Final Session Reflection (1/8)

[Anonymous]

Really glad we got a chance to talk about the Ming dynasty on Tuesday. And as it happens, I was teaching information related to the Ming this week, and so, was able to bring in extra information that I learned in class. My students did not know what a eunuch was, but now the do. They were pretty fascinated, and a little grossed out by this concept :?. It was also helpful to share with the students the animosity between the eunuch's and the scholar officials as one of the reasons why sea exploration seized. It helps to further clarify the stoppage, as the students are often confused as to why the Ming would all of a sudden stop doing something that they were very good at.

[Anonymous]

It seems to me that China appears to be suffering from the problem of being the oldest civilization of mankind while also being among one of the youngest forms of government. They have made such rapid progress in improving the life style of their people. It is a tremendous achievement to raise life expectancy from 35 to 68 in less then 75 years.This is a society moving very fast.Yet their monumental speed is often in danger of destroying the rich ancient culture that is so much of who they are. I think that when China became a member of the Communist block they learned that they were not Russia and did not want to be Russia they had to invent Communism that worked for China and they did. Now they are looking toward the West and trying to develop a unique Chinese Capitalist system. They seem to be hesitant about how much of capitalism they can empliment without being completely Westernized. During all these changes it often makes people despaired and unbalanced . From that we get the stories and poetry of a desire for lost, calmer and serener times (even though they probably weren't))
The story about being eaten reminds me of the essay Pope wrote about during the Irish famine: that the Irish should eat their children since they had so many with little else to norish them. Of course he was trying to make a point and shame the English into doing something to help. I'm sure this writer had a similar aim. During that time as with Pope it would not be very wise to speak againt the ruling government so the mad- man was created. No one can hold a mad-man responsible for what he says. In the next coming years it will be interesting to see how China continue to develop. Some say they will surpass the U.S and be the new world super-power. We shall see. But it is certainly important that our students are aware of it's history.

[Anonymous]

The following are my notes for any who may find them useful:

Clayton Dube

Agenda
Ming Dynasty
Lesson Plans
Modern East Asia

News: New Prime minister in Japan. New President in South Korea. Rise in nationalism in East Asia.
S. Korean president is former unofficial first lady. Father was military dictator for 20 years. Assasination attempt took his wife's life and later he was killed. Prez is conservative but not as conservative of previous.

Japan has the return of Abe Shinzo. His party received fewer votes than in last election but previous party in power was much hated.

Nationalistic tone has grown that has caused some tensions between the countries.

North Korean satellite.

Chinese GPS system came into being to compete with American GPS. Europeans have Galileo and China has Bei Do. America has GPS (the oldest system).

Ming Dynasty

1368- 1644

Lasts almost 300 years.

Zhu Yuanzhang (The Hongwu emperor or Ming Taizu) 1328-1398.

Mongol Social Order
Mongols
Foreigners
N. Chinese
S. Chinese

S. Chinese Mongols felt were less accustomed to being rules and therefore distrusted. Also they were richer than the Northerners and therefore. Rice cultivation in South was more productive and therefore it was richer.

Currently huge project to to move water from South to the North. South China is primarily Yangtze River and south of it.

South was richer and did not like being pushed out of power.

Rebellion begins among the Southern Chinese who are most displaced. This is a rags to riches story.

Zhu Yuanzhang had a rags to riches story like Hideyoshi d. 1598.

Best study of early Ming by Dardess _Ming Authority_

They start as the poorest of the poor and they wind up being the most powerful figures in their lands by conquering their country. Hideyoshi gets 2/3 of Japan before he dies and begins to build the Tokugawa.

Hideyoshi pacified country and forced people into classes.

Zhu Yuanzhang born very poor and becomes an orphan (Black Death) - he is schooled in a Buddhist Temple and driven to hate the Mongols. He mobilized the forces to drive Mongols out of China. At age 30 he is the emperor of the world's largest empire that he brought into being.

He was very much a Legalist. His picture for how China works - he wants China to act like a fishing net. The motion on one end of the net has an impact throughout the whole. This is how he wanted to run China. He is an authoritarian autocrat who rules for 3 decades.

What does he do? Restores civil service examination. He wants officials to be educated and loyal. When you pass the exam you serve at the pleasure of the emperor. The Legalists did not trust the hearts of men but were suspicious. He employs a system of censors that checks up on the officials. He has a system of spies who check to make sure that people in power carry out the power in the way the emperor wants. Today in China they still have this notion. The CP has the Central Disciplinary Commission. If they find you flawed then you are turned over to the legal system. Some officials are expelled from the party like Bo Xi Lai. Today's system in China has resonance with the Ming Dynasty system.

