WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.958 align:middle line:90% [SQUEAKING] 00:00:01.958 --> 00:00:04.388 align:middle line:90% [RUSTLING] 00:00:04.388 --> 00:00:05.846 align:middle line:90% [CLICKING] 00:00:05.846 --> 00:00:12.650 align:middle line:90% 00:00:12.650 --> 00:00:14.460 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Lot to do today. 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:16.460 align:middle line:84% I want to get through as much of it as possible. 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:17.340 align:middle line:90% Here's the game plan. 00:00:17.340 --> 00:00:20.400 align:middle line:90% So today, we'll do the-- 00:00:20.400 --> 00:00:21.900 align:middle line:90% we'll do the Ming. 00:00:21.900 --> 00:00:24.740 align:middle line:84% I'll take you through the 1400s, the 1500s. 00:00:24.740 --> 00:00:26.120 align:middle line:90% We'll see how far we get. 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:29.780 align:middle line:84% On Wednesday, we do the 1600s, as you can imagine, 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:32.299 align:middle line:84% the end of the Ming dynasty, which is a really, 00:00:32.299 --> 00:00:34.320 align:middle line:84% really epic story in and of itself. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:35.972 align:middle line:90% And I will record it. 00:00:35.972 --> 00:00:37.680 align:middle line:84% And you have to understand something of-- 00:00:37.680 --> 00:00:40.178 align:middle line:84% I would say, one of the highlights of the semester. 00:00:40.178 --> 00:00:41.720 align:middle line:84% When I think about the whole semester 00:00:41.720 --> 00:00:44.560 align:middle line:84% and I think about highlights, like writing systems 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.400 align:middle line:84% and everything like that, the death 00:00:46.400 --> 00:00:51.120 align:middle line:84% of the last Ming emperor, his totally dramatic suicide, 00:00:51.120 --> 00:00:52.720 align:middle line:90% is on Wednesday. 00:00:52.720 --> 00:00:55.958 align:middle line:84% So you'll watch a video of me talking about that. 00:00:55.958 --> 00:00:57.500 align:middle line:84% Unfortunately, it won't be in person. 00:00:57.500 --> 00:01:00.400 align:middle line:84% But that's, I think, one of the highlights of the semester. 00:01:00.400 --> 00:01:02.260 align:middle line:84% And then next week, we come back, 00:01:02.260 --> 00:01:05.860 align:middle line:84% and it's the Qing dynasty pretty much until the end of the class. 00:01:05.860 --> 00:01:08.240 align:middle line:90% All right, so let's get started. 00:01:08.240 --> 00:01:10.500 align:middle line:84% So the establishment of the Ming dynasty, this 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:12.380 align:middle line:90% is where we kind of picked off. 00:01:12.380 --> 00:01:16.000 align:middle line:84% I just want to say, this is not super great resolution there. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.740 align:middle line:84% But I'm going to show you this photo, this painting, again. 00:01:19.740 --> 00:01:22.500 align:middle line:84% That's a painting of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:23.340 align:middle line:90% emperor. 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:26.300 align:middle line:84% And there's something-- when we always talk about, 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:28.940 align:middle line:84% what's the Mongol legacy of the early Ming, I 00:01:28.940 --> 00:01:31.560 align:middle line:84% that was a question for you this week in your discussion post. 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:33.520 align:middle line:90% And you go, OK, there he is. 00:01:33.520 --> 00:01:37.560 align:middle line:84% He's wearing his yellow, big imperial costume. 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.260 align:middle line:84% He's the emperor and everything like that. 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:42.040 align:middle line:90% But look at this carpet. 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:43.440 align:middle line:90% You know what I'm saying? 00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:45.020 align:middle line:84% Do you ever look at that-- that's 00:01:45.020 --> 00:01:49.860 align:middle line:84% obviously a Persian, Central Asian carpet. 00:01:49.860 --> 00:01:51.320 align:middle line:90% So think about it like that. 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:53.418 align:middle line:84% I'll show you that image later today, 00:01:53.418 --> 00:01:54.960 align:middle line:84% where you can take a good look at it. 00:01:54.960 --> 00:02:00.360 align:middle line:84% And just remember, the Mongols really changed China. 00:02:00.360 --> 00:02:01.460 align:middle line:90% And he's coming back. 00:02:01.460 --> 00:02:03.323 align:middle line:84% He's established the Ming dynasty. 00:02:03.323 --> 00:02:04.740 align:middle line:84% And he's going to, of course, say, 00:02:04.740 --> 00:02:06.660 align:middle line:84% I'm going to get rid of all these foreign influences. 00:02:06.660 --> 00:02:08.060 align:middle line:84% Of course he's going to say that. 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:10.435 align:middle line:84% Of course the founder of the Ming dynasty would say that. 00:02:10.435 --> 00:02:13.460 align:middle line:84% Ming is, in a sense, reacting to Mongol rule. 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:16.600 align:middle line:84% But they've already adopted so much from Mongol rule 00:02:16.600 --> 00:02:18.800 align:middle line:90% that it goes without saying. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:23.360 align:middle line:84% Just think about what even 80 years does. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.000 align:middle line:84% Think about what the United States was 80 years ago, 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.720 align:middle line:90% vis-รก-vis today. 00:02:27.720 --> 00:02:31.460 align:middle line:84% That would put us in, what, the 1940s, 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:34.980 align:middle line:84% and the culture of the 1940s versus the culture today. 00:02:34.980 --> 00:02:37.600 align:middle line:84% So that's a serious amount of time 00:02:37.600 --> 00:02:40.365 align:middle line:90% that the Mongols were in China. 00:02:40.365 --> 00:02:41.740 align:middle line:84% And, as you know, parts of China, 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:43.480 align:middle line:84% they were in there for a longer period of time. 00:02:43.480 --> 00:02:45.230 align:middle line:84% All right, so to just say something really 00:02:45.230 --> 00:02:47.440 align:middle line:84% quickly about the fall of the Yuan dynasty. 00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:50.580 align:middle line:84% Basically, I already covered this last week. 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:52.840 align:middle line:84% But just to give you some highlights here, 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.640 align:middle line:84% there's a series of civil wars that break out 00:02:56.640 --> 00:02:57.670 align:middle line:90% breakout in the South. 00:02:57.670 --> 00:03:04.610 align:middle line:84% You can see Chen Youliang was a big contender against Zhu 00:03:04.610 --> 00:03:05.450 align:middle line:90% Yuanzhang. 00:03:05.450 --> 00:03:08.370 align:middle line:84% But Zhu Yuanzhang, basically he takes over. 00:03:08.370 --> 00:03:09.950 align:middle line:90% He's ultimately successful. 00:03:09.950 --> 00:03:14.910 align:middle line:84% This is his territory that he consolidated early on. 00:03:14.910 --> 00:03:17.890 align:middle line:84% So basically, the Mongols are going to basically 00:03:17.890 --> 00:03:21.530 align:middle line:84% be driven out, back beyond what is now the Great Wall, 00:03:21.530 --> 00:03:23.010 align:middle line:90% into Mongolia. 00:03:23.010 --> 00:03:25.930 align:middle line:84% But then it's this question of the power play 00:03:25.930 --> 00:03:29.130 align:middle line:84% in South China that actually is going to render 00:03:29.130 --> 00:03:31.130 align:middle line:90% Zhu Yuanzhang successful. 00:03:31.130 --> 00:03:34.250 align:middle line:84% I'm going to talk a little bit about the technologies that 00:03:34.250 --> 00:03:37.430 align:middle line:84% might have aided in his success in doing that, 00:03:37.430 --> 00:03:39.030 align:middle line:90% in consolidating his rule. 00:03:39.030 --> 00:03:43.370 align:middle line:84% He, I think, ultimately defeats Chen Youliang 00:03:43.370 --> 00:03:44.770 align:middle line:90% at this Poyang Lake. 00:03:44.770 --> 00:03:47.370 align:middle line:84% And so that's where he basically becomes 00:03:47.370 --> 00:03:49.310 align:middle line:90% unrivaled in South China. 00:03:49.310 --> 00:03:52.090 align:middle line:84% This is an interesting story of, we don't usually 00:03:52.090 --> 00:03:56.150 align:middle line:84% have the South unified first and then conquering the country. 00:03:56.150 --> 00:03:57.850 align:middle line:84% It's usually the North goes South. 00:03:57.850 --> 00:03:59.770 align:middle line:84% This is a case where the South did it first. 00:03:59.770 --> 00:04:02.470 align:middle line:84% That's why his capital is at Nanjing. 00:04:02.470 --> 00:04:05.050 align:middle line:84% Now, the one thing I'll just say here, 00:04:05.050 --> 00:04:08.450 align:middle line:84% the fall of the Yuan dynasty, it doesn't totally go away. 00:04:08.450 --> 00:04:12.590 align:middle line:84% There's this thing we sometimes call the Northern Yuan, which is 00:04:12.590 --> 00:04:14.550 align:middle line:90% sometimes called a rump state. 00:04:14.550 --> 00:04:17.910 align:middle line:84% Basically, the Mongol line of the Yuan 00:04:17.910 --> 00:04:20.310 align:middle line:90% goes back into the steppe. 00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:23.870 align:middle line:84% And they're, at various points in the aftermath of the Mongol 00:04:23.870 --> 00:04:25.210 align:middle line:90% Empire, unified. 00:04:25.210 --> 00:04:26.810 align:middle line:90% Sometimes they're less unified. 00:04:26.810 --> 00:04:29.430 align:middle line:84% But one of the things that I will say here is that, 00:04:29.430 --> 00:04:33.190 align:middle line:84% if you look at-- by the time you get to the 1500s, 00:04:33.190 --> 00:04:36.190 align:middle line:84% the Mongols are becoming a serious geopolitical player 00:04:36.190 --> 00:04:36.990 align:middle line:90% again. 00:04:36.990 --> 00:04:39.898 align:middle line:84% And in particular, what one of-- and this is a story 00:04:39.898 --> 00:04:42.190 align:middle line:84% I'm just telling you right now because we're not really 00:04:42.190 --> 00:04:43.990 align:middle line:90% going to focus on it today. 00:04:43.990 --> 00:04:46.770 align:middle line:84% But starting in the 1500s-- even the late 1400s, 00:04:46.770 --> 00:04:48.630 align:middle line:90% but 1500s for sure-- 00:04:48.630 --> 00:04:52.010 align:middle line:84% the alliance between the Mongols and the Tibetans, 00:04:52.010 --> 00:04:54.790 align:middle line:84% and especially with patronage for Tibetan Buddhism. 00:04:54.790 --> 00:04:58.730 align:middle line:84% So it's in this period that you're 00:04:58.730 --> 00:05:01.330 align:middle line:84% going to have Altan Khan, who's going 00:05:01.330 --> 00:05:05.250 align:middle line:84% to be the most powerful Mongol of his day, 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:09.930 align:middle line:84% basically create institution of the Dalai Lamas. 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:12.310 align:middle line:84% That happens during the Ming period. 00:05:12.310 --> 00:05:15.970 align:middle line:84% And that happens with the Mongol-Tibetan connection. 00:05:15.970 --> 00:05:21.670 align:middle line:84% Ultimately, when you see 1635 right there, 00:05:21.670 --> 00:05:23.230 align:middle line:84% what happens to the Mongols up there? 00:05:23.230 --> 00:05:24.710 align:middle line:84% What happens to this Northern Yuan? 00:05:24.710 --> 00:05:25.792 align:middle line:90% What happens to all this? 00:05:25.792 --> 00:05:28.250 align:middle line:84% Basically, they're going to get incorporated, most of them, 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:32.330 align:middle line:84% into the Manchu project, which will be the Qing project. 00:05:32.330 --> 00:05:36.330 align:middle line:84% So next week, when I talk to you about the Qing, where 00:05:36.330 --> 00:05:38.030 align:middle line:84% it comes from and everything like that, 00:05:38.030 --> 00:05:40.810 align:middle line:84% I can catch you all up on the details of the Tibetans 00:05:40.810 --> 00:05:42.850 align:middle line:84% and the Mongols and that alliance and everything 00:05:42.850 --> 00:05:43.430 align:middle line:90% like that. 00:05:43.430 --> 00:05:46.970 align:middle line:84% But just realize, when the Ming is doing this thing, this-- 00:05:46.970 --> 00:05:49.150 align:middle line:84% the Tibetans and the Mongols stuff, 00:05:49.150 --> 00:05:51.150 align:middle line:90% that's a really important story. 