S25: Maritime Ming

• The story follows Ximen Qing, a corrupt merchant, and his wealthy household, including his six wives, especially Golden Lotus.
• Set during Emperor Huizong of Song’s reign (1101–1126 CE), it serves as an allegory for corruption in Ming governance, highlighting deception, bribery, and murder.
• For four centuries, Jinpingmei has been considered “obscene” in China and has faced bans.
• The novel spans various moods and genres, blending humor, philosophy, social commentary, and satire with puns and wordplay.
• It includes a Buddhist perspective on karma, warning about the consequences of one’s actions.

• Zhu Yuanzhang initially appointed his eldest son as crown prince, who predeceased him in 1392.
• By the rules of primogeniture, he named the next eldest, Zhu Yunwen, as heir apparent.
• Zhu Yunwen became the Jianwen emperor in 1398, disappointing his uncle, Zhu Di, Zhu Yuanzhang’s fourth son.
• Zhu Di took military control of the north and initiated a three-year civil war against his nephew.
• In 1402, Zhu Di captured Nanjing, burned down the imperial palace, then ascended the throne as the Yongle emperor.

• The Ming fleet featured advanced boatbuilding technology.
• Ships navigated with star maps and compasses.
• Shipbuilders used watertight compartments for repairs while sailing.
• Zheng He’s fleet had 317 ships, much larger than Columbus’s four, with treasure ships over 60 meters long and capable of carrying 2,200 metric tons.
• Zheng He’s navy had 28,000 men, including specialists like astrologers, judges, translators, and 180 medical staff.
• Chinese ships were often ten times larger than European ones in size, crew, and equipment.

• Zhu Qiyu enthroned as the Jingtai emperor twenty days after Zhengtong’s capture, while Zhengtong’s infant son was named heir apparent.
• Jingtai’s enthronement diminished the value of Zhengtong as a hostage; a year later, Esen released Zhengtong in exchange for reopening of border trade.
• Jingtai required Zhu Qizhen (former Zhengtong) to renounce his claim to the throne before allowing him to enter Beijing.
• Jingtai deposed his nephew in 1452 and appointed his own son as heir, but the boy died within a year, raising concerns about Heaven’s displeasure.
• The death of Jingtai’s son increased pressure on him to reinstate the nephew he had previously deposed.

• The Jingtai era faced severe weather, with drought in the first three years and waterlogging in the last two; these difficulties were blamed on Jingtai’s disregard for succession order.
• After Jingtai fell ill in 1456-1457, officials released Zhu Qizhen from house arrest and restored him to the throne.
• Zhu Qizhen adopted the new reign name Tianshun, meaning “Going Along with Heaven’s Will.”
• This event can be viewed as a power grab following Mongol traditions: a prince might take power from a weakened half-brother, despite violating Chinese customs.

• In 1442, Yingzong began relying on the eunuch Wang Zhen for advice. In 1449, he led an army against the Mongols at Wang Zhen’s suggestion but was defeated and captured at the Battle of Tumu Fortress.
• After his capture, his brother Zhu Qiyu became the Jingtai Emperor.
• Yingzong was released in 1450 but was put under house arrest by his brother.
• In early 1457, with the Jingtai Emperor ill and no heir, Yingzong staged a palace coup and reclaimed the throne, taking the era name Tianshun.
• The Jingtai Emperor died the next month, allowing Yingzong to rule for an additional seven years until his death in 1464 at age 36.

• Piracy was widespread along the coasts of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces in the 16th century, involving all levels of coastal society, including fishermen, sailors, merchants, and gentry.
• By the late 16th century, a vibrant international East Asian maritime trading community emerged in the sixteenth century, involving Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and Chinese merchants.
• The high profits from maritime trade led to both legal and clandestine trading activities along the coast.

• The discovery of silver in Japan in the 1530s intensified piracy and expanded illicit trade, particularly near Ningbo.
• Merchants covertly exchanged high-quality silks and textiles from Jiangnan for Japan’s silver, while Portuguese traders supplied arms and goods to mainly Chinese pirate gangs known as wokou.
• The Portuguese aggressively entered the South China Sea in the 1510s, disrupting regional trade and causing a slump in the economy.
• By the 1520s, Ryukyu was the only overseas state regularly submitting tribute, while the Portuguese sought tributary status to access China for trade.

Action & reaction:

• The Ming government had suspended all trade with Japan in 1523, preventing legal entry of silver into China despite its high demand.
• Closing the coast temporarily reduced piracy but led to increased smuggling and armed competition among traders, escalating violence along the coast.
• Pirate activity peaked in 1548 and remained high through the late 1550s and 1560s.

Changing tack:

• In 1557, Portugal was allowed to establish a trading base at Macao, which it maintained until 1999.
• In 1567, lifting of sea ban after four decades
• Within a year, Chinese traders resumed trade, and major piracy ceased for the next sixty years.
• Consequence: Ming China was flooded with money.

Did China’s importation of silver drain wealth from Chinese society?

• Transitioning to a silver-based economy had high social costs, replacing cheaper paper money with resource-intensive silver.

Despite this, the Ming economy prospered, with expanding markets, a growing merchant class, and significant commercial growth.

• Enterprises, particularly in mining and cotton production, became larger.
• Regional specialization: By 1600, lower Yangzi weaving households imported ginned cotton from various provinces.
• China’s ability to maintain a costly silver transition while remaining a dominant economy underscores its significance before the 19th century.

• Jihong (磯紅) during the Xuande period (1426–1436).
• Doucai (鬥彩, contending colors) during the Chenghua period (1465–1488).
• Jiaohuang (嬌黃) during the Hongzhi period (1488–1506).
• Wucai (五彩, five-color) during the Wanli period (1573–1620).
• “Blanc de Chine” (white from China), characterized by its pure white color and often depicting Buddhist statues, mostly produced in Dehua ware (德化窯) from Fujian province.