Confucianists believed an inner compass would guide officials because education and society.

Zhu Yuanzhang is his given name. His imperial names are Hongwu and Ming Taizu.

Zhu was forceful and courageous and ugly. His face was disfigured and he was sensitive about his appearance. Chinese language has many homophones which allows for ridicule by using a different character that sounds the same.

Censors have a tough time keeping up because people play with homophones. In 1989 a very clever student wrote a patriotic poem after Tianamen Square massacre. The student sent a poem that was published on the front page. If you read it diagonally he read "Li Pung must step down"

Homonym in Zhu Yuanzhang was the character for pig. So people were not allowed to write about pigs for several years during his reign. The other name in Confucianism was Mencius who said that killing a father or king was not allowed but killing a father or king who did not act like a king was OK. Zhu had Mencius edited so that exception was removed.

His capital is in Nanjing - South Capital vs. Beijing is North Capital.

The Yongle emperor 1360-1424 created the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall.

In 1500 the Ming Dynasty is 100 million people. Other big empires in 1500

Ottoman Empire

If you look at the world in 1500 you would never guess that the Europeans would be dominant by 1800. What is going on? There are arguments that European small units in constant fighting created innovation. This led to development and growth and a highly competitive environment that created techological advances.

In 1500 Ottoman Empire and China are the big guys.

Yongle Emperor would be a good for a mini series on evil - kills brother and such and moves capital to Beijing.

In building the capital he drew resources from a large area. His father was able to tax and maintain order so Yongle was able to create a huge surplus that was invested in creating a palace of almost 10,000 rooms.

Thousands of workers built the Forbidden City. When you visit today you have access to perhaps 2/3 of the whole. On part is occupied by the current rulers of China. More of Forbidden City is open today than other times.

Ordinary people were not allowed there thus Forbidden.

**Built Grand Canal all the way to Beijing**

Moat built and hill nearby from all of the dirt. The Forbidden City had red walls and gold roof - this only allowed on Imperial buildings.

No expense was too great. South of the Palace is the Temple of Heaven. It is different - round because heaven is round - earth is square. It is elevated and the roof is blue like the sky or heaven. The emperor would go to the temple to keep heaven and earth in sync. Part of NS axis that includes Forbidden City, Temple, Tianamen Sq, Mao's Tomb and Olympic stadium.

No nails in the building - all fitted like furniture.

Ming rulers all passed away. They honor the dead with the Ming Tombs.

If you move capital north you need to build the wall to protect against the Mongols and such. The Great Wall you see today are pretty much Ming Dynasty.

David Spindler (most famous American who is into the Great Wall) He has lived in China for 20 years because the Great Wall is there.

Zheng He 1371-1433 - Muslim Eunuch admiral who goes as far as Somalia and such.

Compass is a South pointing device for the Chinese.
Rudders.

Chinese armadas of 300 ships strong. Some ships carried only fresh water for the rest. They went to many places and discovered many things. They were not conquering territory but rather they got animals for the Imperial Zoo like rhinos and giraffes from Africa. They go out for some 20 years and China has the world's foremost navy. In Beijing there is a big battle - on component is that Mongols are still a problem. Don't spend the money getting giraffes but spend money on not being Mongolian. Also a buerocratic battle between ministers and the eunuchs (castrated men who work in the palace). Eunuchs take care of the kids and this builds trust so the eunuchs are trusted by the emperors. This battle goes on for 2 centuries. Confucians hated eunuchs and believed that the eunuchs were not educated and did not deserve.

Ming Emperors invest heavily in Daoism. Manchus are not into Daoism. Ming like it because Dao is Chinese.

The result is they stop going to sea and the world's greatest navy is scuttled. At the same time the Europeans are going down the coast of Africa.

Gavin Menzies wrote that Chinese made it to America but most people are not convinced. The book 1421 The Year the Chinese discovered America.

Because the Ming exist for a long time and there is complete peace the eventually cannot defend the coastline and ask everyone to move 35 miles inland to deny them good stuff. They call them Japanese pirates although many were also Chinese.

Red laquerware. Blue and white porcelain pottery - Ming Vase.