00:05:51.150 --> 00:05:55.790 align:middle line:84% All right, when we talk about Zhu Yuanzhang and his victory 00:05:55.790 --> 00:05:57.790 align:middle line:84% and his establishment of the Ming-- 00:05:57.790 --> 00:06:04.070 align:middle line:84% Ming and bright, brightness; Ming, clear, 00:06:04.070 --> 00:06:09.830 align:middle line:84% something like this; that's what this title means-- 00:06:09.830 --> 00:06:12.950 align:middle line:84% he kind of followed in the Mongol tradition of, 00:06:12.950 --> 00:06:14.730 align:middle line:84% where do you get your reign name from? 00:06:14.730 --> 00:06:16.510 align:middle line:90% Where do you get your dynastic-- 00:06:16.510 --> 00:06:18.250 align:middle line:90% sorry, dynastic name from? 00:06:18.250 --> 00:06:20.810 align:middle line:84% And the Mongols had picked from the Classic of Changes. 00:06:20.810 --> 00:06:22.170 align:middle line:90% They would pick a nice name-- 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:28.190 align:middle line:84% Yuan-- this nice character out of that classical text. 00:06:28.190 --> 00:06:31.290 align:middle line:84% So he picks Ming-- also nice, auspicious, prosperous, 00:06:31.290 --> 00:06:32.750 align:middle line:90% everything like that. 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:35.210 align:middle line:84% Do I-- I'll show you in just a second. 00:06:35.210 --> 00:06:40.110 align:middle line:84% But one of the things that he is going to-- possibly ascribes 00:06:40.110 --> 00:06:44.210 align:middle line:84% his victory to is basically weaponry, 00:06:44.210 --> 00:06:46.610 align:middle line:84% in particular gunpowder-based weaponry. 00:06:46.610 --> 00:06:51.190 align:middle line:84% This is a fascinating text that is written during his reign 00:06:51.190 --> 00:06:52.790 align:middle line:90% as the first emperor of China. 00:06:52.790 --> 00:06:55.270 align:middle line:84% And it's basically the fire dragon classic. 00:06:55.270 --> 00:06:59.170 align:middle line:84% And by the way, of course, "classic" here is a nice way, 00:06:59.170 --> 00:07:01.630 align:middle line:84% polite way, very nice way to call an important book. 00:07:01.630 --> 00:07:02.830 align:middle line:90% But it is not a classic. 00:07:02.830 --> 00:07:04.850 align:middle line:90% It is a 14th-century text. 00:07:04.850 --> 00:07:09.370 align:middle line:84% It claims to have commentaries and such, or knowledge, 00:07:09.370 --> 00:07:10.890 align:middle line:90% from Zhuge Liang. 00:07:10.890 --> 00:07:13.370 align:middle line:84% Of course, remember, this is all strategic. 00:07:13.370 --> 00:07:17.450 align:middle line:84% Anytime you write something new, you have to pretend it's old. 00:07:17.450 --> 00:07:21.450 align:middle line:84% And 'Zhuge Liang knew all about these strategies,' blah blah 00:07:21.450 --> 00:07:23.510 align:middle line:84% blah. 'He knew all about'-- no, he didn't. 00:07:23.510 --> 00:07:26.230 align:middle line:84% There was no gunpowder during the Three Kingdoms period. 00:07:26.230 --> 00:07:28.570 align:middle line:84% Zhuge Liang did not write a preface for this book. 00:07:28.570 --> 00:07:30.830 align:middle line:84% This is a late 14th-century book, 00:07:30.830 --> 00:07:33.890 align:middle line:84% but it's really interesting because you get to take a look 00:07:33.890 --> 00:07:37.250 align:middle line:84% at, this is a-- what do you think this is? 00:07:37.250 --> 00:07:38.350 align:middle line:90% It's a bomb. 00:07:38.350 --> 00:07:43.170 align:middle line:84% So this is a bomb that was used during the Ming wars 00:07:43.170 --> 00:07:44.650 align:middle line:90% of their establishment. 00:07:44.650 --> 00:07:45.910 align:middle line:90% And look at this. 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:48.090 align:middle line:84% This [CHINESE] shen huo jian pai-- 00:07:48.090 --> 00:07:53.400 align:middle line:84% this is this 'heavenly fire' arrow, this kind of thing, 00:07:53.400 --> 00:07:55.960 align:middle line:90% lighting them all at once. 00:07:55.960 --> 00:07:58.840 align:middle line:84% This kind of art-- this weaponry and artillery-- 00:07:58.840 --> 00:08:02.980 align:middle line:84% there's all different images of the weapons that were used 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:05.220 align:middle line:90% in the 14th century. 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:10.660 align:middle line:84% This was composed by two members, two officials, 00:08:10.660 --> 00:08:14.500 align:middle line:84% who had supported Zhu Yuanzhang in his conquest of China 00:08:14.500 --> 00:08:16.360 align:middle line:84% and the establishment of the Ming. 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:17.960 align:middle line:90% One of them later got executed. 00:08:17.960 --> 00:08:20.720 align:middle line:84% You will see Zhu Yuanzhang executes a lot of people. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.740 align:middle line:90% But this is this book. 00:08:22.740 --> 00:08:24.660 align:middle line:90% Two famous people wrote it. 00:08:24.660 --> 00:08:26.360 align:middle line:84% And you could just kind of see here, 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:30.640 align:middle line:84% this is from Ming Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang's reign. 00:08:30.640 --> 00:08:32.900 align:middle line:90% That's a Ming bronze firearm. 00:08:32.900 --> 00:08:37.280 align:middle line:84% You can see what the primitive firearms look like at this time. 00:08:37.280 --> 00:08:39.380 align:middle line:90% But they were used. 00:08:39.380 --> 00:08:42.179 align:middle line:84% And we will see, of course, references. 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:44.580 align:middle line:84% Later in the Ming dynasty, we'll actually 00:08:44.580 --> 00:08:49.480 align:middle line:84% see the appearance of overseas cannon, especially when Macau 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:51.860 align:middle line:90% opens in 1557. 00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:53.340 align:middle line:90% You'll see overseas cannon. 00:08:53.340 --> 00:08:56.100 align:middle line:84% But there was, right from the very start of the dynasty, 00:08:56.100 --> 00:08:57.840 align:middle line:90% firearm, artillery, et cetera. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:00.080 align:middle line:84% What we can say is that, from the creation 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.900 align:middle line:84% of this book by some prominent officials in the early Ming, 00:09:03.900 --> 00:09:08.220 align:middle line:84% probably these weapons were ascribed by Ming Taizu 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:12.040 align:middle line:84% as having helped them consolidate their rule, 00:09:12.040 --> 00:09:15.960 align:middle line:84% when they were fighting before 1368. 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:17.220 align:middle line:90% All right, so here he is. 00:09:17.220 --> 00:09:18.560 align:middle line:90% That's a better image-- 00:09:18.560 --> 00:09:19.740 align:middle line:90% better, more clear image. 00:09:19.740 --> 00:09:20.880 align:middle line:90% Look, that's him. 00:09:20.880 --> 00:09:22.900 align:middle line:84% He was not known as an attractive man, 00:09:22.900 --> 00:09:24.040 align:middle line:90% I have to tell you. 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:25.820 align:middle line:90% He had very bad skin. 00:09:25.820 --> 00:09:30.080 align:middle line:90% They think he had some sort of-- 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:33.680 align:middle line:84% I don't know what that is, but a pockmarked face. 00:09:33.680 --> 00:09:36.160 align:middle line:84% He was not a particularly attractive person, 00:09:36.160 --> 00:09:38.760 align:middle line:90% according to the annals. 00:09:38.760 --> 00:09:39.980 align:middle line:90% He was super intense. 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:41.480 align:middle line:84% You got to understand, this is a guy 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:44.320 align:middle line:84% with a huge chip on his shoulder. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.140 align:middle line:84% He was truly one of the people who 00:09:47.140 --> 00:09:51.580 align:middle line:84% founded a dynasty in Chinese history from absolute poverty, 00:09:51.580 --> 00:09:53.900 align:middle line:90% from really absolute poverty. 00:09:53.900 --> 00:09:55.580 align:middle line:84% So you've seen that kind of, like, we 00:09:55.580 --> 00:09:58.480 align:middle line:84% say Liu Bang, from the founder of the Han dynasty. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.520 align:middle line:84% That's another time we saw something like that. 00:10:00.520 --> 00:10:04.300 align:middle line:84% But with Ming Taizu, we know more about him. 00:10:04.300 --> 00:10:06.160 align:middle line:84% Just take another closer look right here. 00:10:06.160 --> 00:10:09.400 align:middle line:84% Look at this beautiful Persian, Central Asian carpet right 00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:12.060 align:middle line:84% there, just totally there-- totally there, totally 00:10:12.060 --> 00:10:15.740 align:middle line:84% under not even a comment. 'I'm the emperor of the Ming. 00:10:15.740 --> 00:10:16.880 align:middle line:90% This is my new dynasty. 00:10:16.880 --> 00:10:17.922 align:middle line:90% And look at that carpet.' 00:10:17.922 --> 00:10:21.180 align:middle line:84% So again, it just gives you a sense of that cultural moment 00:10:21.180 --> 00:10:24.260 align:middle line:90% in that late 14th century. 00:10:24.260 --> 00:10:25.640 align:middle line:90% That's his name, Zhu Yuanzhang. 00:10:25.640 --> 00:10:28.360 align:middle line:90% He picks his era name. 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:30.000 align:middle line:90% What's his era name going to be? 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.220 align:middle line:90% He picks this name, Hongwu. 00:10:32.220 --> 00:10:35.020 align:middle line:90% So what does Hongwu mean? 00:10:35.020 --> 00:10:37.480 align:middle line:84% Kind of gives you a sense of what he's all about. 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:39.000 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Martial. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.360 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah, overflowing martial valor. 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:44.900 align:middle line:90% So he sees himself-- 00:10:44.900 --> 00:10:48.220 align:middle line:84% when you pick a name like that for being your reign title-- 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:50.920 align:middle line:84% and by the way, just realize reign titles 00:10:50.920 --> 00:10:53.560 align:middle line:84% in the Ming and the Qing become more important 00:10:53.560 --> 00:10:56.993 align:middle line:84% because they don't change during a dynasty anymore. 00:10:56.993 --> 00:10:58.660 align:middle line:84% Let me just explain what I mean by that. 00:10:58.660 --> 00:11:02.080 align:middle line:84% During the Tang, like Wu Zetian, she comes to the throne, 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.060 align:middle line:84% and she'll basically say, OK, here's the name of the era. 00:11:05.060 --> 00:11:06.980 align:middle line:84% And they'll use it for a few years. 00:11:06.980 --> 00:11:10.500 align:middle line:84% And then Wu Zetian will say, here's the name of the new era. 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:15.640 align:middle line:84% So during her reign, there will be multiple era names. 00:11:15.640 --> 00:11:16.535 align:middle line:90% She can change them. 00:11:16.535 --> 00:11:17.660 align:middle line:90% They all could change them. 00:11:17.660 --> 00:11:20.640 align:middle line:84% But in the Ming and the Qing, you pick one era name, 00:11:20.640 --> 00:11:23.560 align:middle line:84% and that's the era name that you have as long as you're emperor. 00:11:23.560 --> 00:11:26.592 align:middle line:84% So Hongwu is Hongwu the whole way through. 00:11:26.592 --> 00:11:28.800 align:middle line:84% And you'll see that throughout the Ming and the Qing. 00:11:28.800 --> 00:11:35.040 align:middle line:84% So picking a name like that is kind of saying, like, 00:11:35.040 --> 00:11:39.060 align:middle line:84% I'm full of martial valor, which, of course, was true. 00:11:39.060 --> 00:11:41.880 align:middle line:90% That's how he came to power. 00:11:41.880 --> 00:11:44.660 align:middle line:84% But it's also going to give you a sense of his attitude 00:11:44.660 --> 00:11:47.300 align:middle line:84% because, remember, what is the complement to the Wu? 00:11:47.300 --> 00:11:48.180 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Wen. 00:11:48.180 --> 00:11:49.800 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Wen, right? 