Changes & continues: east asia

The four centuries covered in this chapter mark a transitory phase in the history of East Asia. During this time, the threat of conquest from Mongol tribes dissipated. On the other hand, western European merchants and governments encroached upon the kingdoms of Japan, Korea, and China. More and more, East Asia was connected to the broader global trading patterns that western Europeans established during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Unlike in native civilizations and kingdoms in the Americas, European encroachment in East Asia did not result in the collapse of local political and cultural traditions. Indeed, cultural and political traditions continued to evolve along historical patterns. In 1800, East Asian societies were still remarkably cohesive despite the dramatic changes in global economic and political patterns occurring all around them.

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Activity One:
Broadly speaking, both Japan and China experienced similar political developments between 1400 and 1800. After periods of disruption, each civilization returned to traditional patterns of government and political philosophy. As each political structure faced new challenges, it utilized strategies that had been forged in its past.
To better understand these trends, complete the following exercises. Go to Ming China. According to this site, what disruption in Chinese history was the Ming Dynasty hoping to overcome? What does Tien Ming, or the Mandate of Heaven, mean? For more information, see Tien Ming: The Mandate of Heaven. How did the Ming Dynasty represent "a return to traditional patterns of government and political philosophy"?
The Ming Dynasty