明代文化（英文）.ppt

Ming Dynasty China
1368-1644
History
Literature: drama and novels
Neo-Confucianist Thought
Yuan Dynasty 1279-1365
Reign of Mongols
Strong Leaders
Best years 1279-1294 with Kubilai Khan
Rebellions began in 1330’s and 1340’s with White Lotus Society
Natural Disasters
Banditry and rebellion out Khan to Mongolia
Ming Dynasty: History
1368-1644
Hung Wu (1368-1396)
Nanking and Beijing
Monk, rebel, then Emperor of Ming
Tributaries
K’e t’ow
40 states – Korea to Java
Gov’t purges on 1380, 1393
1380, abolishes Imperial Secretariat, continues corporal punishment (Mongolian)
Ming Dynasty: History
Dynastic Cycle
Yung Lo (1403-1424)
Naval Expeditions (1405-1433)
Cheng Ho
Ships
SE Asia, Calicut, E Africa
.
Consolidation/Isolation
Captial to Beijing
Tamerlane
Military and religious campaigns to Mongolia
Ming Dynasty: History
Middle Kingdom
Center, Golden Mean
Weak emperors saved by Confucian system
Tests
Improved pulsory National Service
Cotton
Ming Dynasty; History
Commerce
Trade grows (expeditions)
Money as exchange
Merchant guilds rise in power
1st Major Step toward Industrialization some shops employ several hundred workers
Silk = $$$$$
Ming Dynasty: History
Innovations not seen in Europe
Improved mechanical looms
Woodblock printing in 5 colors
New type of print developed
Refined sugar for the wealthy
Suspension bridges using iron chains (Europe – 1800’s)
Population at end – 130 million
Ming Dynasty: Science & Medicine
Materia Medica
Li Shih-chen
26 year project
pilation describing almost 2000 animal, mineral, and herbal drugs; over 8000 prescriptions, etc.
Ming Dynasty: Literature
Peak during Ming Dynasty
Prosemetric
Performed as Chinese Opera
Verse sections in form of songs , accopanied by instruments
Story of the Western Wing – Hsi Hsiang Chi
The Peony Pavilion -T’ang Xianzhu(Hsientsu)
Ming’s Shakespeare (1550-1616)
Ming Dynasty - Literature
Novels
Rising urban middle class increased readership and demand for fiction
Written in vernacular styl