00:11:49.800 --> 00:11:54.060 align:middle line:84% So he does not pick a name with "Wen" in it. 00:11:54.060 --> 00:11:56.520 align:middle line:84% That's something to just be aware of. 00:11:56.520 --> 00:11:59.140 align:middle line:90% 00:11:59.140 --> 00:12:02.660 align:middle line:84% Remember, all of these words of what the leaders pick 00:12:02.660 --> 00:12:05.900 align:middle line:84% will always tell you something about them. 00:12:05.900 --> 00:12:08.780 align:middle line:84% When Xi Jinping picks, I don't know, "Zhongguo meng" 00:12:08.780 --> 00:12:09.780 align:middle line:90% or something like that-- 00:12:09.780 --> 00:12:12.040 align:middle line:84% "Chinese dream" or something like that-- in hindsight, 00:12:12.040 --> 00:12:13.860 align:middle line:84% you'll go, oh, I see why that made sense. 00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:16.580 align:middle line:90% What they pick matters. 00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:19.540 align:middle line:84% There he is, the 13 provinces of the Ming. 00:12:19.540 --> 00:12:22.180 align:middle line:84% The Ming is never going to reach the territorial heights 00:12:22.180 --> 00:12:23.880 align:middle line:90% of the Tang. 00:12:23.880 --> 00:12:26.380 align:middle line:84% It's not going to reach the territorial heights of the Yuan. 00:12:26.380 --> 00:12:29.220 align:middle line:84% It's kind of boxed in, especially 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:30.920 align:middle line:90% towards that northern region. 00:12:30.920 --> 00:12:32.080 align:middle line:90% But it's serious. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:33.980 align:middle line:90% It's powerful. 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:38.580 align:middle line:84% And it's so important in ways that I'm going 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:39.985 align:middle line:90% to try to explain to you today. 00:12:39.985 --> 00:12:42.360 align:middle line:84% It's so important not just for Chinese cultural history-- 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:44.750 align:middle line:84% intellectual history, economic history. 00:12:44.750 --> 00:12:46.470 align:middle line:84% During the Ming dynasty, this is really 00:12:46.470 --> 00:12:48.190 align:middle line:84% where we're really going to start talking 00:12:48.190 --> 00:12:50.030 align:middle line:90% about the global economy. 00:12:50.030 --> 00:12:52.808 align:middle line:84% The Ming is presiding over a truly-- before this, Tang 00:12:52.808 --> 00:12:54.850 align:middle line:84% dynasty, you go, oh, Silk Road, blah, blah, blah. 00:12:54.850 --> 00:12:58.470 align:middle line:84% Yeah, OK-- overland, camels, takes forever 00:12:58.470 --> 00:12:59.970 align:middle line:90% to get stuff anywhere. 00:12:59.970 --> 00:13:01.750 align:middle line:90% But we get maritime trade here. 00:13:01.750 --> 00:13:04.770 align:middle line:84% And we also get-- during the Ming, 00:13:04.770 --> 00:13:09.130 align:middle line:84% you really get Chinese living overseas in Southeast Asia. 00:13:09.130 --> 00:13:11.630 align:middle line:84% There's all of these big things that happen during the Ming. 00:13:11.630 --> 00:13:14.250 align:middle line:84% And the Ming is also-- it lasts for a long time, 00:13:14.250 --> 00:13:16.490 align:middle line:84% like 277 years, something like that. 00:13:16.490 --> 00:13:19.630 align:middle line:84% Any dynasty that lasts that long, you 00:13:19.630 --> 00:13:21.110 align:middle line:90% got to tip your hat to that. 00:13:21.110 --> 00:13:22.690 align:middle line:90% They did something right. 00:13:22.690 --> 00:13:23.668 align:middle line:90% So let's take a look. 00:13:23.668 --> 00:13:25.210 align:middle line:84% Well, they did a lot of things wrong. 00:13:25.210 --> 00:13:27.550 align:middle line:84% But let's take a look at what they did right. 00:13:27.550 --> 00:13:31.130 align:middle line:84% All right, so one of the things he does when he comes to power, 00:13:31.130 --> 00:13:33.090 align:middle line:90% he outlaws foreign elements. 00:13:33.090 --> 00:13:36.630 align:middle line:84% He comes to power, and he says, you can no longer use 00:13:36.630 --> 00:13:37.970 align:middle line:90% foreign names, Mongol names. 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:40.710 align:middle line:90% You got to use Chinese names. 00:13:40.710 --> 00:13:44.230 align:middle line:84% He says, if you're a Mongol or you're a [Chinese] si mu, 00:13:44.230 --> 00:13:47.970 align:middle line:84% I think he basically says, you have to marry a Han Chinese-- 00:13:47.970 --> 00:13:50.808 align:middle line:84% tries to get involved with who you marry. 00:13:50.808 --> 00:13:52.350 align:middle line:84% Now, of course, what is it all about? 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:54.530 align:middle line:84% It's all about this assimilation process. 00:13:54.530 --> 00:13:57.890 align:middle line:84% In other words, of course that's what he was going to do. 00:13:57.890 --> 00:14:03.970 align:middle line:84% After you're living under Mongol rule for over 70 years-- parts 00:14:03.970 --> 00:14:06.090 align:middle line:84% of China longer than that-- you're 00:14:06.090 --> 00:14:08.810 align:middle line:84% going to want to have a reaction like this, 00:14:08.810 --> 00:14:10.810 align:middle line:84% reestablishing who we're all about. 00:14:10.810 --> 00:14:12.350 align:middle line:90% This is the standard. 00:14:12.350 --> 00:14:13.290 align:middle line:90% You got to wear-- 00:14:13.290 --> 00:14:15.390 align:middle line:84% remember, he says, wear Tang dynasty dress. 00:14:15.390 --> 00:14:16.470 align:middle line:90% Don't wear Mongol dress. 00:14:16.470 --> 00:14:17.910 align:middle line:84% Well, what was Tang dynasty dress? 00:14:17.910 --> 00:14:19.430 align:middle line:90% Did people know what that was? 00:14:19.430 --> 00:14:20.490 align:middle line:90% OK, whatever. 00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:23.570 align:middle line:84% The point is, he's got this kind of aspect to him. 00:14:23.570 --> 00:14:26.450 align:middle line:84% But what's also really interesting about Ming Taizu 00:14:26.450 --> 00:14:29.413 align:middle line:84% is he's also very tolerant in some surprising ways. 00:14:29.413 --> 00:14:31.080 align:middle line:84% Remember, I told you all those [Chinese] 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:32.847 align:middle line:84% si mu ren that came into the country, 00:14:32.847 --> 00:14:34.430 align:middle line:84% and they were establishing themselves? 00:14:34.430 --> 00:14:35.810 align:middle line:90% Many of them were Muslim. 00:14:35.810 --> 00:14:39.810 align:middle line:84% So Ming Taizu famously says, I'm OK with Islam. 00:14:39.810 --> 00:14:41.890 align:middle line:90% They can have their mosques. 00:14:41.890 --> 00:14:43.930 align:middle line:90% The Jews can stay in Kaifeng. 00:14:43.930 --> 00:14:45.670 align:middle line:90% I'm OK with all of that. 00:14:45.670 --> 00:14:49.070 align:middle line:84% Just dress in the Tang dynasty style. 00:14:49.070 --> 00:14:49.970 align:middle line:90% You know what I mean? 00:14:49.970 --> 00:14:51.870 align:middle line:90% So it's like, what's the line? 00:14:51.870 --> 00:14:53.790 align:middle line:90% What's the line for him? 00:14:53.790 --> 00:14:56.230 align:middle line:84% So I don't want you to think that it's 00:14:56.230 --> 00:15:00.210 align:middle line:84% this kind of, like, reactionary xenophobia. 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:02.130 align:middle line:90% It's more complicated than that. 00:15:02.130 --> 00:15:05.510 align:middle line:84% He wants to reestablish Chinese identity, no doubt. 00:15:05.510 --> 00:15:07.330 align:middle line:84% And he has an idea of what that is. 00:15:07.330 --> 00:15:10.590 align:middle line:84% But he's also dealing with a very, very changed 00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:14.250 align:middle line:84% social landscape from the fall of the Mongol era. 00:15:14.250 --> 00:15:16.250 align:middle line:84% And you got to deal with all these people. 00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:18.928 align:middle line:84% There's millions of Muslims now living in your country. 00:15:18.928 --> 00:15:19.970 align:middle line:90% What are you going to do? 00:15:19.970 --> 00:15:21.428 align:middle line:84% You're going to kick everybody out? 00:15:21.428 --> 00:15:22.455 align:middle line:90% So no, he keeps them in. 00:15:22.455 --> 00:15:24.830 align:middle line:84% And he says, OK, I'll do edict of toleration, [INAUDIBLE] 00:15:24.830 --> 00:15:26.410 align:middle line:90% mosque, do all this stuff. 00:15:26.410 --> 00:15:28.990 align:middle line:84% But there's some things they police 00:15:28.990 --> 00:15:30.470 align:middle line:84% and some things they don't police. 00:15:30.470 --> 00:15:33.130 align:middle line:84% I told you his capital is Nanjing. 00:15:33.130 --> 00:15:34.330 align:middle line:90% Please visit Nanjing. 00:15:34.330 --> 00:15:35.530 align:middle line:90% It's a beautiful city. 00:15:35.530 --> 00:15:37.070 align:middle line:90% Remember the Salted Duck? 00:15:37.070 --> 00:15:38.370 align:middle line:90% Yeah, good? 00:15:38.370 --> 00:15:39.430 align:middle line:90% Salted Duck? 00:15:39.430 --> 00:15:40.810 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 00:15:40.810 --> 00:15:42.030 align:middle line:90% This was his capital. 00:15:42.030 --> 00:15:45.630 align:middle line:84% It's the capital very shortly, just basically during his reign. 00:15:45.630 --> 00:15:48.090 align:middle line:84% It's also going to be the capital of China in the early 00:15:48.090 --> 00:15:48.990 align:middle line:90% 20th century. 00:15:48.990 --> 00:15:52.810 align:middle line:84% Nanjing has this fate of never being a very long capital. 00:15:52.810 --> 00:15:57.270 align:middle line:84% But it is a capital city twice in the last-- 00:15:57.270 --> 00:16:02.290 align:middle line:84% wah-- 700 years, for short periods of time. 00:16:02.290 --> 00:16:05.390 align:middle line:90% Ming Taizu is buried in Nanjing. 00:16:05.390 --> 00:16:08.950 align:middle line:84% So he is the only Ming emperor, as far as we know-- 00:16:08.950 --> 00:16:11.368 align:middle line:84% I don't think we know where the body of his grandson-- 00:16:11.368 --> 00:16:12.910 align:middle line:84% I'll tell you about that in a second. 00:16:12.910 --> 00:16:14.650 align:middle line:90% I'm getting ahead of myself. 00:16:14.650 --> 00:16:17.470 align:middle line:84% He's the only Ming emperor that we know who's buried in Nanjing. 00:16:17.470 --> 00:16:22.490 align:middle line:84% Everybody else is buried in the Ming Shisanling, the 13 Ming 00:16:22.490 --> 00:16:23.830 align:middle line:90% tombs outside of Beijing. 00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:26.230 align:middle line:84% That's after the capital is moved to Beijing. 00:16:26.230 --> 00:16:27.390 align:middle line:90% It's a beautiful city. 00:16:27.390 --> 00:16:29.470 align:middle line:84% The other thing he does is he builds this wall. 00:16:29.470 --> 00:16:33.130 align:middle line:84% He builds the city wall of Nanjing, fortifies it. 00:16:33.130 --> 00:16:35.050 align:middle line:84% That makes Nanjing really interesting 00:16:35.050 --> 00:16:37.740 align:middle line:84% because it's one of the few Chinese cities, especially 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:38.815 align:middle line:90% provincial capitals-- 00:16:38.815 --> 00:16:40.940 align:middle line:84% Xi'an is one of them; Nanjing is one of them-- that 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:42.820 align:middle line:90% still has their old city wall. 00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:45.980 align:middle line:84% You got to realize Beijing used to have its city wall. 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:47.960 align:middle line:90% It was torn down in the 1950s. 00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:49.160 align:middle line:90% Communists torn it down. 00:16:49.160 --> 00:16:51.820 align:middle line:84% Kind of a tragedy, to be honest with you. 00:16:51.820 --> 00:16:54.080 align:middle line:84% I realize there are some people-- it's like, 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:55.520 align:middle line:90% are you a developmentalist? 00:16:55.520 --> 00:16:57.180 align:middle line:90% We got to change things. 00:16:57.180 --> 00:17:00.425 align:middle line:84% The wall made Beijing seem so small and so quaint, 00:17:00.425 --> 00:17:01.800 align:middle line:84% and I get it, I get it, I get it. 00:17:01.800 --> 00:17:04.040 align:middle line:84% But it was the whole atmosphere of the city. 00:17:04.040 --> 00:17:06.180 align:middle line:90% Nanjing still has its wall. 