HIST1083 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Hongwu Emperor, Mongol Empire, Poster Child
Document Summary
Mongolian empire left blueprints: how to run large empire with various religions, ethnicities, languages, etc. Didn"t inherit entire empire because there was a lot of fighting. Employed many native chinese to run empire. Poster child for strong, organized centralized modern empire: strong trustworthy structure. Used preexisting civil service that existed in china. Those who work in land are respected for what they do. Merchants are considered low because they make money off of other people, not off their own labor. Chinese saw themselves as center of world/map. Emperor was highest level of society: son of heaven. Chinese decided who was worthy to trade: had to show ultimate respect to emperor to trade. He wanted to expand tribute circle of emperor, wanted people to pay chinese. Confucian opposition: everything we need is already at home, why trade with foreigners. Talk about supernatural to make it more vivid and interesting for reader.
