Ming Porcelain

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Porcelain was a beautiful form of pottery that was created in China during many dynasties. Porcelain is made from kaolin, and it is so white that it’s almost translucent. For many years it was glazed with many colors but never blue. Cobalt was always desired but it would run, causing foggy lines and patterns. During the reign of Xuande, cobalt was experimented with. Eventually it was discovered that when manganese was added to the cobalt, the color dulled a bit and the lines became neater. This new form of porcelain was very unique and was desired by traders all over the world. It was considered the finest of all ceramics and was in incredibly high demand. This demand also helped with the development of mass production. Instead of one person spending hours working on a vase, a multitude of people would work together on each piece. Each artist would be assigned a specific task in creating porcelain and after that one task was done, the piece would be passed to another worker for the next step. With so many artists being involved in each piece, it was impossible for them all to sign the porcelain so instead it was stamped with the imperial stamp. With this system in place the Ming dynasty could produce thousands more porcelain pieces annually. One year over 400,000 bowls were made in the imperial family's factory. The production of porcelain was a vital part of the Chinese culture. It was not only a beautiful, unique form of art but also, a source of income for many Chinese artists.

The Nine Ranks System

During the Ming dynasty all government officials and their wives were required to wear badges specifying their social class. Military officials wore large animal badges because animals were hunters and tied to the earth in the same way as the soldiers. Scholars wore bird badges because birds could fly to the heavens as a scholar's mind could soar through human knowledge. The wives of the officials wore a smaller version of their husband's badge. The imperial family also wore badges. The imperial badges were embroidered with dragons and colors that corresponded with rank. These badges were an unneccesary waste of time and silk. The differences between social classes was already prominent and people should not have been judged by their status or wealth. The badges were innapropriate and said absolutly nothing about a person's character. The status insignias were very similar to the Jews being forced to wear the yellow star. It was wrong when Hitler did it and it was just as wrong when the Ming dynasty did it. The creation of the Nine Ranks system was a horrible event that allowed for inequality and segregation, problems that are still being faced world-wide.

Ming Philosophy

During the Ming rule, the Neo-Confucianism religion made the strongest impact. Confucianism was a very traditional belief system used in many of China’s early dynasties. It encouraged people to act in moral respectful ways without threats or fear of punishment. Neo-Confucianism is a modified version of Confucianism that came around when Emperor Hongwu took back China from the Mongols. It follows the same moral standards and, unlike Daoism and Buddhism, it does not acknowledge an afterlife or reincarnation. Neo-Confucianism is based upon Li, a god-like force that is absolutely pure. Li is believed to be the underlying spirit that runs nature. Chu Hsi wrote the Neo-Confucian books that were used as the base for all civil service exams and accepted by the general public. His teachings were studied, vigorously, by those who wished to become government officials in China. The principles in his books were well known and very important to the culture and peace of China.

The Fall of the Forbidden City

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The Forbidden City was an extravagant palace built during the reign of Emperor Yongle. Inside the Forbidden City were halls, bridges, palaces, ponds and the famous “Meridian Gate.” The Meridian gate could only be entered by the Emperor, his emperess and the highest level of scholars. One of the most important buildings was “The Hall of Supreme Harmony.” It was built of a seris of red pillars and carpeted with rich red and gold. Inside the hall was the emperor’s “Dragon Throne.” It was carved out of Rosewood and decorated with royal dragons. The long, extraordinary project that was ready for the emperor on February 2, 1421. Only three months after the first emperor moved into the imperial complex, lighting struck and set fire to the city. Because many of the structures were made of wood and silk, the fire spread rapidly and many structures collapsed. Many people got trapped inside the Forbidden City, engulfed in smoke and flames but Emperor Yongle escaped with minor injuries. The costly, time consuming palace was left in ruins with the extend of damage beyond repair. The horrible disaster left the dynasty in despair without enough money to compensate for the damage

Interview with Emperor Hongwu

Reporter – Good afternoon Emperor Hongwu. Thank you for coming out. I just have a few questions for you.
Hongwu – Sure, let’s get started.

Reporter – Emperor Hongwu, what are some of the challenges you faced when establishing the Ming Dynasty and did they have anything to do with your coming from peasant background?
Hongwu – Actually, compared to the other dynasties, establishing the Ming was fairly easy. At the time, China was under the rule of the Mongols. We were mortified that a group of foreign nomads could take over a country we had under control for so many years. Although it was terrible to be taken over, the embarrassing event brought us together. We were all, for the most part, peasants at the time and that made it much easier for a peasant to take over the ruling power. It had also been a fairly stormy year with many floods and landslides. These natural events were occurring readily so when I claimed that the heavens were upset and withdrawing the mandate, it was easily accepted. The creation of a one eyed stature also helped me to win over the country. I had my people build a one eyed statue inscribed with a warning that a revolution was coming and no one would be allowed to oppose it. This was taken hand in hand with the natural disasters and it was decided that the Mongols had to hand over their reign to me.