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:07.880 align:middle line:84% This wall is really interesting, too, 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:10.300 align:middle line:84% if you're interested in the history of World War II-- 00:17:10.300 --> 00:17:12.859 align:middle line:84% how the wall served in fortifications against 00:17:12.859 --> 00:17:16.700 align:middle line:84% the incoming Japanese army, the gates that the Japanese army 00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:19.839 align:middle line:84% marched through when they were taking the city, and, of course, 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:22.740 align:middle line:84% all the scenes associated with what was later called the "Rape 00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.480 align:middle line:90% of Nanjing." 00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:26.619 align:middle line:84% So the wall is really, really interesting to see, 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:27.640 align:middle line:90% to experience. 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:32.340 align:middle line:84% Now, you could kind of guess Ming Taizu hated the scholar 00:17:32.340 --> 00:17:33.300 align:middle line:90% establishment. 00:17:33.300 --> 00:17:35.020 align:middle line:90% He does use this-- 00:17:35.020 --> 00:17:37.600 align:middle line:84% I mean, it's kind of fitting for our most 00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:40.080 align:middle line:84% recent presidential election, if I may say. 00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:42.260 align:middle line:84% Ming Taizu hated the establishment. 00:17:42.260 --> 00:17:43.660 align:middle line:90% Who was the establishment? 00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:46.040 align:middle line:84% The Confucian scholars who thought they 00:17:46.040 --> 00:17:47.580 align:middle line:90% were better than everybody. 00:17:47.580 --> 00:17:50.360 align:middle line:84% And he was not formally educated. 00:17:50.360 --> 00:17:53.520 align:middle line:84% So he kind of had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. 00:17:53.520 --> 00:17:56.220 align:middle line:84% So one of the things he does, which is kind of, like, 00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:59.560 align:middle line:84% take it as you will, he orders every county 00:17:59.560 --> 00:18:02.040 align:middle line:90% in the empire to open a school. 00:18:02.040 --> 00:18:04.160 align:middle line:84% Now, how well-funded these schools were 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.780 align:middle line:84% or how long did they last-- you can have a school on paper. 00:18:07.780 --> 00:18:12.080 align:middle line:84% But after 20 years, it becomes a tavern for drinking or something 00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:12.580 align:middle line:90% like that. 00:18:12.580 --> 00:18:14.500 align:middle line:84% It doesn't necessarily always work out. 00:18:14.500 --> 00:18:19.100 align:middle line:84% But he did want everybody to have access to some education. 00:18:19.100 --> 00:18:21.680 align:middle line:84% So he's kind of got this bent to him. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.740 align:middle line:84% He halts the civil service examinations in 1373, 00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:27.017 align:middle line:84% after complaining that the 120 scholar 00:18:27.017 --> 00:18:28.600 align:middle line:84% officials who obtained a jinshi degree 00:18:28.600 --> 00:18:30.540 align:middle line:90% were incompetent ministers. 00:18:30.540 --> 00:18:32.860 align:middle line:84% So he basically had a graduating class. 00:18:32.860 --> 00:18:33.640 align:middle line:90% They came. 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:36.220 align:middle line:84% He goes, you guys are just awful. 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:37.720 align:middle line:84% I'm just going to stop these exams. 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:41.120 align:middle line:84% So it's fascinating how you say to yourself, 00:18:41.120 --> 00:18:44.590 align:middle line:84% wait, I thought the exams were so important. 00:18:44.590 --> 00:18:45.840 align:middle line:90% Aren't the exams so important? 00:18:45.840 --> 00:18:47.240 align:middle line:90% Who would dare end them? 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:49.368 align:middle line:84% And it tells you a lot about Ming Taizu, 00:18:49.368 --> 00:18:51.660 align:middle line:84% that he would just be like, yeah, just forget about it. 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:53.600 align:middle line:90% Just, we're not going to do it. 00:18:53.600 --> 00:18:55.120 align:middle line:90% And then he brings it back. 00:18:55.120 --> 00:18:57.840 align:middle line:84% And then, when he brings it back in 1384, 00:18:57.840 --> 00:19:00.163 align:middle line:84% he executes the chief examiner, who-- 00:19:00.163 --> 00:19:02.580 align:middle line:84% when it was discovered that he had only allowed candidates 00:19:02.580 --> 00:19:04.622 align:middle line:84% from the South to be granted degrees. 00:19:04.622 --> 00:19:06.080 align:middle line:84% That's, I thought, always a funny-- 00:19:06.080 --> 00:19:07.830 align:middle line:84% and I remember we were talking about this, 00:19:07.830 --> 00:19:11.400 align:middle line:84% I think, after class last week-- very funny episode. 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:12.600 align:middle line:90% I mean, it's kind of tragic. 00:19:12.600 --> 00:19:13.400 align:middle line:90% Don't get me wrong. 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:14.760 align:middle line:90% This is an execution. 00:19:14.760 --> 00:19:16.923 align:middle line:84% But when he looks at the list and he goes, 00:19:16.923 --> 00:19:18.840 align:middle line:84% they're all Southerners, what are you doing?-- 00:19:18.840 --> 00:19:20.660 align:middle line:90% executes the chief examiner. 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:24.117 align:middle line:84% He executes supposedly about 100,000 people who were 00:19:24.117 --> 00:19:26.200 align:middle line:84% affiliated with the government and their families. 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:30.500 align:middle line:84% This guy executed probably more people than most emperors 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:32.220 align:middle line:90% in Chinese history. 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:33.965 align:middle line:90% He was paranoid. 00:19:33.965 --> 00:19:35.840 align:middle line:84% He was always thinking that people were going 00:19:35.840 --> 00:19:38.020 align:middle line:90% to overthrow him, all of that. 00:19:38.020 --> 00:19:42.840 align:middle line:84% And then he resettles over 14,000 wealthy families from 00:19:42.840 --> 00:19:44.860 align:middle line:90% Zhejiang and Jiangsu to Nanjing. 00:19:44.860 --> 00:19:46.900 align:middle line:84% One of the things that he does is-- 00:19:46.900 --> 00:19:49.380 align:middle line:84% because you had these wealthy families, 00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:50.740 align:middle line:90% especially in South China. 00:19:50.740 --> 00:19:52.960 align:middle line:90% They had big, landed estates. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.500 align:middle line:84% He tries to weaken their power base a little bit. 00:19:56.500 --> 00:19:59.420 align:middle line:84% One way to do that is to send them to the countryside, 00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:01.960 align:middle line:84% make them move somewhere else, or send them 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:06.120 align:middle line:84% to a military colony far away, or send them to his new capital 00:20:06.120 --> 00:20:08.780 align:middle line:84% in Nanjing, where he's close to them, 00:20:08.780 --> 00:20:11.780 align:middle line:84% taking them away from their inherited estates. 00:20:11.780 --> 00:20:13.840 align:middle line:90% So he kind of does-- 00:20:13.840 --> 00:20:15.520 align:middle line:90% take that as you will. 00:20:15.520 --> 00:20:16.780 align:middle line:90% This is how he reigns. 00:20:16.780 --> 00:20:19.400 align:middle line:84% Now, I want you to understand something about the Ming. 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.953 align:middle line:84% The Ming we separate into the beginning of the Ming dynasty, 00:20:21.953 --> 00:20:24.620 align:middle line:84% the middle of the Ming dynasty, and the end of the Ming dynasty. 00:20:24.620 --> 00:20:26.620 align:middle line:84% Now, that might sound like the most boring movie 00:20:26.620 --> 00:20:27.540 align:middle line:90% you've ever seen. 00:20:27.540 --> 00:20:29.790 align:middle line:84% Of course, it has a beginning and a middle and an end. 00:20:29.790 --> 00:20:33.440 align:middle line:84% But no, in this case, you got to really pay attention to it. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.060 align:middle line:90% Ming Taizu is really unique. 00:20:36.060 --> 00:20:38.140 align:middle line:90% There's only one Ming Taizu. 00:20:38.140 --> 00:20:41.220 align:middle line:84% All the stuff that he does, it doesn't follow through 00:20:41.220 --> 00:20:42.600 align:middle line:90% in the later reigns. 00:20:42.600 --> 00:20:44.520 align:middle line:90% Some stuff remains consistent. 00:20:44.520 --> 00:20:47.780 align:middle line:90% But it's a reign unto its own. 00:20:47.780 --> 00:20:52.240 align:middle line:84% Yongle is sometimes seen as the re-establishment of the Ming. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:53.280 align:middle line:90% He does his own thing. 00:20:53.280 --> 00:20:55.080 align:middle line:84% It's kind of a reign into its own. 00:20:55.080 --> 00:20:58.620 align:middle line:84% Then you get into a bunch of emperors that nobody remembers. 00:20:58.620 --> 00:21:00.360 align:middle line:84% And that's the middle of the Ming. 00:21:00.360 --> 00:21:01.740 align:middle line:84% And then when things really start 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:03.320 align:middle line:84% to get bad at the end of the dynasty, 00:21:03.320 --> 00:21:04.660 align:middle line:90% that's the end of the Ming. 00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:06.380 align:middle line:90% So beginning, middle, and end. 00:21:06.380 --> 00:21:10.820 align:middle line:84% Beginning is basically Ming Taizu and his son, 00:21:10.820 --> 00:21:11.960 align:middle line:90% the Yongle emperor. 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:14.860 align:middle line:84% And we're going to get to the Yongle emperor in a second. 00:21:14.860 --> 00:21:22.940 align:middle line:84% So for instance, he has huge turnover in his cabinet, 00:21:22.940 --> 00:21:23.840 align:middle line:90% as you could imagine. 00:21:23.840 --> 00:21:26.960 align:middle line:84% It kind of reminds you of the first Trump presidency, 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:28.260 align:middle line:90% if I may say. 00:21:28.260 --> 00:21:31.170 align:middle line:84% It was kind of like, he had this guy, Hu Weiyong, 00:21:31.170 --> 00:21:34.510 align:middle line:90% who was the prime minister. 00:21:34.510 --> 00:21:38.410 align:middle line:84% And Hu Weiyong helped him purge a bunch of other people. 00:21:38.410 --> 00:21:40.390 align:middle line:84% But then Hu Weiyong was implicated 00:21:40.390 --> 00:21:41.892 align:middle line:90% in some plot against him. 00:21:41.892 --> 00:21:44.350 align:middle line:84% And then he executed Hu Weiyong and a bunch of other people 00:21:44.350 --> 00:21:45.520 align:middle line:90% in 1380. 00:21:45.520 --> 00:21:47.770 align:middle line:84% And then he just abolished the post of prime minister. 00:21:47.770 --> 00:21:49.290 align:middle line:84% He said, I don't even need a prime minister. 00:21:49.290 --> 00:21:50.570 align:middle line:90% I'm not going to fill it. 00:21:50.570 --> 00:21:51.830 align:middle line:90% So he just didn't fill it. 00:21:51.830 --> 00:21:55.330 align:middle line:84% This is the last prime minister in Chinese history. 00:21:55.330 --> 00:21:57.670 align:middle line:84% So remember all those people in the Song dynasty? 00:21:57.670 --> 00:22:00.430 align:middle line:84% We talked about Wang Anshi, Sima Guang debates. 00:22:00.430 --> 00:22:01.690 align:middle line:90% What is Wang Anshi doing? 00:22:01.690 --> 00:22:03.150 align:middle line:90% He's like a prime minister. 00:22:03.150 --> 00:22:05.590 align:middle line:84% He's going to be the chief official guiding 00:22:05.590 --> 00:22:07.030 align:middle line:90% the emperor in policy. 00:22:07.030 --> 00:22:09.350 align:middle line:84% Ming Taizu just says, forget about it. 00:22:09.350 --> 00:22:11.790 align:middle line:84% So this is a move, in a way, you could say, 00:22:11.790 --> 00:22:14.370 align:middle line:90% to autocracy in Chinese history. 