Extensive trade discovered in underwater archeology. Through investigating shipwrecks we know interplay to SE Asia.

Ming Dynasty take better care of Grand Canal and a labor union forms. Government allows this because it is easier to negotiate with one group.

Jesuit arrive and Matteo Ricci 1552-1610 are a missionary force in Asia. Ricci goes to the colony of Macau (Portuguese colony). Ricci studies Chinese in Macau and they develop a system of Chinese character and a system with the Latin alphabet. The Jesuits become a major conduit for information about China going to Europe.

You can covert one Chinese at a time or you can convert the Emperor. In Japan you have Francis Xavier who converts Daimyo.

Ricci's way in was knowledge. The Jesuits were better at astronomy than the Muslims who had been doing the work before. Chinese were not impressed with Copernicus because their access was from Jesuits who had to condemn him. Jesuits bring geography and maps of the world to the Chinese. Jesuits also understood marketing. You need a good story with a multi media message. Life of Christ with wood block prints. Jesuits have very little success. Jesuits tell the story that Europe is peaceful because of Christianity.

Jesuits have a problem. Chinese have a problem with what to do about the ancestors. Can you worship them? What happens to the Jesuits? In Rome the Jesuits begin to lose power and are called back.

*Chinese Almanac*

Fall of the Ming - Ming collapse due to inattention. In the beginning the emperors are engaged in working with the buerocracy.

Generals in provinces become corrupt - take money for 10,000 men but only have a 2,000.

Big drought in N. China in 1640's yet the government does not cut back on tax collection. Taxes are going up. Tax farming.

Japanese movie _A Taxing Woman_ : A tax collector who takes on organized crime.

A rebellion breaks out in NW China that threatens the capital at the same time that the Manchus and Mongols come in. Ultimately a traiter Wu Songwei opens the gate. The last Ming empress hangs himself and the last Ming emperor throws a silk sash and hangs himself. He says:

"Poor in virtue and of contemptiable personality, I have incurred the wrath of God on High (Mandate of Heaven). My ministers have deceived me. I am ashamed to meet my ancestors: and therefore I myself take off my crown and with my hair covering my face, I await dismemberment at the hands fo the rebels... Do not hurt a single one of the people"

He was not so bad. One emperor had not met with his ministers for over 10 years. Another was really into making furniture.

About the lessons:

The purpose of this is to affect what actually happens with your students with the idea that if you actually spend time developing lessons, you will use them. The reason that the Freeman foundation has endowed this program is because they want Americans to understand Asia's past.

Lessons for 3 days - 3 hours. This should be detailed. Emphasize the idea of 3 hours because it would be unusual to to spend a solid 3 hours

Energize Student Achievement Foundation - $500,000 grant for a school.

Peach Blossom Spring is a story after the Han about a perfect society after going through a portal in a cave. You go in and then you can't go back if you leave. Two paragraphs - could be a lead in.

France has a lunar new year stamp as well as the U.S. and Canada.

Job applications as a Confucianist, Legalist, etc.

Hideyoshi's dream of conquering the world.

Guanyin is male in India and female in China.

"Flowers in a Mirror" women going to take the exam during the Tang Dynasty. The most important historian who has written on this is Patricia Ebrey

http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/

***

Highlights from the last hundred years.

Come to one day workshop on biography and folktales.

The big themes for 20th and 21st centuries:

*The Shrinking World 19th century ends between Japan and China.

*Continuation of Japan's mobilization that meant drawing on resources near and far. Japan takes over Korea. They beat China twice to dominate Korea and bringing Koreans to Japan where they continue to suffer discrimination.

*Japan had to get sources of a modern economy -energy. They go to Indonesia to get oil. They look to secure these source because as they expand the U.S. and others begin to cut them off. The dependence of energy for a modern society means the Japanese use nuclear energy even though they know what is like to be nuked!

*Biggest economies in East Asia. Taiwan and S. Korea are trading superpowers. How did these powers that were so torn up by wars become so dominant in the world today. Key factors - the important role of land reform. All of these countries had land reform. Land to the tiller. Getting away from the idea that you rented land to the idea that you own the land. Land reform in China with the communists because 1. message communists in charge, 2. break power of elite 3. access to the surplus from that land. What communists did by taking land and redistributing it they raised land tax by 5! That was a better deal than paying rent to a land lord. Land Reform important in Taiwan. Nationalists goal was to show who is charge, break power and to distribute land for a domestic market. Americans do land reform in Japan. Absentee landlords were a big problem in Japan. After 1945, few Americans wanted to buy Japanese things. Create a domestic market for your urban industrial goods. Land reform carried out in South Korea and North Korea but was most important in Taiwan and Japan. What happens after next couple of decades is Japanese leave the countryside but because of the political system, the power remained in the countryside. Only recently did Japan take away the overwhelming political power of the countryside.