Reporter – I see. Well, even though you have your dynasty settled I’m sure you still deal with a fair share of opposition. How do you deal with it when it arises?
Hongwu – Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. In all honesty I try to avoid opposition at all costs by doing what’s best for my people but as you know, it’s impossible to keep everyone happy. If somebody breaks one of my laws I deal with it swiftly and calmly but not always discreetly. I need to show my people that if you disobey you will be punished. One man’s punishment can kill two birds with one stone, doubling as a reminder to all that rules must be followed. I don’t really allow people to argue with me, if they don’t like something I am doing they can do one of the following; deal with it because it’s the law, or put their foot down and pay for it. If you allow room for debate, lines get blurred and the truth can be misunderstood or manipulated. Yes, I am strict but that can be very useful when it comes to opposition.

Reporter – But the main religion of the Ming Dynasty if Neo-Confucianism. Don’t you think that your harsh ways contradict with the philosophy your country follows?
Hongwu – I am a strict ruler but I also believe in being brought up with good morals, respect for your elders and country and so forth but if a person can’t seem to manage these teachings they will have to learn another way.

Reporter – So then you don’t believe it is wrong to encourage people to follow their conscience and then bombard them with beheadings???
Hongwu –I come from peasant backgrounds and I have a deep understanding for the farmers and other lower class members. I am also a Confucian/Neo-Confucian scholar. I firmly believe in the principles that I studied but there are times when I feel some are deceiving me. I don’t want to lose the nation again and I will take drastic measures if they are necessary.

Reporter – I’ll accept that. How do you plan on protecting your country from the Mongols and other invaders wanting to take over?
Hongwu – After living through the Yuan dynasty and knowing what it’s like to have your own country run by outsiders I will be keeping a close eye on the military. In the past, Confucian scholars and the general public viewed the military as a very inferior class but the Mongols are a very real threat. They took over once, who says they won’t try to take over again. I plan on stressing the necessity of the military and hopefully raise the public view of the military while making it’s it soldiers and weapons stronger.

Reporter – That’s reassuring to hear. Aside from the military, how else do you plan to reform the new China?
Hongwu – Well, civil service exams were set up as a system for testing the ability of aspiring officials in the past but during the Mongol reign the system was ruined. I want to set up a very organized country. I plan on reforming the civil service exams and basing them on the teachings of Confucius and the Neo-confucian beliefs. Coming from peasant backgrounds I want to make the system as fair as possible. The amount of money or land to your name doesn’t decide your intelligence or competence as an official. My exams will be well planned out and impartial. No wealthy, upper class men are getting any preferential treatment and neither are members of the imperial family.

Reporter – Sounds great. Thank you for your time!
Hongwu – It was my pleasure.

Map of the Ming Dynasty

This is a map of the Ming Dynasty. The area shaded in red is the land ruled by the Ming between 1368 and 1644. The present day borders of China and Mongolia are shown with the dotted black line. The blue line representing the Great Wall extends across the width of the Ming land in the north. It was reinforced during this time, with a second wall protecting the western side of the northern border. The area controlled by the Ming dynasty is smaller than the previous dynasty because it needed to be won back from the Mongols but over time it will nearly double in size. Lastly, notice how the Ming territory also extends past the current boundaries on the northeastern coastline.

Murderous Emperor Rages Through China

Hidden behind the closed doors of a seemingly peaceful home, the body of a government official has been found. He was one of thousands to be murdered by Emperor Hongwu. It was only months earlier when the first death occurred. Prime minister, Hu Weiyong was found in the office of his eldest son, stuffed and hung from the ceiling. His head was later discovered spiked onto a pole as a “reminder” to others that rules must be obeyed. The paranoia that led to the murder immediately escalated to a killing rampage. Thousands of bodies can be seen dotting the landscape and blowing in the wind. “I’m terrified,” admits the wife of an official. “My husband is on close terms with the emperor but one wrong move could easily lead to a new decoration on my fence post. I don’t want to come home to a gruesome surprise.”
Though many commoners are worried that the emperor’s harsh penalties are unfair and extreme the emperor assures his people that those who receive the death penalty are deserving criminals. There is, however, a difference between the death penalty and the public display of stuffed, beheaded corpses. The emperor explained that this too, was necessary to serve as warnings. “If people feel that plotting and slyness is okay, our country will fall apart. We need control and structure!”
Empress Ma, bound by marital loyalties, defends her husband saying,“ He’s a good man under a lot of stress. The weight of running a country can take a toll on a person, especially when that person comes from peasant background. Sometimes he gets a little anxious, or suspicious, but we all need to take the circumstances into consideration.”