00:22:14.370 --> 00:22:15.810 align:middle line:90% That's sometimes what it's seen. 00:22:15.810 --> 00:22:18.410 align:middle line:84% The Song dynasty kind of gives us this moment. 00:22:18.410 --> 00:22:20.750 align:middle line:84% Remember when Ouyang Xiu says, hey, why don't we 00:22:20.750 --> 00:22:22.430 align:middle line:90% have political parties? 00:22:22.430 --> 00:22:26.550 align:middle line:84% Remember, they tried [CHINESE] Su Shi because of poetry. 00:22:26.550 --> 00:22:30.850 align:middle line:84% The Song dynasty is this remarkable time and place 00:22:30.850 --> 00:22:33.490 align:middle line:84% where you really have officials who are openly 00:22:33.490 --> 00:22:35.910 align:middle line:84% debating stuff and talking about all this stuff like that. 00:22:35.910 --> 00:22:38.810 align:middle line:84% This is like a slow turn towards something 00:22:38.810 --> 00:22:42.630 align:middle line:84% that's much more centralized in terms of that regulation. 00:22:42.630 --> 00:22:45.650 align:middle line:84% That being said, the Ming is kind of 00:22:45.650 --> 00:22:48.690 align:middle line:84% remarkable in the degree to which officials 00:22:48.690 --> 00:22:50.170 align:middle line:90% challenge the emperor. 00:22:50.170 --> 00:22:51.330 align:middle line:90% And I'll show you that. 00:22:51.330 --> 00:22:52.930 align:middle line:90% But not Ming Taizu. 00:22:52.930 --> 00:22:54.310 align:middle line:90% Don't challenge Ming Taizu. 00:22:54.310 --> 00:22:56.090 align:middle line:90% The other ones, you can. 00:22:56.090 --> 00:22:58.550 align:middle line:84% Basically, here's his six maxims. 00:22:58.550 --> 00:23:00.890 align:middle line:84% This is totally what you'd expect. 00:23:00.890 --> 00:23:02.690 align:middle line:84% But what I just want to point out here 00:23:02.690 --> 00:23:04.850 align:middle line:84% is, again, this is something that goes well back 00:23:04.850 --> 00:23:07.690 align:middle line:84% in Chinese history, where you'll say, 00:23:07.690 --> 00:23:11.050 align:middle line:84% during the one-child policy, 'one child is great, 00:23:11.050 --> 00:23:12.490 align:middle line:90% two is too many. 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:13.950 align:middle line:90% Don't even think about three.' 00:23:13.950 --> 00:23:16.030 align:middle line:90% There'll be these phrases. 00:23:16.030 --> 00:23:17.610 align:middle line:90% And so this goes well back. 00:23:17.610 --> 00:23:20.210 align:middle line:84% Ming Taizu, he's got these phrases. 00:23:20.210 --> 00:23:21.950 align:middle line:90% "Be dutiful to your parents." 00:23:21.950 --> 00:23:23.730 align:middle line:84% And you might say, isn't that obvious? 00:23:23.730 --> 00:23:25.850 align:middle line:84% Yeah, but his object is he's talking 00:23:25.850 --> 00:23:28.030 align:middle line:90% around the literati scholars. 00:23:28.030 --> 00:23:30.770 align:middle line:84% Remember, he doesn't like the scholarly establishment. 00:23:30.770 --> 00:23:32.090 align:middle line:90% He doesn't like those gentry. 00:23:32.090 --> 00:23:34.150 align:middle line:90% He doesn't trust them. 00:23:34.150 --> 00:23:36.890 align:middle line:84% So he wants to talk directly to the [CHINESE] lao bai xing. 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:39.210 align:middle line:84% He wants to talk directly to the common people. 00:23:39.210 --> 00:23:41.150 align:middle line:84% So he comes up with, here's my six maxims. 00:23:41.150 --> 00:23:43.570 align:middle line:84% "Live in harmony with your neighbors," blah, blah, blah, 00:23:43.570 --> 00:23:44.070 align:middle line:90% blah, blah. 00:23:44.070 --> 00:23:45.690 align:middle line:90% OK, so here's what happens. 00:23:45.690 --> 00:23:48.630 align:middle line:90% He dies in 1398. 00:23:48.630 --> 00:23:52.470 align:middle line:84% And the way that Ming's succession rules worked 00:23:52.470 --> 00:23:54.830 align:middle line:84% was that it would go to the eldest-- it 00:23:54.830 --> 00:23:59.010 align:middle line:84% would go to the son of the primary empress. 00:23:59.010 --> 00:24:04.470 align:middle line:84% Now, that guy who was designated to inherit the throne 00:24:04.470 --> 00:24:08.070 align:middle line:84% passed away, meaning that, in the succession line, 00:24:08.070 --> 00:24:09.710 align:middle line:84% it would go to his son, which was 00:24:09.710 --> 00:24:13.230 align:middle line:84% the grandson of Ming Taizu, who's going 00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:14.490 align:middle line:90% to be the Jianwen emperor. 00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:17.130 align:middle line:84% Now, the Jianwen emperor, you go, I've never heard of him. 00:24:17.130 --> 00:24:20.270 align:middle line:84% Yeah, he's erased from Chinese history 00:24:20.270 --> 00:24:23.370 align:middle line:84% because Ming Taizu's son, his uncle, 00:24:23.370 --> 00:24:26.010 align:middle line:84% is going to overthrow him almost immediately. 00:24:26.010 --> 00:24:28.550 align:middle line:84% So the Jianwen emperor comes to the throne, 00:24:28.550 --> 00:24:30.170 align:middle line:90% the grandson of Ming Taizu. 00:24:30.170 --> 00:24:32.230 align:middle line:84% He's kind of like, OK, what are we going to do? 00:24:32.230 --> 00:24:33.610 align:middle line:90% What are we going to do? 00:24:33.610 --> 00:24:35.110 align:middle line:90% I got to consolidate. 00:24:35.110 --> 00:24:36.440 align:middle line:90% I got to be a new emperor. 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:38.190 align:middle line:84% How are you going to follow up Ming Taizu? 00:24:38.190 --> 00:24:39.430 align:middle line:90% All of that stuff like that. 00:24:39.430 --> 00:24:43.530 align:middle line:84% And this guy, Zhu Di, the Yongle-- 00:24:43.530 --> 00:24:46.510 align:middle line:84% who's going to be the Yongle emperor, he's not having it. 00:24:46.510 --> 00:24:47.710 align:middle line:90% He's not having it. 00:24:47.710 --> 00:24:49.710 align:middle line:90% Now, this guy, this is Zhu Di. 00:24:49.710 --> 00:24:51.570 align:middle line:84% This is the guy who's going to take over. 00:24:51.570 --> 00:24:53.847 align:middle line:90% He's the son of Ming Taizu. 00:24:53.847 --> 00:24:55.930 align:middle line:84% But he wasn't in line for the throne, technically. 00:24:55.930 --> 00:24:57.890 align:middle line:84% So his brother was in line for the throne. 00:24:57.890 --> 00:25:01.775 align:middle line:84% So this guy, his power base is in Beijing. 00:25:01.775 --> 00:25:03.650 align:middle line:84% Now, let me just stop right here for a minute 00:25:03.650 --> 00:25:05.410 align:middle line:90% and explain what this means. 00:25:05.410 --> 00:25:10.010 align:middle line:84% In the Ming dynasty, one thing that makes the Ming unique 00:25:10.010 --> 00:25:15.730 align:middle line:84% is that the sons of Ming Taizu were enfeoffed as princes. 00:25:15.730 --> 00:25:19.430 align:middle line:84% And they were given territories all around the empire. 00:25:19.430 --> 00:25:23.090 align:middle line:84% So there was a prince of Shu, Sichuan. 00:25:23.090 --> 00:25:27.090 align:middle line:84% There was a Prince of Nanchang in Jiangxi. 00:25:27.090 --> 00:25:29.870 align:middle line:84% There were princes that belonged to the royal family 00:25:29.870 --> 00:25:31.850 align:middle line:90% all across the empire. 00:25:31.850 --> 00:25:34.090 align:middle line:84% The Manchu Qing will not do this. 00:25:34.090 --> 00:25:35.920 align:middle line:90% But the Ming did do this. 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:38.170 align:middle line:84% And there were reasons they did this-- for succession, 00:25:38.170 --> 00:25:39.910 align:middle line:90% et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. 00:25:39.910 --> 00:25:43.710 align:middle line:84% So the line that he comes from was 00:25:43.710 --> 00:25:51.710 align:middle line:84% he was given a state by his father in the Beiping area. 00:25:51.710 --> 00:25:55.310 align:middle line:84% That's the old territory seat of Yan. 00:25:55.310 --> 00:25:57.870 align:middle line:84% That's basically greater Beijing. 00:25:57.870 --> 00:26:02.830 align:middle line:84% This was very, very close to the Mongol frontier. 00:26:02.830 --> 00:26:05.150 align:middle line:84% So this is a very, very important region 00:26:05.150 --> 00:26:08.350 align:middle line:84% in terms of geopolitics, considering that the Mongols had 00:26:08.350 --> 00:26:09.370 align:middle line:90% just retreated. 00:26:09.370 --> 00:26:14.590 align:middle line:84% So this is where he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Yan. 00:26:14.590 --> 00:26:17.070 align:middle line:84% Now, Jianwen comes to the throne. 00:26:17.070 --> 00:26:20.910 align:middle line:84% And Jianwen is kind of saying, I want to-- one of the things 00:26:20.910 --> 00:26:23.110 align:middle line:84% that we're going to try to do is lessen 00:26:23.110 --> 00:26:26.620 align:middle line:84% the military independence of the princes, 00:26:26.620 --> 00:26:28.020 align:middle line:90% including the Prince of Yan. 00:26:28.020 --> 00:26:31.100 align:middle line:84% Well, basically, you can imagine this guy wasn't having it. 00:26:31.100 --> 00:26:33.660 align:middle line:84% And when they come to basically confiscate his army, 00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:38.340 align:middle line:84% he just says, I'm going to try to overthrow this, and he does. 00:26:38.340 --> 00:26:43.120 align:middle line:84% This is the first of many-- of not the only princely rebellion 00:26:43.120 --> 00:26:45.680 align:middle line:84% during the Ming, but it is the most successful one. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:48.880 align:middle line:84% What he does is he basically marches down 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.440 align:middle line:84% the Grand Canal with his armies, causing tons of destruction 00:26:52.440 --> 00:26:55.700 align:middle line:84% along the way, until he takes Nanjing. 00:26:55.700 --> 00:26:57.600 align:middle line:90% He takes Nanjing. 00:26:57.600 --> 00:27:00.658 align:middle line:84% The Jianwen emperor-- I don't know what happened to his body. 00:27:00.658 --> 00:27:01.700 align:middle line:90% That's what I was saying. 00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:02.450 align:middle line:90% Where's his grave? 00:27:02.450 --> 00:27:03.520 align:middle line:90% Nobody knows. 00:27:03.520 --> 00:27:06.640 align:middle line:84% He's probably burned in the palace, whatever. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.880 align:middle line:90% All the evidence was destroyed. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:13.180 align:middle line:84% His name was removed completely from all the history books. 00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:14.980 align:middle line:90% It didn't exist, didn't happen. 00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:18.640 align:middle line:84% So the second emperor of the Ming dynasty is Yongle. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.160 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So how do we know that-- 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:22.860 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Because, of course, 00:27:22.860 --> 00:27:27.180 align:middle line:84% the records say it euphemistically. 00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:31.960 align:middle line:84% And it was widely reported, let's say. 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:33.560 align:middle line:90% You couldn't miss this. 00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:34.780 align:middle line:90% You couldn't miss this. 00:27:34.780 --> 00:27:36.160 align:middle line:90% But it's a short-lived reign. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.040 align:middle line:90% But he tries to eliminate them. 00:27:38.040 --> 00:27:41.780 align:middle line:84% Remember, it reminds me of Henry VIII. 00:27:41.780 --> 00:27:45.580 align:middle line:84% When he executed his wife, he would try to purge her. 00:27:45.580 --> 00:27:46.600 align:middle line:90% He tried to purge her. 00:27:46.600 --> 00:27:49.058 align:middle line:84% And I remember one of the most fascinating things I've ever 00:27:49.058 --> 00:27:51.260 align:middle line:84% saw, in Cambridge-- in King's College, Cambridge-- 00:27:51.260 --> 00:27:54.260 align:middle line:90% there's this big altar screen. 00:27:54.260 --> 00:27:56.780 align:middle line:84% And it's like, all across England, 00:27:56.780 --> 00:27:59.220 align:middle line:84% Henry VIII ordered every reference to Anne Boleyn 00:27:59.220 --> 00:28:04.100 align:middle line:84% to be destroyed after he had her beheaded at the Tower of London. 00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:09.100 align:middle line:84% But the one emblem-- and it was "HA"-- 00:28:09.100 --> 00:28:11.800 align:middle line:84% after they got married, it was "HA," Henry and Anne. 00:28:11.800 --> 00:28:14.020 align:middle line:84% And all of those emblems were all over the country, 00:28:14.020 --> 00:28:15.340 align:middle line:90% like propaganda. 