Fall of the Ming 明 Rise of the Qing 清

Key terms Little Ice Age (1620 to 1680) Wanli Emperor 万历帝 万暦帝 aka Zhu Yijun 朱翊鈞 (1563—1620, r. 1572-1620) Donglin Society Wei Zhongxian 魏忠賢 (1568-1627) Wu Sangui (1612-1678) Li Zicheng 李自成 (1606-1645) Manchus aka Jurchens Qing dynasty (1636–1912) Resistance of Ming "princes" (1644-1661) Zheng Chenggong 鄭成功 aka Koxinga 國姓爺 (1624-1662, r. 1661-1662) Nurhaci Hong Taiji 皇太極 (1592-1643) Dorgon Kangxi 康熙帝 1654-1722, r. 1661-1722

Apex of the Ming

• Ming China is huge
• Approx 80 million in 1400 — 23% of world
• Approx 100 million in 1500 — 26% of world
• Approx 150 million in 1550 — 30% of world
• Approx 200 million in 1600 — 33% of world
• China is technological advanced — world leader in production of:
• ceramics
• textiles
• China is prosperous — millions of consumers for
• clothing as fashion
• embroidered silks
• luxurious furnishings
• ivory carvings
• writing implements: ink stone, brush holders
• porcelain and lacquer ware
• popular literature: Monkey's Journey to the West -- in 20th C animation from 32:30 and 37:00,The Plum in the Golden Vase

Why did the Ming Fall?

• "Little Ice Age" - crops failures and price of grain soars 1627-1628
• Disease: smallpox outbreaks in early 1600s, bubonic plague N China in 1640s
• differential impacts on Ming and Manchus
• 1630-44 estimated 20% on population died
• External Human Factors:
• Flow of silver from Japan and New World slows -- first "supply chain" economic crisis?
• 1630s: 1000 copper coins buys 1 oz silver
• 1640s: 1000 copper coins buys 0.5 oz silver
• Ming had implemented on national basis "single whip" payment of taxes in silver 1570s
• Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea 1592-98
• Human Factors:
• Wanli emperor (r. 1572-1620) is reclusive
• Palace factionalism
• Eunuchs:
• total number rises to >10K
• Wei Zhongxian 魏忠賢 (1568-1627)
• Confucian administration: Donglin Society
• Military factionalism
• Mongol raids — Mongols incorporated into Manchus in 1635
• Manchu raids
• Nurhaci 1559-1626 aka Emp Taizu 清太祖 of Jin or Qing cf. Aisin-Gioro
• unifies Jürchen through marriage and conquest
• renames Jürchen as Manchu
• declares Jin dynasty -- later renamed Qing
• at death controls Liaodong penninsula and much of area north of Great Wall
• Hong Taiji 皇太極 (1592-1643) son of Nurhaci
• Adopts Ming practices such as civil services exams
• Reforms Manchu written language for administrative use
• Established parallel "banner" system for ethnic Chinese military
• Renames Jin as Qing 

Chronology of Conquest and Resistance

• 1644 April: Rebel Li Zicheng takes Beijing, loots and terrorizes city
• 1644 June: General Wu Sangui allies with Hong Taiji against Li
• 1644-1662: Qing forces defeat Ming "princes": last "prince" (7th son of Wanli) is captured in Burma in 1661, executed 1662
• 1673-1681: "Revolt of Three Feudatories" led by Wu Sangui -- total area equivalent to Spain and France
• 1683: Final defeat of Zheng on Taiwan
• 1689: Treaty of Nerchinsk
• 1720: Conquest of Tibet with Zhungars 

Structures of Qing Control

• Subjugation
• Manchus are distinct elite — intermarriage is banned
• Chinese are forced to adopt Manchu hairstyles and dress
• Continued celebration of hunting, archery, horsemanship, religious practices
• Cooptation
• Embrace of examination system
• Embrace of Ming-style administrative structure (but with fewer eunuch)
• Kangxi commissions critical editions and holds special exams

Weakeness of Qing Control

• Scale of Administration: continue Ming tradition of low ratios of officials to populace
• Tax assessments: frozen at 1712 levels by Kangxi
• 1570: 150,000,000
• 1680: 100,000,000
• 1765: 200,000,000
• 1790: 300,000,000
• Local corruption: central oversight and audits are weak and irregular, cf. Yongzheng
• Martime commerce: loose oversight and taxation