Reply to one of the following questions and then write 1–2 sentences on a classmate’s post.
Note: Having arrived in the Ming dynasty, we now have a ton of potential sources to read. And I’m going to be honest with you and admit that this is getting into the era in China’s history that I work on. (That has pros and cons, of course!) Below I’m including questions both general and specific so you can follow your interests. But try to do all the readings; they’re really thought-provoking.
- In what ways did Zhu Yuanzhang and the early Ming emperors break from Mongol precedent, and in what ways did they incorporate aspects of Mongol rule into the new dynasty’s governance?
- What were the legacies of the Zheng He voyages? Note: this is harder than it looks because the voyages stopped in the 1430s. Pick a place he visited and see if there is an ethnically Chinese community living there today.
- Take a look at the Selden Map. First, what does the map depict? Discuss a place that is depicted (or surprisingly not depicted!) on the image. Note: we’ll look at this map in class on Wednesday so don’t worry if you can’t get to it this weekend.
- Read the passage from Wang Yangming and discuss how his understanding of Confucianism differs from that of Zhu Xi’s.
- Read the biography of a widow who committed suicide in the Ming dynasty. How does the record and tombstone discuss her suicide? In your post, try to explain this social phenomenon without resorting to easy explanations such as “It’s because of Neo-Confucianism.” Try to think in both ideological and material terms.
- Who is Nezha and what is he doing in a Ming dynasty novel?
- How does the Ming legal code critique earlier legal systems? What novel aims does it have?
