The Ming Dynasty's Demise

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the peasant uprisings, the famine, the closure of academies and the role of the Muslims in the collapse of the Ming dynasty. The paper concludes that while there is an enormous volume of historical information about the dynasty's demise, it is still unclear who the personalities were that played major roles in the downfall.

Outline:
Introduction and Overview
Peasant Rebellions
Academics and Politics

From the Paper:

"What were the conditions and dynamics that led the Ming Dynasty to a fall from grace and power? In his book, The Glory and Fall of the Ming Dynasty, author Albert Chan writes that "...the very fact that it lasted for nearly three centuries" indicates that the Ming Dynasty certainly had its strong points. Years of association with scholars and a "sound knowledge of history" helped the Hung-wu emperor avoid the mistakes that previous emperors had made. Indeed, Chan insists that it is historically fair to describe the Hung-wu emperor as a "...ruler of genius" (p. 376). It was the Hung-wu emperor who realized that an "...overpowerful military class" - giving too much power to the generals - might mean soldiers would obey their commanders and not the government. He also realized that family could encroach on his authority, and he tried to keep a handle on all aspects of governing."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chan, Albert. The Glory and Fall of the Ming Dynasty. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982.
• Meskill, John. "Academies and Politics in the Ming Dynasty." In Chinese Government in Ming Times, ed. Charles O. Hucker, 149-174. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Parsons, James Bunyan. The Peasant Rebellions of The Late Ming Dynasty. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1970.
• Spence, Jonathon D., and Wills, John E. Jr. From Ming to Ch'ing: Conquest, Region, and Continuity in Seventeenth-Century China. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979.

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