In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from a peasant background, founded the Ming. The Ming established its own international order called the tributary system and reached its peak during the reign of the Yongle Emperor.
The System of Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor)
Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor) revised the Yuan system and strengthened the system of imperial autocracy.
- Abolition of the chancellor system: The emperor directly supervised the Six Ministries (an unprecedented concentration of power)
- Community-lia system: An organization that collected taxes and managed public security and local administration on a village basis
- Sea ban policy: In principle, private overseas travel and trade were prohibited (to prevent smuggling and maintain the tributary system)
- Capital: Nanjing (later moved to Beijing by the Yongle Emperor)
The Yongle Emperor and Zheng He's Great Voyages
The third Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402–1424) pursued an active foreign policy.
・Moving the capital to Beijing (1421): It remains China's capital today
・Zheng He's great voyages: Under the command of the Muslim eunuch Zheng He, seven great voyages were conducted from 1405 to 1433. They reached Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and the east coast of Africa. The largest fleet consisted of more than 100 ships and over 20,000 people, preceding Columbus's voyage (1492) by 87 years
・Tributary system: When surrounding countries paid tribute to the Ming (bringing gifts as a sign of submission), the Ming gave generous return gifts and established an international order through “investiture” (recognizing their rulers as legitimate monarchs)
The third Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402–1424) pursued an active foreign policy.
・Moving the capital to Beijing (1421): It remains China's capital today
・Zheng He's great voyages: Under the command of the Muslim eunuch Zheng He, seven great voyages were conducted from 1405 to 1433. They reached Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and the east coast of Africa. The largest fleet consisted of more than 100 ships and over 20,000 people, preceding Columbus's voyage (1492) by 87 years
・Tributary system: When surrounding countries paid tribute to the Ming (bringing gifts as a sign of submission), the Ming gave generous return gifts and established an international order through “investiture” (recognizing their rulers as legitimate monarchs)
Significance of the Tributary System
The Ming tributary system formed a diplomatic order in East Asia with China at the top, and Japan, Korea, Ryukyu, Vietnam, and Southeast Asian countries participated. It continued during the later Qing period and remained East Asia's basic international order until the advance of Western powers in the 19th century.
Practice
- State the background (social status), name, and title of the person who founded the Ming.
- State the name of the commander of the great voyages sent by the Yongle Emperor and the farthest place they reached.
- State the name of the international order adopted by the Ming in diplomacy with surrounding countries.