China+Dynasty

As you continue reading write down any instances of ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION done as a result of the emperor's ambitions.
 * Hardwood trees were cut down to construct fleets**
 * Lands were used to construct the Grand Canal.**

DIPLOMACY is the art of talking and negotiating without having to resort to conflict. On pg. 60, there is a discussion on how Chinese diplomacy was different than later European diplomacy. Explain this difference.
 * Chinese diplomacy was very unique. Everyone was expected to bow to the emperor (Zhu Di).Also,they were not allowed to look at the emperor's face. However, people who followed the emperor's orders and rules was rewarded. The Europeans were little more opened than China and they colonized. While Chinese persuaded trade.**

Explain how Zhu Di strived to make Beijing the world's INTELLECTUAL capital.
 * Zhu Di** **was interested in astronomy so he** **built observatories to study astronomy,scholars to help him study astronomy and libraries. This allowed Beijing the world's ineffectual capital.**

What route might they have all taken? Describe it...
 * The King of England would take a ship to France, Castille, Portugal, or Byzantium.The the ship will go down to South Africa and back up to the Indian ocean and go between Malacca and up to South China sea through Taiwan and arrive near Qingdao.**

Look carefully at the Yuan and Ming Dynasties and make some generalizations about China under those dynasties. Size? Change from previous dynasties? From your reading, make any observations you can about the two time periods.
 * The territories of previous dynasties in China displays China's expansion toward today's shape. As it commences from 1000BCE in the Zhou Dynasty, it continuously separates and unites, until after 1892 in the Qing Dynasty.China possesses a relatively long history, in its growth over numerous dynasties.**

Using your math skills, refer to the following map and figure out how big that new capital would be.
 * This diagram displaying Europe's urban population from 1400 to 1600 shows that the blue squares represent the region's population density. As shown in the diagram, the population in today's France has decreased in 1600, as where the population in southern Italy increased over time. This map shows how Europe changed in time in terms of the number of people.**

The Forbidden City is now the Palace Museum, and is located at the centre of the map below: Can you find the old city in the modern city? Where is it? What is there now?
 * The map named “Beijing city wall” was at Zhu Di's time, and the map named “beijing-map-overview” displays Beijing's current structure. The lakes at both maps are identical, allowing us to locate the Imperial City on the modern map. Previously, the cities and temples were consisting of traditional works, but today's Imperial City is right next to a department store and a grand hotel. This shows China's significant developments.**

If it WAS, where would it reach if it began at the Yalu River? Use the map in MWH Atlas p A18-19 to estimate where you would end up if the wall really extended 6,400 kms due west of Beijing.
 * If the wall extended to the west of Beijing for 6,400 kilometers, I would estimate that it will end at approximately today's Kazakhstan.**

Through what MODERN countries did the silk roads go?
 * The silk road is amazing long (as shown in the diagram), as it covers mostly Asia and the Middle East. Although the Silk Road is known for its trading benefits within many cities, I also think it connected the people's opinions due to shared products.The Silk Road of the time went through modern countries like Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, India, and China.**

When you get to p. 75, read to the bottom of p. 77. Stop at the paragraph beginning "Thereafter the Qazi..." Is there evidence here that Zhu Di truly did not understand what was happening to his rule?
 * Zhu Di truly did not understand what was happening to his rule because he was poisoned by mercury and arsenic, damaged his head and had stokes. It was obvious he did not understand what was happening to his rule.**

Start up again on the bottom of p. 78 (from "Apparently abandoned by heaven..."). List all the things that happened to the old emperor near the end of his life.
 * Abandoned by heaver, the humiliated, ill and distraught old emperor also faced political problems. Such as construction of the Forbidden city, the grand canal, fleet of treasure ships and repair of Great wall. Also, the first rebellion occurred in 1407 led by Le Qui Ly. In addition we was unable to get more children after 1404 because he was feeble.**

Finally read the edict of the new emperor, Zhu Di's son, Zhu Gaozhi, on the very day he ascended the throne, pp 81-85, beginning " All voyages of the treasure ships are to be stopped." Explain how this edict changed the history of not only China but of the WORLD. How did this leave open the "door" for Europe to take center stage now?
 * The edict changed history because,China's technology was unable to be spread upon the world. China closed the door to maritime technology. If China did not close the door to maritime technology, they could have existed longer. However, Europe did not close the door to maritime technology which allowed Europe to take the chance that China was unable to.**

1. On what philosophical assumptions are the Hongwu emperor’s words and actions based? 2. Do you think that his actions will solve the problems he refers to? Why or why not? Questions: 1. Does the emperor’s approach to solving the problem of evil behavior in this excerpt differ from that in the first? If so, how? 2.On what philosophical assumptions are Hongwu’s words here based? Think Chinese philosophy. 3.As an official, what would be your reaction to the emperor’s admonitions? 4. The emperor clearly holds himself up as a model of self-restraint for his officials to emulate. As an official, how would you take this? 5. Would your reaction be changed if you suddenly learned that the Hongwu emperor had dozens of concubines and consorts, with whom he fathered twenty-six sons and sixteen daughters?
 * Hongwu emperor’s words and actions are based on refraining from evil, being a righteous person and punished if the words are unkept.**
 * I believe his actions will restrain people and the people will fear Hongwu, however, sever punishments can sometimes lead to rebellion if it is intense. It is true that fear is the best way to control another but it can lead to a rebellion.**
 * Emperor’s approach to solving the problem of evil behavior in this excerpt differ from that in the first because he wanted to protect his reputation and preserve his life by music, beautiful girls and valuable objects.**
 * Hongwu's words are based on Confucianism. He stated the importance of life.**
 * As an official, I would think that the Emperor’s admonitions can be a negative effect to the empire because it is impossible to manage a large country with out fearing the people. The Emperor should be able to control and manage the people but to a certain limit .**
 * As an official I would take this as arrogance but if it is true, something that other officers and I should also emulate.**
 * My reaction be changed if I suddenly learned that the Hongwu emperor had dozens of concubines and consorts with twenty six sons and sixteen daughters because that is not a model of self restraint but full filling his will.**