00:28:15.340 --> 00:28:17.820 align:middle line:84% And there was this one church altar 00:28:17.820 --> 00:28:22.560 align:middle line:84% that was a little bit too high in King's College Chapel. 00:28:22.560 --> 00:28:24.600 align:middle line:84% And nobody bothered to take it down. 00:28:24.600 --> 00:28:26.623 align:middle line:84% And then nobody-- it's kind of hard to see. 00:28:26.623 --> 00:28:29.040 align:middle line:84% But remember, you go there, and you go, oh, my God, that's 00:28:29.040 --> 00:28:30.220 align:middle line:90% Anne Boleyn. 00:28:30.220 --> 00:28:32.600 align:middle line:90% It's just, nobody took it down. 00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:34.900 align:middle line:84% And it's like, thank god nobody took that down. 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:36.260 align:middle line:84% It's kind of like what we're dealing with here. 00:28:36.260 --> 00:28:38.017 align:middle line:84% It was like, delete the Jianwen emperor. 00:28:38.017 --> 00:28:40.100 align:middle line:84% It never happened, never happened, never happened. 00:28:40.100 --> 00:28:45.780 align:middle line:84% But you couldn't delete Anne Boleyn, especially-- 00:28:45.780 --> 00:28:48.200 align:middle line:84% Elizabeth was Anne Boleyn's daughter, right? 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:49.720 align:middle line:90% Am I right on that? 00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:53.600 align:middle line:84% Elizabeth was able-- so you can't delete Jianwen, 00:28:53.600 --> 00:28:55.260 align:middle line:90% but he tried. 00:28:55.260 --> 00:28:59.768 align:middle line:84% So then Yongle comes to the throne. 00:28:59.768 --> 00:29:01.560 align:middle line:84% Yongle is going to totally take the country 00:29:01.560 --> 00:29:02.708 align:middle line:90% in a different direction. 00:29:02.708 --> 00:29:04.500 align:middle line:84% What is one of the things he's going to do? 00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:07.080 align:middle line:84% He moves the capital back up to Beijing. 00:29:07.080 --> 00:29:07.880 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:09.600 align:middle line:90% That was his power base. 00:29:09.600 --> 00:29:11.880 align:middle line:84% So it makes sense to move it back up to Beijing, 00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:14.860 align:middle line:84% especially if you want to have a muscular foreign policy. 00:29:14.860 --> 00:29:18.760 align:middle line:84% He does the Zheng He voyages to Southeast Asia and the Middle 00:29:18.760 --> 00:29:19.460 align:middle line:90% East. 00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:23.460 align:middle line:84% He rebuilds the Grand Canal after having destroyed it 00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:24.840 align:middle line:90% during his military campaign. 00:29:24.840 --> 00:29:27.140 align:middle line:84% He spends tons of money, but he's 00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:28.480 align:middle line:90% much more outwardly focused. 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:30.800 align:middle line:84% Now, for those of you who are in my modern China class, 00:29:30.800 --> 00:29:33.520 align:middle line:84% you will remember this next slide that I'll give you. 00:29:33.520 --> 00:29:36.220 align:middle line:84% But now you'll see it from a whole new perspective. 00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:38.980 align:middle line:84% So I was thinking about the resonance of Chinese history 00:29:38.980 --> 00:29:40.000 align:middle line:90% in China today. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:41.860 align:middle line:90% That's Ming Taizu. 00:29:41.860 --> 00:29:42.860 align:middle line:90% Who was he? 00:29:42.860 --> 00:29:46.620 align:middle line:84% He was a Southerner from a peasant background 00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:49.580 align:middle line:84% who came to power by overthrowing 00:29:49.580 --> 00:29:51.280 align:middle line:90% foreign rule in China. 00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:55.540 align:middle line:84% He then established a, let's say, kind of populist-- 00:29:55.540 --> 00:29:58.460 align:middle line:90% if we use that word-- agrarian-- 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:05.420 align:middle line:84% first-- anti-foreign merchant, very inward-looking rule 00:30:05.420 --> 00:30:06.780 align:middle line:90% over China. 00:30:06.780 --> 00:30:08.480 align:middle line:84% You then have the Jianwen emperor, 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:11.140 align:middle line:84% who comes in very briefly, before being overthrown 00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:14.580 align:middle line:84% by the Yongle emperor, who takes the country in a completely 00:30:14.580 --> 00:30:17.520 align:middle line:84% different direction-- outward-looking, 00:30:17.520 --> 00:30:20.320 align:middle line:84% basically totally pursuing a different policy 00:30:20.320 --> 00:30:21.940 align:middle line:90% direction than his father. 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:24.240 align:middle line:84% OK, you know where this is going. 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:25.760 align:middle line:90% There you go. 00:30:25.760 --> 00:30:27.380 align:middle line:90% So who is Mao Zedong? 00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:32.260 align:middle line:84% Mao Zedong is a Southerner from, let's say-- whatever it was. 00:30:32.260 --> 00:30:34.220 align:middle line:84% He was from a pretty decent family, actually, 00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:37.600 align:middle line:90% but reasonably medium-- 00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:40.340 align:middle line:84% I don't know if he's [CHINESE] fu nong-- 00:30:40.340 --> 00:30:43.040 align:middle line:84% wealthy peasant family, let's say, 00:30:43.040 --> 00:30:48.960 align:middle line:84% who kicks out foreign influence from China, establishes this, 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:55.580 align:middle line:84% let's say, inward-looking, kind of populist, against the gentry, 00:30:55.580 --> 00:30:57.300 align:middle line:84% against the scholarly establishment, 00:30:57.300 --> 00:30:59.200 align:middle line:90% pro farmers, all of that. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:00.600 align:middle line:90% He dies. 00:31:00.600 --> 00:31:03.040 align:middle line:84% You get a very, very short interlude 00:31:03.040 --> 00:31:06.200 align:middle line:84% with Hua Guofeng, who comes in as the paramount leader 00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:09.800 align:middle line:84% before he gets deposed by Deng Xiaoping, who then does reform 00:31:09.800 --> 00:31:10.620 align:middle line:90% and opening up. 00:31:10.620 --> 00:31:17.090 align:middle line:84% So you say, wow, the PRC is kind of like Ming China. 00:31:17.090 --> 00:31:18.650 align:middle line:90% And I think it kind of is. 00:31:18.650 --> 00:31:20.910 align:middle line:84% Out of all the dynasties of Chinese history, 00:31:20.910 --> 00:31:24.390 align:middle line:84% the one that the PRC reminds me most about is Ming, actually. 00:31:24.390 --> 00:31:27.443 align:middle line:84% So that's another reason to care about the Ming dynasty. 00:31:27.443 --> 00:31:28.110 align:middle line:90% So there you go. 00:31:28.110 --> 00:31:29.710 align:middle line:90% That's your story. 00:31:29.710 --> 00:31:32.270 align:middle line:84% Mao, Hua Guofeng, and Deng Xiaoping. 00:31:32.270 --> 00:31:33.930 align:middle line:90% All right, let's go on. 00:31:33.930 --> 00:31:36.890 align:middle line:84% All right, ooh, the Tibetan Karmapa-- 00:31:36.890 --> 00:31:38.670 align:middle line:90% ugh, why did I put this here? 00:31:38.670 --> 00:31:41.810 align:middle line:84% So basically, look, what I'm just trying to show you 00:31:41.810 --> 00:31:44.210 align:middle line:90% is that there's stuff-- 00:31:44.210 --> 00:31:48.010 align:middle line:84% there's moments of Ming history that 00:31:48.010 --> 00:31:51.930 align:middle line:84% are so intriguing that you wouldn't even believe them. 00:31:51.930 --> 00:31:54.902 align:middle line:84% So for instance, after Yongle comes to the throne 00:31:54.902 --> 00:31:56.610 align:middle line:84% and he's like, hey, hey, I want to have-- 00:31:56.610 --> 00:32:01.950 align:middle line:84% I want to be outward-looking, I want to be-- 00:32:01.950 --> 00:32:05.570 align:middle line:84% I want to be powerful in that way, of being outward-looking, 00:32:05.570 --> 00:32:10.450 align:middle line:84% he actually hosts the Tibetan Karmapa, 00:32:10.450 --> 00:32:14.670 align:middle line:84% who is the head of one of the Tibetan religious lineages. 00:32:14.670 --> 00:32:18.430 align:middle line:84% It's like, the Sakya order had the-- that we talked about 00:32:18.430 --> 00:32:19.530 align:middle line:90% during the Mongol period. 00:32:19.530 --> 00:32:23.550 align:middle line:84% The Karmapa was one of the heads of the Kagyu order. 00:32:23.550 --> 00:32:28.210 align:middle line:84% And then the Dalai Lama becomes the head of the Gelug order. 00:32:28.210 --> 00:32:30.610 align:middle line:90% So he hosts in Nanjing. 00:32:30.610 --> 00:32:33.150 align:middle line:84% So it's just incredible to think about, in Nanjing, 00:32:33.150 --> 00:32:36.150 align:middle line:84% Southern China, the Ming emperor hosting 00:32:36.150 --> 00:32:39.650 align:middle line:84% the Tibetan-- the head of the Tibetan religious establishment. 00:32:39.650 --> 00:32:43.270 align:middle line:84% But this is some of the things that Yongle was trying to do. 00:32:43.270 --> 00:32:46.070 align:middle line:84% You know that, of course, the big thing of what 00:32:46.070 --> 00:32:48.405 align:middle line:84% he was trying to do-- another thing, more 00:32:48.405 --> 00:32:50.530 align:middle line:84% prominent, architecturally prominent-- right there, 00:32:50.530 --> 00:32:51.510 align:middle line:90% the Forbidden City. 00:32:51.510 --> 00:32:55.170 align:middle line:84% He constructs it, basically takes every remaining big-- 00:32:55.170 --> 00:32:57.710 align:middle line:90% what is it?-- rosewood log-- 00:32:57.710 --> 00:33:01.030 align:middle line:84% the Hongwu, the redwood-- the redwood tree 00:33:01.030 --> 00:33:04.145 align:middle line:84% logs from Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. 00:33:04.145 --> 00:33:06.270 align:middle line:84% And they basically ship them down the Yangtze River 00:33:06.270 --> 00:33:08.390 align:middle line:84% and then up the Grand Canal after he's 00:33:08.390 --> 00:33:09.690 align:middle line:90% repaired the Grand Canal. 00:33:09.690 --> 00:33:12.710 align:middle line:84% So he basically gets all those logs up from South China 00:33:12.710 --> 00:33:13.330 align:middle line:90% to build this. 00:33:13.330 --> 00:33:16.090 align:middle line:84% You can see-- think about this in Chinese architecture. 00:33:16.090 --> 00:33:18.930 align:middle line:90% In theory, that's a log. 00:33:18.930 --> 00:33:22.410 align:middle line:84% That's a log-- all the timbers, all the stuff 00:33:22.410 --> 00:33:23.550 align:middle line:90% used to construct this. 00:33:23.550 --> 00:33:26.450 align:middle line:90% So that's what he constructs. 00:33:26.450 --> 00:33:29.890 align:middle line:90% 00:33:29.890 --> 00:33:34.270 align:middle line:84% And you can see, this is the Forbidden City, inner city-- 00:33:34.270 --> 00:33:36.650 align:middle line:84% the nei cheng and then the wai cheng, 00:33:36.650 --> 00:33:40.130 align:middle line:84% where a lot of, let's say, the common people might live. 00:33:40.130 --> 00:33:43.130 align:middle line:90% By the way, take a look. 00:33:43.130 --> 00:33:43.790 align:middle line:90% Take a look. 00:33:43.790 --> 00:33:46.170 align:middle line:84% This is-- what was this going to say? 00:33:46.170 --> 00:33:48.310 align:middle line:84% That, to me-- I was going to say, 00:33:48.310 --> 00:33:50.130 align:middle line:90% where's the Temple of Heaven? 00:33:50.130 --> 00:33:50.970 align:middle line:90% I think-- 00:33:50.970 --> 00:33:52.330 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: North. 00:33:52.330 --> 00:33:54.050 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Temple of Heaven is south. 00:33:54.050 --> 00:33:55.717 align:middle line:84% Temple of Heaven is south of the palace. 00:33:55.717 --> 00:33:57.630 align:middle line:84% It's to the southeast of the palace. 00:33:57.630 --> 00:33:58.310 align:middle line:90% I have it later. 00:33:58.310 --> 00:34:00.010 align:middle line:84% I was just going to say, I think that-- 00:34:00.010 --> 00:34:01.873 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It's southeast of the palace. 