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Age Explorations
An of
Isolation,
and 1400–1800
Connect History and Geography
The 15th and 16th centuries were a time of exploration and
discovery for European nations. Taking advantage of new maritime
knowledge and inventions, European powers undertook sea
expeditions to expand their trade and influence. The map at the
right shows some voyages of exploration of the 1400s. Use the
map to help you answer the questions below.
1.What European power first sent an explorer to India?
2.How did the voyages of Dias and da Gama compare?
3. What Chinese explorer sailed as far as Africa?
For more information about about the age of
exploration and expansion . . .
CLASSZONE.COM
Westerners were not the only
ones to sail beyond their borders
during the 1400s. In 1405, the
Chinese navigator, Zheng He,
shown here, began exploring
India, Persia, Arabia, and Africa
for China.
Japan was ruled by the samurai
warrior class from the 12th century
until 1868. They tried to keep Japan
closed to the Europeans.
1405 1419 1494 Spain
Zheng He takes Prince Henry founds and Portugal sign
first voyage. navigation school. Treaty of Tordesillas.
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Early Explorations, 1400s
0° 30°E 60°E 90°E 120°E 150°E
Arctic Circle
60°N
ENGLAND NETHERLANDS
A S I A
London Amsterdam
ATLANTIC
E U R O P E
Paris
OCEAN
Venice
FRANCE
PORTUGAL Madrid Beijing
Lisbon SPAIN
Seville
Madeira Ceuta MediterraneanSea Nanjing
30°NCanary Cairo 30°N
Is. CHINA
Tropic of
Cancer
Mecca
A F R I C A Bombay
Cape
Goa
Verde Arabian
Is. Sea Calicut
Mogadishu
0° Equator Malacca 0°
Malindi
Mombasa
Batavia
INDIAN
Kilwa
OCEAN N
Mozambique
Sofala
Dias, 1487 - 1488
Tropic of Capricorn da Gama, 1497 - 1498
Zheng He, 1405 - 1433
30°S
0 500 1000 Miles
ATLANTIC
OCEAN Cape of 0 500 1000 Kilometers
Good Hope Winkel II Projection
0° 30°E 60°E 90°E 120°E
1603 1619 1793
Tokugawa Dutch establish trade Britain seeks trade
shoguns rule Japan. headquarters in Java. opening with China.
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Interact with History
I t is a gray and windy morning in 1430. You are standing on
Claiming new lands
a dock in the European country of Portugal staring out at
could bring glory and
prestige to your country. the dark and mysterious Atlantic Ocean. You, like most people
at the time, have no idea what lies beyond the horizon. Now
you may find out. You have been asked to go on a voyage of
exploration.
You’ve heard all the terrifying stories of sea monsters and
shipwrecks. You’ve heard the warnings that the currents along
parts of western Africa are “so terrible that no ship having once
passed . . . will ever be able to return.” You also have heard that
riches await those who help explore and claim new lands. Now,
as the captain calls for you to come aboard, you must decide.
Would you go?
The large hold of your ship could
carry back gold, jewels, and other
valuable items found in distant lands.
Raging waves could
destroy your ship and
leave you at the mercy
of the sea.
EXAMINING the ISSUES
• What possible rewards might Discuss these questions with your class-
come from exploring the seas mates. In your discussion, recall what
for new lands?
you have learned about the lands beyond
• What are the risks involved in Europe and what they have to offer.
embarking on a voyage into As you readabout the age of
the unknown?
exploration and isolation, see what goals
prompted Europeans to explore and to
what extent they achieved these goals.
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1 Europeans TERMS & NAMES
• Bartolomeu Dias
• Prince Henry
• Vasco da Gama
Explore the East
• Treaty of
Tordesillas
• Dutch East India
Company
MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Driven by the desire for wealth and European exploration was an important
Christian converts, Europeans began step toward the global interaction that
an age of exploration. characterizes the world today.
SETTING THE STAGE By the early 1400s, Europeans were ready to venture beyond
their borders. As Chapter 17 explained, the Renaissance encouraged, among other
things, a new spirit of adventure and curiosity. This spirit of adventure—along with
This globe depicts
several other important factors—prompted Europeans to explore the world around
the Europeans’
them. This chapter and the next one describe how these explorations began a long
view of the world
process that would bring together the peoples of many different lands and perma- around 1492. Europe
nently change the world. and Africa, shown
here, were the
lands Europeans
Many Factors Encourage Exploration had explored most
by that time.
