinese imports and focused on being self-sufficient