00:34:01.873 --> 00:34:03.290 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: This is the palace. 00:34:03.290 --> 00:34:04.463 align:middle line:90% So this is south. 00:34:04.463 --> 00:34:06.130 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: It should be in a line, right? 00:34:06.130 --> 00:34:06.950 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: It's kind of a line. 00:34:06.950 --> 00:34:08.450 align:middle line:84% Yeah, no, Beijing is totally a line. 00:34:08.450 --> 00:34:09.929 align:middle line:90% I think this is Tiantan. 00:34:09.929 --> 00:34:11.350 align:middle line:90% I think that looks like it. 00:34:11.350 --> 00:34:12.670 align:middle line:90% That looks like Tiantan to me. 00:34:12.670 --> 00:34:14.909 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Also, looks like it's kind of the right shape. 00:34:14.909 --> 00:34:16.290 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: It kind of looks like the right shape. 00:34:16.290 --> 00:34:17.248 align:middle line:90% Yeah, I agree with you. 00:34:17.248 --> 00:34:19.610 align:middle line:84% It kind of looks like the right shape-- the bell tower, 00:34:19.610 --> 00:34:21.170 align:middle line:90% the drum tower, all that stuff. 00:34:21.170 --> 00:34:22.530 align:middle line:90% You can still visit this stuff. 00:34:22.530 --> 00:34:24.489 align:middle line:84% I'm going to skip over the next slide in the interest of time. 00:34:24.489 --> 00:34:25.370 align:middle line:90% What was the government like? 00:34:25.370 --> 00:34:26.610 align:middle line:90% Trust me, it was interesting. 00:34:26.610 --> 00:34:27.810 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:34:27.810 --> 00:34:32.190 align:middle line:84% There was 13 provinces, local county officials, 00:34:32.190 --> 00:34:34.402 align:middle line:84% heads of the provinces, and the central government. 00:34:34.402 --> 00:34:36.110 align:middle line:84% But what I really want to just say to you 00:34:36.110 --> 00:34:39.469 align:middle line:84% is you can think about it like this. 00:34:39.469 --> 00:34:44.750 align:middle line:84% Like we had in dynasties past, there's the central government. 00:34:44.750 --> 00:34:48.370 align:middle line:84% And then there's local officials. 00:34:48.370 --> 00:34:50.570 align:middle line:84% And it's basically about the center and the local. 00:34:50.570 --> 00:34:54.590 align:middle line:84% That is the constant theme in Chinese history. 00:34:54.590 --> 00:34:55.690 align:middle line:90% I'm going to get back. 00:34:55.690 --> 00:34:57.150 align:middle line:84% Don't worry, I know many of you are thinking about, 00:34:57.150 --> 00:34:57.930 align:middle line:90% where's Zheng He? 00:34:57.930 --> 00:35:00.310 align:middle line:84% We're going to get to Zheng He in just a few moments. 00:35:00.310 --> 00:35:03.230 align:middle line:84% But before I do that, let me just say something 00:35:03.230 --> 00:35:06.390 align:middle line:84% broadly about the nature of the Ming government 00:35:06.390 --> 00:35:10.090 align:middle line:84% as it was created, let's say, by this time. 00:35:10.090 --> 00:35:14.110 align:middle line:84% When you look at Beijing, as we were just talking about-- 00:35:14.110 --> 00:35:17.090 align:middle line:90% this is why I premised it here-- 00:35:17.090 --> 00:35:22.467 align:middle line:84% Beijing is laid out as a very religious, cosmological city. 00:35:22.467 --> 00:35:24.050 align:middle line:84% You never would guess that, especially 00:35:24.050 --> 00:35:25.730 align:middle line:90% if you see its layout today. 00:35:25.730 --> 00:35:26.890 align:middle line:90% Not only do you have-- 00:35:26.890 --> 00:35:29.190 align:middle line:84% the palace there, the inner city there, 00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:31.490 align:middle line:84% that's the Temple of Heaven to the south. 00:35:31.490 --> 00:35:33.587 align:middle line:84% Up to the north-- north of the city-- 00:35:33.587 --> 00:35:34.670 align:middle line:90% do you know what you have? 00:35:34.670 --> 00:35:36.128 align:middle line:84% What altar do you have right there? 00:35:36.128 --> 00:35:39.250 align:middle line:90% 00:35:39.250 --> 00:35:41.090 align:middle line:90% Take a guess. 00:35:41.090 --> 00:35:42.615 align:middle line:90% Take a guess. 00:35:42.615 --> 00:35:43.490 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] 00:35:43.490 --> 00:35:44.770 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: No. 00:35:44.770 --> 00:35:45.790 align:middle line:90% No, no, no. 00:35:45.790 --> 00:35:51.610 align:middle line:84% So temple of the Earth, the Ditan, is north. 00:35:51.610 --> 00:35:56.810 align:middle line:84% And then over here to the east, over here to the west-- 00:35:56.810 --> 00:36:00.530 align:middle line:90% east-- I think it's sun. 00:36:00.530 --> 00:36:02.710 align:middle line:90% It's the Ritan. 00:36:02.710 --> 00:36:04.410 align:middle line:90% And then the moon. 00:36:04.410 --> 00:36:07.270 align:middle line:90% Yeah, sun, moon, Earth-- 00:36:07.270 --> 00:36:09.450 align:middle line:90% or this could be-- 00:36:09.450 --> 00:36:11.060 align:middle line:90% I think this is moon. 00:36:11.060 --> 00:36:12.920 align:middle line:84% Yeah, you can go, and you can go visit. 00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:14.460 align:middle line:90% They're all now parks. 00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:17.920 align:middle line:84% You can go basically visit them as parks, all laid out there. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.868 align:middle line:84% It's really, really cool to think about this. 00:36:19.868 --> 00:36:21.160 align:middle line:90% Again, you think about Beijing. 00:36:21.160 --> 00:36:22.960 align:middle line:84% It's a capital city, everything like that. 00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:23.760 align:middle line:90% It had a logic. 00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:26.980 align:middle line:84% It had a real spatial cosmology to it. 00:36:26.980 --> 00:36:33.000 align:middle line:84% Every county in China from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty 00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:35.142 align:middle line:84% is going to basically have these three things. 00:36:35.142 --> 00:36:37.100 align:middle line:84% They're going to have a Confucian temple, which 00:36:37.100 --> 00:36:41.260 align:middle line:84% is a kind of bad translation for a wenmiao, which is basically 00:36:41.260 --> 00:36:44.860 align:middle line:90% the miao dedicated to wen-- 00:36:44.860 --> 00:36:47.100 align:middle line:84% culture, civilization, all of that. 00:36:47.100 --> 00:36:50.580 align:middle line:84% That will be associated with the local scholars, the examination 00:36:50.580 --> 00:36:54.340 align:middle line:84% system as it is practiced in the county, 00:36:54.340 --> 00:36:57.020 align:middle line:84% in the most local of the administrative districts. 00:36:57.020 --> 00:36:59.060 align:middle line:90% There's also a wumiao. 00:36:59.060 --> 00:37:00.940 align:middle line:90% Every county will have a wumiao. 00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:04.320 align:middle line:84% And the wumiao is kind of where the military candidates go. 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:07.340 align:middle line:84% Remember, there's also military exams in China. 00:37:07.340 --> 00:37:08.823 align:middle line:84% So it's not just the civil exams. 00:37:08.823 --> 00:37:10.240 align:middle line:84% There's also military exams if you 00:37:10.240 --> 00:37:11.700 align:middle line:90% want promotion in the military. 00:37:11.700 --> 00:37:13.120 align:middle line:90% So you have the wenmiao, wumiao. 00:37:13.120 --> 00:37:14.300 align:middle line:90% And you will see these. 00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:16.120 align:middle line:84% If you go to China today, you can 00:37:16.120 --> 00:37:19.000 align:middle line:84% see-- they'll have a really well preserved wenmiao, wumiao, 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:20.140 align:middle line:90% and everything like that. 00:37:20.140 --> 00:37:22.840 align:middle line:84% And then you'll have the chenghuangmiao-- city god 00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:23.520 align:middle line:90% temple. 00:37:23.520 --> 00:37:25.660 align:middle line:84% Just a question-- chenghuangmiao, 00:37:25.660 --> 00:37:29.120 align:middle line:84% the city god temple, literally the temple of walls and moats. 00:37:29.120 --> 00:37:31.520 align:middle line:90% But who is the city god? 00:37:31.520 --> 00:37:33.100 align:middle line:90% Who is his counterpart? 00:37:33.100 --> 00:37:35.760 align:middle line:90% 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:36.740 align:middle line:90% Take a guess. 00:37:36.740 --> 00:37:42.080 align:middle line:90% 00:37:42.080 --> 00:37:43.552 align:middle line:90% Ideas? 00:37:43.552 --> 00:37:45.440 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: The local mayor? 00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:47.740 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah, the local official. 00:37:47.740 --> 00:37:51.500 align:middle line:84% So basically, this is what I want you to think about. 00:37:51.500 --> 00:37:53.840 align:middle line:84% You go, was China a secular state? 00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:55.760 align:middle line:90% Or was China a religious state? 00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:57.895 align:middle line:84% Well, again, these are words that 00:37:57.895 --> 00:37:59.520 align:middle line:84% don't make sense in the Chinese context 00:37:59.520 --> 00:38:01.700 align:middle line:84% because China was both at the same time. 00:38:01.700 --> 00:38:04.860 align:middle line:84% You could totally say, oh, I don't believe in the deities. 00:38:04.860 --> 00:38:06.780 align:middle line:90% I don't think any of this works. 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:08.240 align:middle line:84% I think this is all superstition. 00:38:08.240 --> 00:38:09.340 align:middle line:90% That's fine to say. 00:38:09.340 --> 00:38:12.300 align:middle line:84% On the other hand, the state maintained 00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:15.740 align:middle line:84% a very, very elaborate system of rituals and sacrifices 00:38:15.740 --> 00:38:18.980 align:middle line:84% and temples that were state temples, 00:38:18.980 --> 00:38:21.940 align:middle line:84% so the state temple to wen, the state temple to wu, 00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:24.500 align:middle line:84% the state temple of the chenghuangmiao. 00:38:24.500 --> 00:38:27.900 align:middle line:84% So this is really, really important 00:38:27.900 --> 00:38:31.580 align:middle line:84% scenes because, for instance, if the local people are really 00:38:31.580 --> 00:38:34.760 align:middle line:84% upset at the performance of a local official, well, 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:37.440 align:middle line:84% you can't go over and protest it at the local official. 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:40.140 align:middle line:84% But what you can do is you can protest it at the city god. 00:38:40.140 --> 00:38:43.100 align:middle line:84% So we have examples of people taking the city god out 00:38:43.100 --> 00:38:44.798 align:middle line:90% of his temple and whipping him. 00:38:44.798 --> 00:38:46.840 align:middle line:84% And it's like, why are you whipping the city god? 00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:48.960 align:middle line:84% And the people say, well, because I 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:50.460 align:middle line:84% think the city god is doing a really 00:38:50.460 --> 00:38:53.600 align:middle line:84% bad job at the administration of our county right now. 00:38:53.600 --> 00:38:54.100 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:38:54.100 --> 00:38:57.220 align:middle line:84% So you see, religion is really an important realm 00:38:57.220 --> 00:39:00.720 align:middle line:90% of speech in voice. 00:39:00.720 --> 00:39:06.720 align:middle line:84% Villages in local places tend to have a tudigong, an Earth god 00:39:06.720 --> 00:39:07.540 align:middle line:90% shrine. 00:39:07.540 --> 00:39:09.960 align:middle line:84% So literally, again, this goes into what 00:39:09.960 --> 00:39:12.600 align:middle line:84% you've seen from the very beginning of the Daoist 00:39:12.600 --> 00:39:16.880 align:middle line:84% movement in China, of the gods and the celestial bureaucracy 00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:19.140 align:middle line:90% mimicking the human bureaucracy. 00:39:19.140 --> 00:39:21.060 align:middle line:84% And this is now basically become, 00:39:21.060 --> 00:39:25.000 align:middle line:84% to a certain extent, the state, the way that the state 00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:27.600 align:middle line:90% orthodoxy is organized. 