Europeans had not been completely isolated from the rest of the world before
the 1400s. Beginning around 1100, European crusaders battled Muslims for
control of the Holy Lands in Southwest Asia. In 1275, the Italian trader
Marco Polo reached the court of Kublai Khan in China. For the most
part, however, Europeans had neither the interest nor the ability to
explore foreign lands. That changed by the early 1400s. The desire to
grow rich and to spread Christianity, coupled with advances in sailing
technology, spurred an age of European exploration.
Europeans Seek Greater Wealth The desire for new sources
of wealth was the main reason for European exploration. Through
overseas exploration, merchants and traders hoped ultimately to benefit
from what had become a profitable business in Europe: the trade of spices
and other luxury goods from Asia. The people of Europe had been introduced
to these items during the Crusades, the wars fought between Christians and
Muslims from 1096 to 1270 (see Chapter 14). After the Crusades ended,
Europeans continued to demand such spices as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and
pepper—all of which added flavor to the bland foods of Europe. Because demand
for these goods was greater than the supply, merchants could charge high prices
A. Possible Answer
and thus make great profits.
The Italians controlled
the trade and charged The Muslims and Italians controlled the trade of goods from East to West. Muslims
them high prices for sold Asian goods to Italian merchants, who controlled trade across the land routes
the trade goods.
of the Mediterranean region. The Italian merchants resold the items at
THINK THROUGH HISTORY
increased prices to merchants throughout Europe. Other European traders did
A. Analyzing Issues
Why did many not like this arrangement. Paying such high prices to the Italians severely cut
European merchants into their own profits. By the 1400s, European merchants—as well as the new
dislike the way goods
monarchs of England, Spain, Portugal, and France—sought to bypass the
were traded from
East to West? Italian merchants. This meant finding a sea route directly to Asia.
The Spread of Christianity The desire to spread Christianity also fueled
European exploration. Aside from leaving Europeans with a taste for spices, the
Crusades left feelings of hostility between Christians and Muslims. European
nations believed that they had a sacred duty not only to continue fighting
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Muslims, but also to convert non-Christians throughout the world.
Europeans hoped to obtain popular goods directly from the peoples of Asia. They
also hoped to Christianize them. Bartolomeu Dias,an early Portuguese explorer,
explained his motives: “to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were
in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do.”
Technological Advances While “God, glory, and gold” were the primary motives
for exploration, advances in technology made the voyages of discovery possible. During
THINK THROUGH HISTORY
the 1200s, it would have been nearly impossible for a European sea captain to cross
B. Summarizing
3,000 miles of ocean and return again. The main problem was that European ships How does the phrase,
could not sail against the wind. In the 1400s, shipbuilders designed a new vessel—the “God, glory, and gold”
summarize the
caravel. The caravel was sturdier than earlier vessels. In addition, its triangular sails
Europeans’ motives
allowed it to sail effectively against the wind. for exploration?
Europeans also improved their navigational techniques. To better determine their B. Possible Answer
European explorers
location on the sea, sailors used the astrolabe, which the Muslims had perfected. The
wanted to spread
astrolabe was a brass circle with carefully adjusted rings marked off in degrees. Using Christianity, bring
the rings to sight the stars, a sea captain could tell how far north or south of the equa- fame and prestige to
themselves and their
tor he was. Explorers were also able to more accurately track their direction by using
country, and enrich
a magnetic compass invented by the Chinese.
themselves.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
■ H■ ■IS■ ■T■O■ R■ ■YMAKERS Portugal Leads the Way
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
The leader in developing and applying these sailing innovations was
Portugal. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the southwest corner of
Europe, Portugal first established trading outposts along the west
coast of Africa. Eventually, Portuguese explorers pushed farther east
into the Indian Ocean.
The Portuguese Explore Africa Portugal took the lead in overseas
exploration in part due to strong government support. The nation’s
most enthusiastic supporter of exploration was Prince Henry,the son
of Portugal’s king. Henry’s dreams of overseas exploration began in
1415 when he helped conquer the Muslim city of Ceuta in North
Africa. There, he had his first glimpse of the dazzling wealth that lay
Prince Henry beyond Europe. Throughout Ceuta, the Portuguese invaders found
1394–1460
exotic stores filled with pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices.
For his role in promoting Portu-
In addition, they encountered large supplies of gold, silver, and jewels.
guese exploration, Prince Henry is
Henry returned to Portugal determined to reach the source of
often called Henry the Navigator.
