Ming Dynasty essays

Ming Dynasty essays In 1407 A.D. in the Ming Dynasty China the emperor Zhu Di began his unprecedented project of building a massive fleet of giant treasure ships and cannon armed naval escorts in order to induce tribute from neighboring countries and spread the image of his grand empire. These voyages of international relations and trade continued for another 27 years, when in 1430 under Zhu Dis grandson, the Treasure Fleet made its final trip to the west. What likely led to the fleets extinction was its overall lack of funding and strain on the population and resources which in turn fueled the scholarly Confucian class who already had distaste for the emperor to actively oppose Zhu Di and his ocean based endeavors. In order to illustrate a general overview of the different reasons why the Confucians maintained their opposition of the fleet and why they actively helped to dismantle it I will first briefly review how the classic Confucian ideals were contrary to a merchant society and then examine the v arious other motives the Confucian men might have had against Zhu Di and his endeavors before and during the Treasure Fleets expeditions. Confucianism became firmly imbedded in the Chinese elitist culture as far back as the Han Dynasty which began in the second century B.C. and was eventually developed into the required lifestyle and practice of the upper-class and those in government positions. Hundreds of years later in the 15th century Ming Dynasty the Confucian influence was still found ingrained in the learned men of the government orbiting around the emperor and influencing his rule in various ways. Thus Confucius belief that trade was inherently mean and debasing [and that] there was nothing to be gained from contact with foreigners or strange things (Levathes, 33) would have been supported or used advantageously by many men surrounding Zhu Dis time. Also the emperor and most likely all Chinese people woul...