*In all of these places the state looms large in directing economic development. Japan MIDI - Ministry of Industry and Trade. Sony does not exist before WW2. How does Japan rise economically partly due to Deming. Deming teaches the Japanese that quality in industrial development matters.

[Anonymous]

One of the texts I use gives a little more on the early story of Zhu Yuanzhang. In summary:

He was orphaned due to the Black Death which left him pock marked but he survived the illness. He then went to a Buddhist monastery where he learned to beg for food. When the Mongols destroyed the monastery believing it to be subversive, he joined a group of radical Buddhist rebels who believed the Maitreya the Buddha of the Future would free the people from oppression. Through some love affair with the rebel leaders daughter he moved up quickly in the organization and led them into battle against the Mongols. At some point he built an alliance with the scholar officials and developed a coalition to overthrow Mongol power.

[Anonymous]

This session was very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. He made unbelievable accomplishments by the age of 30 by ruling the world's largest empire. The information about the eunuchs and the sacrifices they made for the emperor to live a life serving the emperor was fascinating. It always astounds me to think of how people will make such great sacrifices in their lives to serve others. I also enjoyed the discussion about the Jesuits in Asia. Their influence and impact on both China and Europe was very significant because of the pipeline of information they streamed back and forth between the two places which caused many changes. Their way in was geometry which gave them access into the palace. The Jesuits also brought geography as well as geometry with them into the palace which changed the way many Chinese people understood Earth and geography in general. The discussion of the red lacquer art and the blue ceramics was also interesting to me because I saw many blue ceramic art pieces on my visit to LACMA.
edited by nfreeman on 1/12/2013
edited by nfreeman on 1/12/2013

[Anonymous]

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) parallels the time-frame of the Renaissance in Europe. Both hemispheres experienced significant changes during these centuries in politics, agrarian reforms, social, legal and religious institutions, trade and commerce, exploration, technology and the arts. It would be interesting to examine these developments more closely to see whether social evolutionary trends are predictable or divergent, or dependent on specific conditions. I’m intrigued by the demise of the Chinese navy, which it would appear may have been dominant creating trading connections in the Indian Ocean and beyond. I’d like to know more about the giant ships. Maybe the Chinese will build a replica from original designs some day. That internal politics, threats or turmoil, should lead to the abandonment of the navy is perplexing. European wealth was largely derived from that maritime drive to trade, colonize and exploit through wile, guile and force.
Today, this drive to generate wealth (at the expense of equity or social justice) is conducted by multinational corporations. East Asian economies have jumped into the fray with effect these past three or four decades. If we learn anything from history, no empire or dynasty lasts forever. There will be always some kind of revolution fomenting. Then we can confront that favorite dilemma of the existentialists: denial and nihilism or action and sacrifice. I sense that this might be a factor in recent developments and trends in the pursuit of Chinese democracy. Does government really know what’s best, in any country?

[Anonymous]

This final session was very informative and I really enjoyed learning about the Ming Dynasty because it was during this time that China experienced significant changes as well as this dynasty being the longer-lasting in Chinese history. It was really interesting to learn about the European contact with the chinese thru the Jesuits. Also it was interesting to learn that the Chinese were great sailors and the possibility that they came to America even before Columbus. Even though there is not official proof, the anecdote about the Cuban chickens got me thinking about endless possibilities and I wonder what would have happened if the Chinese had stayed at sea. Cheers!

[Anonymous]

How long is a dynasty? Poccession of an area was taken by any particular group if they won a war, not Devine Rights. It is an extreme difference from what I am used to and teach at the beginning of World History. When the Jesuits arrived, it introduced European thought and way of life to an area of the world that had not being influenced or participated much in. I am assuming that like in the rest of the world, the Jesuits wanted to introduce, infuse, and impose their religious belief on others. How influential were they and are they today? Great lecture and ready to learn more.