Historians paint Henry as a quiet these treasures in the East. The prince also wished to spread the
and extremely driven man. So Christian faith. In 1419, Henry founded a navigation school on the
consumed was he by the quest to
southwestern coast of Portugal. Map makers, instrument makers,
find new lands, that he reportedly
shipbuilders, scientists, and sea captains gathered there to perfect
shunned female companionship.
Throughout his life, Henry their trade.
supposedly showed little emotion. It Within several years, Portuguese ships began creeping down
was said that no one ever saw him
the western coast of Africa. By the time Henry died in 1460, the
lose his temper. When angry with
Portuguese had established a series of trading posts along the shores
someone, Henry allegedly just
waved them from his presence, of Africa. There, they traded with Africans for such profitable items
uttering, “I commend you to God, as gold and ivory. Eventually, they traded for African captives to be
may you be fortunate.” While some
used as slaves. Having established their presence along Africa’s west-
considered him to be cold and
ern coast, Portuguese explorers plotted their next daring move. They
distant, others insisted that the
prince had a sensitive side. One would find a sea route to Asia.
writer claimed that upon learning of
Portuguese Sailors Reach Asia The Portuguese believed that to
the death of a friend, Henry wept
nonstop for several days. reach Asia by sea, they would have to sail around the southern tip of
Africa.In 1488, Portuguese captain Bartolomeu Dias ventured
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FS EC AI ETNUCREE& T I TTELCEH N O L O G Y
The Tools of Exploration
Out on the open seas, winds easily blew ships off course. With only the sun,
moon, and stars to guide them, few sailors willingly ventured beyond the sight of
land. In order to travel to distant parts of the world, European inventors and sailors
experimented with new tools for navigation and new designs for sailing ships.
The triangular sails allowed
the caravel to sail effectively
against the wind. With these
sails the ship could tack (sail on
a zigzag course) more directly
into the wind than could a
square-rigged ship.
Here, a naval officer uses a sextant, which
replaced the astrolabe in measuring the
height of the stars above the horizon.
The improved
rudder allowed
the caravel to
turn more easily.
Connect toHistory
The large cargo area was capable of
Analyzing Motives Why did
carrying the numerous supplies
inventors and sailors develop
needed for long voyages.
better tools for navigation?
SEE SKILLBUILDER
HANDBOOK, PAGE R5
Connect toToday
This 16th century Italian compass (with its lid beside it)
is typical of those taken by navigators on the great Modern Sailing Investigate
voyages of exploration. The compass was invented what types of navigational or other
by the Chinese. tools modern sailors use. Choose
one tool and write a brief explana-
tion of what it does. Be prepared
to present your report to the class.
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farther down the coast of Africa until he reached the tip. As he Background
Daily Life Dias named Africa’s
arrived, a huge storm rose and battered his fleet for days. When the
southern tip the Cape
storm ended, Dias realized his ships had been blown around the tip
A Rough Trip of Storms. However,
to the other side. Dias explored the southeast coast of Africa and then Portugal’s ruler was
Life aboard a ship during the age of
exploration was no pleasure cruise. considered sailing to India. However, his crew was exhausted and so pleased with the
explorer’s journey,
With no refrigeration system, foods food supplies were low. As a result, the captain returned home.
that he renamed it the
such as fruits, vegetables, and
With the tip of Africa finally rounded, the Portuguese continued Cape of Good Hope.
meats quickly rotted. For nourish-
pushing east. In 1498, their explorer Vasco da Gamareached the
ment, sailors often had to rely on a
rock-hard, bland-tasting biscuit, port of Calicut, on the southwestern coast of India. Da Gama and his
known as hardtack. crew were amazed by the spices, the rare silks, and the precious gems
In addition, swift and brutal that filled Calicut’s shops. The Portuguese sailors filled their ships with
punishment often awaited those
such spices as pepper and cinnamon and returned to Portugal in 1499.
who broke the ship’s rules. The
most common punishment was with The Portuguese gave da Gama a hero’s welcome. His remarkable voy-
the “cat-o’-nine-tails,” a whip made age of 27,000 miles had given Portugal a direct sea route to India.
of nine knotted cords (shown here).
The sailor was tied down and Spanish Claims Before da Gama’s historic voyage, as the
repeatedly struck on his bare back. Portuguese established trading posts along the west coast of Africa,
Spain watched with increasing envy. The Spanish monarchs also
desired a direct sea route to Asia.
In 1492, an Italian sea captain, Christopher Columbus, convinced Spain to
finance a bold plan: finding a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean.
