The differences between the state structure of Tokugawa Japan and Qing China
Professor Dayna Barnes
HIST 130-01
March 2, 2014
The differences between the state structure of Tokugawa Japan and Qing China
In the 18th century, the Qing founded by the Manchus was a large and very powerful empire between 1644-1912. During this period, the Qing was strong and prosperous. And the population kept growing. In the two outstanding emperors’ rule, the national territory got the widest range in history. But with the increasing of population, the Qing was without progress in basic technology, and gradually it made China become debilitated. Ultimately China was unable to resist the Opium War and the pressure from foreigners. In Japan, Daimyo Hideyoshi died in 1598, and was replaced by Tokugawa Leyasu, and then Tokugawa established Edo as the capital, from 1603 to 1868. People couldn’t leave the island, and foreigners couldn’t get in. This close-door policy made Japanese do not know the outside world, and finally it was forced to open its doors by Americans. So how was the structure of the two states? Is it the same or different? There are five significant differences between the state structure of Tokugawa and Qing state, such as the emperors, political system, examination system, government control and economy system. When Manchus conquered China in 1644, and in order to control China, it gave the several ways of Qing government to control the whole country, including a comprehensive bureaucracy, examination system and elite commoners. And each way deeply influenced the structure of Qing China. First of all, the emperor and the mandate of heave controlled the Qing state. As Madeleine Zelin and Faculty Consultant1 argue that an emperor is the leader of the Chinese system of rule based on a powerful central government. But it didn’t mean he has absolutely power. And the emperor must be an unusual, who could mediate the cosmic forces. And his behaviors must be trained by fundamental political expectation. So the emperor could
HIST 130-01
March 2, 2014
The differences between the state structure of Tokugawa Japan and Qing China
In the 18th century, the Qing founded by the Manchus was a large and very powerful empire between 1644-1912. During this period, the Qing was strong and prosperous. And the population kept growing. In the two outstanding emperors’ rule, the national territory got the widest range in history. But with the increasing of population, the Qing was without progress in basic technology, and gradually it made China become debilitated. Ultimately China was unable to resist the Opium War and the pressure from foreigners. In Japan, Daimyo Hideyoshi died in 1598, and was replaced by Tokugawa Leyasu, and then Tokugawa established Edo as the capital, from 1603 to 1868. People couldn’t leave the island, and foreigners couldn’t get in. This close-door policy made Japanese do not know the outside world, and finally it was forced to open its doors by Americans. So how was the structure of the two states? Is it the same or different? There are five significant differences between the state structure of Tokugawa and Qing state, such as the emperors, political system, examination system, government control and economy system. When Manchus conquered China in 1644, and in order to control China, it gave the several ways of Qing government to control the whole country, including a comprehensive bureaucracy, examination system and elite commoners. And each way deeply influenced the structure of Qing China. First of all, the emperor and the mandate of heave controlled the Qing state. As Madeleine Zelin and Faculty Consultant1 argue that an emperor is the leader of the Chinese system of rule based on a powerful central government. But it didn’t mean he has absolutely power. And the emperor must be an unusual, who could mediate the cosmic forces. And his behaviors must be trained by fundamental political expectation. So the emperor could
Bibliography: Earns, Lane. “ Tokugawa Period.” In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 505-508. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2003. Zelin, Madeleine. Consultant. “The Grandeur of The Qing Economy.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Columbia University, Asia for Educators Program and Visual Media Center, accessed March 5, 2014 Zelin, Madeleine, Faculty Consultant. “The Grandeur of The Qing State.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Columbia University, Asia for Educators Program and Visual Media Center, accessed March 5, 2014