Ming Dynasty in China

Amongst all the civilizations which developed in Asia thousands of years ago, the Chinese Civilization, for centuries, had little contact with the outside world. The region was surrounded by oceans, mountains, and the Gobi Desert, which made it virtually inaccessible to outside invaders. According to Chinese mythology, creation began with Pangu, who is said to have created the earth and the heavens. There is a saying in China: 'Since Pangu created earth and the heavens...' meaning 'a very long time ago'. The first dynasty which evolved in China was known as Xia, and it ruled the region from the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C. The Xia period holds an important place in Chinese history and marks an evolutionary stage between the late neolithic cultures and the urban Chinese civilization of the Shang dynasty.

The Ming dynasty emerged after the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty, and is often regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization. It is also considered to be the dynasty in which early signs of capitalism emerged. Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 and is famous for the influence of the eunuchs on political affairs.

Rise and Fall of the Dynasty
Zhu Yuanzhang declared the founding of the Ming Dynasty after demolishing the Yuan palaces in Dadu. He chose the name 'Ming' for his dynasty, which means 'brilliant'. He was born in 1328, in a village in Haozhou, and after the declaration of the Ming dynasty, he took Hongwu, or 'Vastly Martial,' as his reign title. Although he suppressed the religious movement after he became the emperor, he implemented a series of policies in order to reduce the peasants' burden, and to ensure the overall development of the whole society. After the death of Zhu, his grandson Zhu Yunwen took over the throne, but his reign lasted for only four years. Next to him, Zhu Di, fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, became the Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. The period under Di's rule is considered as one of the most prosperous periods in the Ming Dynasty in China. The influence of the Ming dynasty was expanded during his reign. He also began construction of an imperial palace from 1406, and moved the capital city from Yingtian to Beijing, in 1421.

The reign of Zhu Di was followed by different emperors who contributed to the dynasty in their own ways. Some of them were Zhu Gaozhi, Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Qiyu, Zhu Houzhao, Zhu Zaihou and Shenzong. After the death of Zhang Juzheng, the skillful chancellor of Emperor Shenzong, the latter began to neglect state affairs. At this point of time, the Ming army also faced a defeat fighting against the leader of the 'Latter Jin' regime Nurhachu, in the Battle of Sarhu. The last emperor of the Ming dynasty was Weizong Xian. The basic reason for the downfall of the dynasty was corruption of the court officials and the domination of the eunuchs. In 1644, Li Zicheng, who was one of the leaders of rebel armies, captured Xian and founded a new regime called Dashun.

Government and Culture
The Ming provincial bureaucracy consisted of three commissions, one each for civil, military, and surveillance. The highest level was province (sheng), which was the administrative division. Below it were the prefectures (fu), who operated under a prefect (zhifu). There were also sub-prefectures (zhou) under a sub-prefect. The lowest unit under the province was the county (xian), which formed the third level of administrative hierarchy. There were also two large areas besides the province and they were metropolitan areas (jing) attached to Nanjing and Beijing.

The culture of the Ming Dynasty led to development in the spheres of literature and philosophy. The classical masterpieces of Chinese literature written in this era include Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Folk literature also flourished during the Ming dynasty and was represented by a group of writers including Tang Yin, Song Lian, Zhang Dai and Yuan Hongdao.

Science and Economy
Besides the invention of the powerful artillery known as huochong gun, the Ming dynasty is also famous for many scientific books which appeared in the early and middle period. Some of these famous books included the medical book Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen and Travels of Xu Xiake by Xu Xiake. The military technology was also relatively advanced in that period and with the help of science, both the food output and the implements of production saw an all time time high. The handicraft industry in the southern areas also developed rapidly and became a major source of the state finance.

During the reigns of Emperor Shizong and Emperor Shenzong, the sale of silk, alcohol, porcelain and tobacco increased in the market. Many foreign commodities like clocks from Europe and tobacco from America, also found a place in the Chinese market. By the 16th century, economy of the Ming dynasty was stimulated by trade with the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch and thus China became involved in a new global trade.

However, later on, commercial development was greatly hampered after the new policies of restraining commerce were introduced and a stringent ban on shipping was imposed. All these factors contributed to the downfall of this great dynasty. Nevertheless, the Ming dynasty left an indelible mark on Chinese history, forming an integral part of Chinese culture.