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| Ming
Dynasty ~ 1368 - 1644 |
 |
| Major
Advancements: The use of Reign Marks, Ming
Porcelain / Imperial Kilns. |
| Major
Public Works: The
Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, The
Ming Tombs, The Great Naval Expeditions |
Rivalry
among the Mongol imperial heirs, natural disasters,
and numerous peasant uprisings led to the collapse
of the Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was founded by
a Han Chinese peasant and former Buddhist monk
turned rebel army leader. Having its capital first
at Nanjing and later at Beijing, the Ming
reached the zenith of power during the first quarter
of the fifteenth century. The Chinese fleet sailed
the China seas and the Indian Ocean,
cruising as far as the east coast of Africa. The
maritime Asian nations sent envoys with tribute for
the Chinese emperor. Internally, the Grand Canal was
expanded to its farthest limits and proved to be a
stimulus to domestic trade. The Ming maritime
expeditions stopped rather suddenly after 1433, the
date of the last voyage. Historians have given as
one of the reasons the great expense of large-scale
expeditions at a time of preoccupation with northern
defenses against the Mongols. Opposition at court
also may have been a contributing factor, as
conservative officials found the concept of
expansion and commercial ventures alien to Chinese
ideas of government. The stability of the Ming
dynasty, which was without major disruptions of the
population, economy, arts, society, or politics,
promoted a belief among the Chinese that they had
achieved the most satisfactory civilization on earth
and that nothing foreign was needed or welcome. |
| Hongwu |
1368-1398 |
Jianwen |
1399-1402 |
| Yongle |
1403-1424 |
Hongxi |
1425 |
| Xuande |
1426-1435 |
Zhentong |
1436-1449 |
| Jingtai |
1450-1457 |
Tianshun |
1457-1464 |
| Chenghua |
1465-1487 |
Hongzhi |
1488-1505 |
| Zhengde |
1506-1521 |
Jiajing |
1522-1567 |
| Longqing |
1567-1572 |
Wanli |
1573-1620 |
| Taichang |
1620 |
Tianqi |
1621-1627 |
| Chongzhen |
1628-1644 |
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