[Anonymous]

In all of the sessions I was enlightened about East Asia. It was a very interesting class on the Ming Dynasty. I was amazed to learn that the Ming Dynasty ruled for almost three hundred years. Zhu Yuanzhang also none as The Honwu Emperor and Ming Taiu (hated Mongols). Under his reign he restored the Civil Service Exam and created a centralized government that reunified China. My students found it fascinating that one family could rule for so many years. I told them about how he had spies to check on his officials, to make sure they were doing what he wanted them to do. In their world they don't call them spies call them snitches.

[Anonymous]

One of the topics covered in this session that I was fascinated with (even though it made me squirm in my seat) was the use of eunuchs in the Imperial Court. I had heard of eunuchs being used in certain high positions but I never realized the extent to which they were used. I was stunned to find out that many parents would castrate their young sons to give them a chance at the more important positions available in the Court. I initially believed that the eunuchs were chosen to work close to the Imperial family to protect the virginity or honor of the females in the court but I was surpried to find out that this was also done because a eunuch could not hope to start his own ruling dynasty and would not have the influence of in-laws to worry about.

[Anonymous]

The biggest idea that stuck with me from this last session, particularly in regards to present, is the fact that currently, the 2nd and 3rd most powerful economies in the world have emerged from East Asia. One of the primary factors (if not the main one), has been land reform. In fact, this has been seen in various places throughout the world, with Latin America being no exception. Mexico, in fact, regards Lázaro Cárdenas as one of its best presidents, and one of the things he is most known for (in addition to nationalizing Mexico’s petroleum) is the agrarian reform implemented under his government. Also, we have clear examples of economic oligarch’s power being threatened (and destroyed in some cases) in such places as Guatemala, from 1944-1954; Cuba, post-1959, and increasingly, South America in the present. It is very exciting to live during such times when seemingly irreversible transitions are happening on such a grand scale. One hopes that throughout all of this, the newer direction that these countries are taking will do justice to themselves and not commit the same errors that others have in the past in order to truly advance just and egalitarian societies in their presents and futures.
Another idea that struck a chord with me, and which I have heard elsewhere, is that there were people from East Asia that made it to the Americas even before the idea of Euro-centrism did. In fact, there are those that also claim that, because of archeological evidence, there are very clear ties between ancient African Civilizations and ancient Meso-“American” civilizations. All of this is fascinating to me, and I am only left to wonder that if all this is true, and is pursued with serious academic research and proof, what repercussions would it have on peoples’ world-view nowadays (or at least who are conditioned to not think for themselves but rather, accept whatever it is they are told to accept through the medium of television)?

[Anonymous]

I am at that point in the Japan unit where there is a picture of Prince Shitoko with his effeminate looking sons. This picture always gets an excitable response from my students, as the boys in the picture look more like girls than boys. A couple months ago someone in class suggested showing a clip from Magnum PI to illustrate that what is in style today maybe wasn't not too long ago (Tom Sellick sporting short shorts and a mustache). Well, I showed the clip today, and it was a big hit! Thanks for the suggestion. It also reminded me how awesome that show was :?.

[Anonymous]

I was fascinated by the idea of castration of the Eunuchs in order to make sure the children are of the Emperor only! I know my students will like hearing about this! I couldn't believe to the extent one's job description can be! I really enjoyed our last lecture on The Ming Dynasty. I felt that it brought the last two lectures together. I also thought that the sharing of lesson plans helped me get a better grasp of what was being asked of me.

[Anonymous]

I was truly blessed to have been a part of this course. It was very eye opening in many ways and it encouraged me to research more into South East Asian history. This last session I was fascinated by Zheng He, the Muslim Eunuch Admiral of the the Navy. I also learned about the colonization of the Macau by the Portuguese and how their geometry and astronomy was better than the Chinese.

[Anonymous]

What I enjoyed about our last session on the Ming Dynasty was the “gossipy flavor” of the stories. History is made up of stories, and if we can retell them in a way that grabs the students’ attention, it can ignite something. I know my students will love hearing me tell them about Zhu Yuanzhang’s rags to riches story and the “evil” Yongle. I’m also extra thankful for hearing the correct pronunciations of all these names. It’s always interesting to speak of eunuchs in my history classes – the boys tend to sit up very straight and unmoving. I have attached a link that I use when teaching about the Forbidden City. It’s a great clip of Matt Lauer inside the palace.
http://www.today.com/id/26054286/site/todayshow/ns/today-today_in_beijing/t/exclusive-inside-beijings-forbidden-city/

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