Ari Gilder, 2-406!

Homework #16

1. Confucian attitudes towards trades during the Ming Dynasty were particularly negative. Merchants were at the bottom of the social classes, and all trade was regarded as something bad. The emperors did not believe that trade helped China, and instead instituted a tribute system from Japan, Korea and Tibet, but only for glory and security of China.
2. The decline of the Qing Dynasty does not follow the “traditional pattern” because its downfall was not similar to past dynasties. Rather than another person rising to power and defeating the Qing army, then claiming the Mandate of Heaven, the dissatisfied population of China challenged the government of the dynasty. The Qing Dynasty did not provide enough officials in the government per capita. They did not provide enough security for China, as north-Asian tribes were able to invade. Also, the high-ranking members of the government forced local officials to pay them bribes, and not much money was spent on assisting the Chinese people, but most of it wound up in the pockets of these officials.
3. Great Britain was interested in China mainly for their production of tea. The Chinese government, however, was very picky in allowing trade with Britain, and only allowed a few Chinese merchants to trade with the British East India Company. They were very strict about their terms of trade, and forced the British living in China to follow Chinese laws.

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