In October of that year, Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean. His voyage
would open the way for European colonization of the Americas—a process that would
forever change the world. The immediate impact of Columbus’s voyage, however, was
to increase tensions between Spain and Portugal.
Columbus thought that he had indeed reached Asia. Believing him to be right,
Portugal suspected that Columbus had claimed for Spain lands that Portuguese sailors
might have reached first. The rivalry between Spain and Portugal grew more tense.
In 1493, Pope Alexander VI stepped in to keep peace between the two nations. He
suggested an imaginary dividing line, drawn north to south, through the Atlantic
Ocean. All lands to the west of the line, known as the Line of Demarcation, would
be Spain’s. All lands to the east of the line would belong to Portugal.
Portugal complained that the line gave too much to Spain. So it was moved farther
west to include parts of modern-day Brazil for the Portuguese. In 1494, Spain and
Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas,in which they agreed to honor the line. THINK THROUGH HISTORY
The era of exploration and colonization was about to begin in earnest. C. Analyzing Issues
How did the Treaty of
Tordesillas ease ten-
Trading Empires in the Indian Ocean
sions between Spain
and Portugal?
With da Gama’s voyage, Europeans had finally opened direct sea trade with Asia.
C. Possible Answer
They also opened an era of violent conflict in the East. European nations scrambled It appeased both
to establish profitable trading outposts along the shores of South and Southeast Asia. nations by granting
them their own terri-
And all the while they battled the region’s inhabitants, as well as each other.
tories to colonize.
Portugal’s Trading Empire In the years following da Gama’s voyage, Portugal built
a bustling trading empire throughout the Indian Ocean. As they moved into the region,
they took control of the spice trade from Muslim merchants. In 1509, Portugal extended
its control over the area when it defeated a Muslim fleet off the coast of India.
Portugal strengthened its hold on the region by building a fort at Hormuz in 1514.
Background
It established control of the Straits of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and
Indonesia is the fourth
Arabian Sea, and helped stop Muslim traders from reaching India.
most populous
In 1510, the Portuguese captured Goa, a port city on India’s west coast. They country in the world.
made it the capital of their trading empire. They then sailed farther east to It consists of some
13,670 islands, but
Indonesia, also known as the East Indies. In 1511, a Portuguese fleet attacked the
only about 7,000 are
city of Malacca on the west coast of the Malay peninsula. In capturing the town, the inhabited.
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Portuguese seized control of the Strait of Malacca. Seizing this waterway gave them
control of the Moluccas. These were islands so rich in spices that they became known
as the Spice Islands.
In convincing his crew to attack Malacca, Portuguese sea captain Afonso de
Albuquerque stressed his country’s intense desire to crush the Muslim-Italian
domination over Asian trade:
A VOICE FROM THE PAST
. . . If we deprive them [Muslims] of this their ancient market there, there does not
remain for them a single port in the whole of these parts, where they can carry on their
trade in these things. . . . I hold it as very certain that if we take this trade of Malacca
away out of their hands, Cairo and Mecca are entirely ruined, and to Venice will no
spiceries . . . [be] . . . conveyed except that which her merchants go and buy in Portugal.
D. Possible Answer
AFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE,from The Commentaries of the Great Afonso Dalbuquerque
It brought down the
prices of many Asian
Portugal did indeed break the old trade network from the East—much to the
goods, so more
Europeans could delight of European consumers. Portuguese merchants brought back goods from Asia
afford them. at about a fifth of what they cost when purchased through the Arabs and Italians.
THINK THROUGH HISTORY
As a result, more Europeans could afford these items.
D. Recognizing
In time, Portugal’s success in Asia attracted the attention of other European
Effects How did the
European domination nations. As early as 1521, a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrived in
of the Indian Ocean the Philippines. Spain claimed the islands and began settling them in 1565. By the
trade eventually
early 1600s, the rest of Europe had begun descending upon Asia. They were looking
impact Europeans
back home? to establish their own trade empires in the East.
Other Nations Drive Outthe Portuguese Beginning around 1600, the English
and Dutch began to challenge Portugal’s dominance over the Indian Ocean trade. The
Dutch Republic is also known as the Netherlands. It is a small country situated along
°0 °0E
4 Europeans in the East, 1700
ENGLAND
London ANmEsTtHerEdRamLANDS °80E °20E °60E W
Paris E U R O P E 1 1 °60
1
FRANCE
A S I A
PORTUGAL European nations
40°N Lisbon SPAIN OTTOMAN Beijing and territories
Azores Seville EMPIRE JAPAN Dutch
Madeira CeutaMelilla MediterraneanSea Persian CHINA NagaKsyaoktoi EFrnegnlicshh
Delhi
Canary Is. Gulf Hormuz Portuguese
Tropic of Cancer ARABIAN Diu IDNaDmIaAn Calcutta GuManagczahoou F(TOARIWMAONS)A EuroSpepaannish
VeCradpee Is. GGoSartme. eLb oiIasu.isCGOOALSDT A F R I C A PENINSULAArSaebaiBaonCmaCbGloiacocyuahtin PMoSnaRddIircahserry Manila PHILIPPINE POACCEIAFINC tradiDEFnrngueg tnpclicohshshts
Columbo LANKA MALAYA S Portuguese
Strait of Malacca Spanish
0° Equator Fernando Po MalSaUccMaATRA BORNEO M(SOPLIUCEC CISA.)S Dias' route,
Mombasa EAST INDIES Aug. 1487– Feb.1488
NEW
Luanda Kilwa INDIAN Batavia JAVA GUINEA Da Gama's route,
ATLANTIC July 1497–May 1498
TIMOR
ANGOLA OCEAN
OCEAN
Mozambique MADAGASCAR
Mauritius
GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps
Tropic of Capricorn Bourbon
(Réunion) 1. Place Why would a fort at Hormuz help the Portuguese to stop
Ft. Dauphine
trade between Arabia and India?
Cape
Town 2. Region Where was the Dutch influence the greatest?
Cape of
Good Hope
0 2,000 Miles
40°S 467
0 4,000 Kilometers
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the North Sea in northwestern Europe. Since the early 1500s, Spain had ruled this
area. In 1581, the people of the region declared their independence from Spain and
established the Dutch Republic.
In a short time, the Netherlands became a leading sea power. By 1600, the Dutch
owned the largest fleet of ships in the world—20,000 vessels. Together, the English and
Dutch broke Portuguese control of the Asian region. The two nations then battled one
another for dominance of the area. Each nation had formed an East India Company to
establish and direct trade throughout Asia. These companies had the power to mint THINK THROUGH HISTORY
money, make treaties, and even raise their own armies. TheDutch East India E. Analyzing Issues
How were the Dutch
Company was richer and more powerful than England’s company. As a result, the Dutch
able to dominate the
eventually drove out the English and established their dominance over the region. Indian Ocean trade?
E. Possible Answer
European Trade Outposts In 1619, the Dutch established their
The Dutch, with the
CONNECT to TODAY trading headquarters at Batavia on the island of Java. From there they largest fleet of ships
expanded west to conquer several nearby islands. In addition, the in the world, were a
The Dutch in South Africa great naval power;
Dutch seized both the port of Malacca and the valuable Spice Islands
also the Dutch East
Since colonizing the Cape of Good
from Portugal. Throughout the 1600s, the Netherlands increased its India Company was
Hope, the Dutch have retained a
control over the Indian Ocean trade. With so many goods from the richer and more pow-
powerful and controversial presence
erful than England’s
in South Africa. Dutch settlers, East traveling to the Netherlands, the nation’s capital, Amsterdam,
company.
known as Boers, continually battled became a leading commercial center. By 1700, the Dutch ruled much
the British after Great Britain seized
of Indonesia and had trading posts in numerous Asian countries. They
the region in 1806.
also controlled the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa.
The Boers, who now call
themselves Afrikaners, gained some By this time, however, Britain and France had gained a foothold
control in 1924. They began in the region. Having failed to gain control of the larger area, the
restricting the rights of the nation’s
English East India Company focused much of its energy on estab-
mostly nonwhite population. In 1948,
lishing outposts in India. There, the English built up a successful
the Afrikaners took control of the
government. They established business trading fine cloth on the European market. In 1664, France
apartheid, a legal system of severe also entered the Asia trade with its own East India Company. The
discrimination. company struggled at first, as it faced continual attacks by the Dutch.
During the 1990s, the govern- F. Possible Answer
The French company finally established an outpost in India in the
ment began repealing its apartheid It did not greatly
laws, as it finally agreed to share 1720s. However, it never showed a strong profit. affect them, for
power with the Africans. As the Europeans battled for a share of the profitable Indian European influence
Ocean trade, their influence in inland Southeast Asia remained did not spread much
beyond the port cities
relatively limited. European traders did gain control of numerous port cities through-
of the East.
out the region. However, their influence rarely spread beyond the ports into the coun- THINK THROUGH HISTORY
tries’ interiors. From 1500 to about 1800—when Europeans began to conquer much of F. Recognizing
the region—the peoples of Asia remained largely unaffected by European contact. As Effects How did the
arrival of Europeans
the next two sections explain, European traders who sailed farther east to seek riches
affect the peoples of
in China and Japan had even less success in spreading Western culture. the East in general?
Section 1 Assessment
1. TERMS & NAMES 2. TAKING NOTES 3. MAKING INFERENCES 4. ANALYZING THEMES
Identify Trace the establishment of What did the Treaty of Tordesillas Science and Technology In
• Bartolomeu Dias Portugal’s trading empire in the reveal about Europeans’ attitudes what ways did Europeans owe
• Prince Henry Indian Ocean by supplying the toward non-European lands and some of their sailing technology to
• Vasco da Gama significant event for each date peoples? other peoples of the world?
• Treaty of Tordesillas shown on the time line below.
THINK ABOUT THINK ABOUT
• Dutch East India
• the dispute between the • the astrolabe
Company 1419 1498
Portuguese and Spanish • the compass
• how the treaty settled the dispute
1488 1511
Write the lead paragraph for a
news story about one of the time
line events.
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2 China Rejects TERMS & NAMES
• Ming Dynasty
• Hongwu
• Yonglo
European Outreach
• Zheng He
• Manchus
• Qing Dynasty
• Kangxi
MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Advances under the Ming and Qing China’s independence from the West
dynasties left China self-contained and continues today, even as it forges new
uninterested in European contact. economic ties with the outside world.
SETTING THE STAGE Europeans made healthy profits in the Indian Ocean trade.
Looking for additional sources of wealth, they sought a trading relationship with China.
By the time westerners arrived in the 1500s, China had driven out its Mongol
rulers and had united under the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty
By the time the first Portuguese ships dropped anchor off the Chinese coast
in 1514, China had become the dominant power in the region under the rule
of the MingDynasty (1368–1644). In recognition of China’s power, vassal
Vocabulary
vassal states:coun- states from Korea to Southeast Asia paid their Ming overlords regular tribute,
tries that recognize a payment by one nation to another to acknowledge its submission. China
the overlordship, or
expected the Europeans to do the same. The Ming rulers would not allow out-
domination, of
another country. siders from distant lands to threaten the peace and prosperity they had
brought to China following the end of Mongol rule.
The Rise of the Ming Hongwu, the son of a peasant, commanded the
rebel army that drove the Mongols out of China in 1368. That same year
he became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Hongwu continued to
rule from the former Yuan capital of Nanjing in the south. He began
reforms designed to restore agricultural lands devastated by war, erase all
traces of the Mongol past, and promote China’s power and prosperity.
Hongwu’s agricultural reforms increased rice production and improved
Background irrigation. He also encouraged the introduction of fish farming and the
Confucianism
growing of commercial crops, such as cotton and sugar cane.
stressed social order,
harmony, and good The first Ming emperor used respected traditions and institutions to bring
government through stability to China. For example, he encouraged a return to Confucian moral
education, strong
standards. He improved imperial administration by restoring the merit-based
family relationships,
and respect for elders. civil service examination system. Later in his rule, however, when problems began to This blue and white
Vocabulary develop, Hongwu became a ruthless tyrant. Suspecting plots against his rule everywhere, porcelain vase,
purges:ways of he conducted purges in which many thousands of government officials were killed. with its finely
ridding a nation, or Hongwu’s death in 1398 led to a power struggle. His son Yonglo (yunglu) emerged detailed pattern, is
political party, of • from the Ming
people considered victorious from this struggle. Yonglo continued many of his father’s policies, although Dynasty. Ming
undesirable. he moved the royal court to Beijing. In addition, Yonglo had a far-ranging curiosity porcelain is
considered to be
about the outside world. In 1405—before Europeans began to sail beyond their bor-
one of the culture’s
ders—he launched the first of seven voyages of exploration. All were led by a Chinese
most famous
Muslim admiral named Zheng He(jung huh). achievements.
The Voyages of Zheng He Zheng He’s expeditions were remarkable for their
magnitude. Everything about them was large—distances traveled, size of the fleet,
and measurements of the ships themselves. The earliest voyages were to Southeast
Asia and India. Later expeditions roamed as far as Arabia and eastern Africa.
An Age of Exploration and Isolation 469