00:39:27.600 --> 00:39:29.600 align:middle line:84% And of course, you even have, of course-- houses 00:39:29.600 --> 00:39:33.920 align:middle line:84% can have a kitchen god, which is really the god of the house, 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:35.160 align:middle line:90% something like that. 00:39:35.160 --> 00:39:37.580 align:middle line:84% So as I was telling you last time-- 00:39:37.580 --> 00:39:40.700 align:middle line:84% I think sometime before-- as we get into this topic, 00:39:40.700 --> 00:39:43.460 align:middle line:84% Chinese religion is not identitarian. 00:39:43.460 --> 00:39:44.960 align:middle line:90% It's all about doing. 00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:46.460 align:middle line:90% It's all about action. 00:39:46.460 --> 00:39:47.660 align:middle line:90% That's the real question. 00:39:47.660 --> 00:39:50.160 align:middle line:84% Rather than saying, 'what are you?' 'I'm a Buddhist,' 'I'm a 00:39:50.160 --> 00:39:52.760 align:middle line:84% Daoist,' people didn't really usually talk like that. 00:39:52.760 --> 00:39:55.120 align:middle line:90% Here's my outline of it for you. 00:39:55.120 --> 00:39:59.060 align:middle line:84% Confucian "orthodoxy" and the imperial state cult at the top. 00:39:59.060 --> 00:40:01.120 align:middle line:84% So Confucian orthodoxy by the Ming period 00:40:01.120 --> 00:40:05.020 align:middle line:84% basically means the five classics and the four books 00:40:05.020 --> 00:40:06.440 align:middle line:90% with Zhu Xi's commentaries. 00:40:06.440 --> 00:40:08.360 align:middle line:90% That's Confucian orthodoxy. 00:40:08.360 --> 00:40:11.980 align:middle line:84% Plus, the imperial state cult, which is, over the calendar 00:40:11.980 --> 00:40:14.540 align:middle line:84% year, there are some deities and some festivals that 00:40:14.540 --> 00:40:15.860 align:middle line:90% just have to be celebrated. 00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:19.120 align:middle line:84% And the government basically says, we recognize these. 00:40:19.120 --> 00:40:21.320 align:middle line:84% So that could be like, at this point, 00:40:21.320 --> 00:40:23.480 align:middle line:90% Guan Yu from the Three Kingdoms. 00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:26.700 align:middle line:84% He's in the state cult. Many, many other deities are 00:40:26.700 --> 00:40:27.520 align:middle line:90% in the state cult. 00:40:27.520 --> 00:40:31.620 align:middle line:84% Then, that's Temple of Heaven, blah, blah, blah. 00:40:31.620 --> 00:40:32.160 align:middle line:90% Go down. 00:40:32.160 --> 00:40:35.800 align:middle line:90% OK, Buddhism, religious Daoism. 00:40:35.800 --> 00:40:38.100 align:middle line:84% So I want you to think about it like this. 00:40:38.100 --> 00:40:41.700 align:middle line:84% You might say, hey, wow, Buddhism was really important 00:40:41.700 --> 00:40:42.900 align:middle line:90% in Chinese society. 00:40:42.900 --> 00:40:44.920 align:middle line:84% Daoism was really important in Chinese society. 00:40:44.920 --> 00:40:45.855 align:middle line:90% Yes, those are true. 00:40:45.855 --> 00:40:47.480 align:middle line:84% I won't disagree with those statements. 00:40:47.480 --> 00:40:50.980 align:middle line:84% But just realize, how are most people in China 00:40:50.980 --> 00:40:53.200 align:middle line:84% experiencing this religious landscape? 00:40:53.200 --> 00:40:56.460 align:middle line:84% It's not really like Buddhist, Daoist. 00:40:56.460 --> 00:40:58.180 align:middle line:90% The Buddhists are there. 00:40:58.180 --> 00:40:59.160 align:middle line:90% There are monks. 00:40:59.160 --> 00:41:00.103 align:middle line:90% They read sutras. 00:41:00.103 --> 00:41:01.520 align:middle line:84% You can go and hang out with them. 00:41:01.520 --> 00:41:03.790 align:middle line:84% You can even become a lay Buddhist 00:41:03.790 --> 00:41:06.230 align:middle line:84% and be a vegetarian, stuff like that. 00:41:06.230 --> 00:41:08.830 align:middle line:84% There are real religious Daoists who 00:41:08.830 --> 00:41:12.990 align:middle line:84% are priests, who have mastered the Daoist 00:41:12.990 --> 00:41:16.530 align:middle line:84% canon and various texts associated with Daoism, 00:41:16.530 --> 00:41:18.150 align:middle line:90% going all the way back. 00:41:18.150 --> 00:41:21.750 align:middle line:84% But for most people, it's a combination. 00:41:21.750 --> 00:41:23.930 align:middle line:84% For most people, it's a combination. 00:41:23.930 --> 00:41:26.450 align:middle line:84% And this is sometimes, for lack of a better word, 00:41:26.450 --> 00:41:29.470 align:middle line:84% we call popular religion in China, basically just 00:41:29.470 --> 00:41:31.810 align:middle line:84% meaning religion that everybody does. 00:41:31.810 --> 00:41:36.950 align:middle line:90% Or everybody-- paper money. 00:41:36.950 --> 00:41:39.690 align:middle line:84% You know what I'm talking about when I talk about paper money? 00:41:39.690 --> 00:41:40.315 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Yeah. 00:41:40.315 --> 00:41:42.290 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: What do you do with paper money? 00:41:42.290 --> 00:41:42.830 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: You burn it. 00:41:42.830 --> 00:41:45.310 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: You burn it, and you basically send money 00:41:45.310 --> 00:41:47.630 align:middle line:84% to either ancestors in the afterlife who 00:41:47.630 --> 00:41:50.350 align:middle line:84% need a little bit of cash, or you 00:41:50.350 --> 00:41:53.070 align:middle line:90% bribe gods to treat them well. 00:41:53.070 --> 00:41:55.603 align:middle line:84% So this is the whole thing of paper money. 00:41:55.603 --> 00:41:56.770 align:middle line:90% And even, I have over here-- 00:41:56.770 --> 00:42:00.370 align:middle line:84% I think somebody in Taiwan was burning a car. 00:42:00.370 --> 00:42:04.190 align:middle line:84% Oh, they were sending a car to their ancestor. 00:42:04.190 --> 00:42:06.570 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Paper car, paper microwave, and paper TV, 00:42:06.570 --> 00:42:07.237 align:middle line:90% and paper phone. 00:42:07.237 --> 00:42:08.070 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah. 00:42:08.070 --> 00:42:08.570 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:42:08.570 --> 00:42:09.487 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: Paper house. 00:42:09.487 --> 00:42:11.870 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah, just making sure they're doing well. 00:42:11.870 --> 00:42:14.490 align:middle line:84% And I also think it's so fascinating 00:42:14.490 --> 00:42:18.210 align:middle line:84% that Chinese religion and the religious practices 00:42:18.210 --> 00:42:20.950 align:middle line:84% tell you so much about Chinese history. 00:42:20.950 --> 00:42:24.450 align:middle line:84% It's like, when you see paper money was 00:42:24.450 --> 00:42:27.990 align:middle line:84% a super widespread practice for bribing gods 00:42:27.990 --> 00:42:29.810 align:middle line:84% and you say, why would you bribe gods, 00:42:29.810 --> 00:42:33.010 align:middle line:84% it's because the people bribed officials all the time. 00:42:33.010 --> 00:42:36.050 align:middle line:84% So they were saying, of course the gods accept bribes. 00:42:36.050 --> 00:42:39.030 align:middle line:84% What god wouldn't take a bribe, right? 00:42:39.030 --> 00:42:43.170 align:middle line:84% I got to send him the money and make sure my grandfather's OK. 00:42:43.170 --> 00:42:43.950 align:middle line:90% So there you go. 00:42:43.950 --> 00:42:44.830 align:middle line:90% So there you go. 00:42:44.830 --> 00:42:46.610 align:middle line:84% And then on the other end of it, you 00:42:46.610 --> 00:42:49.370 align:middle line:84% got to understand-- you go, but what does the Chinese state say 00:42:49.370 --> 00:42:49.910 align:middle line:90% about this? 00:42:49.910 --> 00:42:52.770 align:middle line:84% Isn't the Chinese state cracking down on religion, blah, blah, 00:42:52.770 --> 00:42:53.270 align:middle line:90% blah? 00:42:53.270 --> 00:42:55.410 align:middle line:84% Look, it's complicated, but here's the point. 00:42:55.410 --> 00:42:57.510 align:middle line:84% Illegal secret societies and cults-- 00:42:57.510 --> 00:43:01.710 align:middle line:84% of course, the government always rails against illegal worship 00:43:01.710 --> 00:43:06.590 align:middle line:84% of such and such deity, illegal cults, secret society, blah, 00:43:06.590 --> 00:43:07.090 align:middle line:90% blah, blah. 00:43:07.090 --> 00:43:08.590 align:middle line:90% They always talk about it. 00:43:08.590 --> 00:43:12.310 align:middle line:84% But the thing is, is that you say, when do people actually 00:43:12.310 --> 00:43:13.510 align:middle line:90% get caught? 00:43:13.510 --> 00:43:15.110 align:middle line:84% When do they actually get brought in? 00:43:15.110 --> 00:43:16.770 align:middle line:84% When there's a rebellion or something. 00:43:16.770 --> 00:43:22.350 align:middle line:84% So ultimately, this is-- you see how this is a spectrum? 00:43:22.350 --> 00:43:25.830 align:middle line:84% It's not like, this is the correct one. 00:43:25.830 --> 00:43:27.070 align:middle line:90% This is the incorrect. 00:43:27.070 --> 00:43:27.950 align:middle line:90% No, it's fluid. 00:43:27.950 --> 00:43:31.510 align:middle line:84% And it's all open to interpretation. 00:43:31.510 --> 00:43:34.590 align:middle line:84% One thing that I've often noticed 00:43:34.590 --> 00:43:36.710 align:middle line:84% as a scholar of Chinese religion is 00:43:36.710 --> 00:43:40.070 align:middle line:84% that, towards the end of dynasties, lots of gods 00:43:40.070 --> 00:43:43.110 align:middle line:84% get promoted by the state because they're just running out 00:43:43.110 --> 00:43:43.770 align:middle line:90% of fumes. 00:43:43.770 --> 00:43:48.230 align:middle line:84% And it's like, hey, our famine-relief protocols 00:43:48.230 --> 00:43:49.710 align:middle line:90% have totally failed. 00:43:49.710 --> 00:43:52.390 align:middle line:84% So we just got to pray for rain right now. 00:43:52.390 --> 00:43:53.750 align:middle line:90% So you will see if you-- 00:43:53.750 --> 00:43:56.310 align:middle line:84% I would love somebody to actually do 00:43:56.310 --> 00:44:00.330 align:middle line:84% a digital analysis of, when do gods get 00:44:00.330 --> 00:44:01.750 align:middle line:90% promoted in Chinese history? 00:44:01.750 --> 00:44:04.450 align:middle line:84% And if you look, at the end of dynasties 00:44:04.450 --> 00:44:08.250 align:middle line:84% are a really ripe time where the dynasty, on its last leg, 00:44:08.250 --> 00:44:10.688 align:middle line:84% says promote Guan Yu, promote Guan Yu, we need him, 00:44:10.688 --> 00:44:11.730 align:middle line:90% we need him, we need him. 00:44:11.730 --> 00:44:15.410 align:middle line:84% At the founding of dynasties, they go, oh, no, we're 00:44:15.410 --> 00:44:16.270 align:middle line:90% strong and powerful. 00:44:16.270 --> 00:44:17.730 align:middle line:90% We're good. 00:44:17.730 --> 00:44:19.230 align:middle line:84% Just Temple of Heaven will cover it. 00:44:19.230 --> 00:44:22.230 align:middle line:84% So it's really, again, a sight to watch. 00:44:22.230 --> 00:44:25.450 align:middle line:84% And then this will be more for Qing, 00:44:25.450 --> 00:44:29.250 align:middle line:84% but Tibetan Buddhism, it's its own thing. 00:44:29.250 --> 00:44:33.433 align:middle line:84% The state always does have a space for Tibetan Buddhism. 00:44:33.433 --> 00:44:34.850 align:middle line:84% I was talking about how the Ming-- 00:44:34.850 --> 00:44:38.970 align:middle line:90% Yongle takes the Karmapa in. 00:44:38.970 --> 00:44:41.110 align:middle line:84% Also, Islam-- tolerated with exceptions. 00:44:41.110 --> 00:44:46.450 align:middle line:84% So that's another, it's there, it's on the landscape. 00:44:46.450 --> 00:44:48.710 align:middle line:84% It's not widely practiced among people 00:44:48.710 --> 00:44:51.750 align:middle line:84% in terms of the general public; mainly by Muslims. 00:44:51.750 --> 00:44:53.930 align:middle line:90% But it is there, as well. 00:44:53.930 --> 00:44:54.890 align:middle line:90% Yeah, go ahead. 00:44:54.890 --> 00:44:57.380 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: So if Islam is over there, 00:44:57.380 --> 00:45:00.180 align:middle line:84% is the principal that Chinese religion is still largely not 00:45:00.180 --> 00:45:01.665 align:middle line:90% identitarian [INAUDIBLE]? 00:45:01.665 --> 00:45:02.540 align:middle line:90% Or were people like-- 00:45:02.540 --> 00:45:04.780 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: So Muslims, Jews-- 00:45:04.780 --> 00:45:07.900 align:middle line:84% Muslims, Jews were exceptions to this. 00:45:07.900 --> 00:45:09.200 align:middle line:90% They were exceptions to this. 00:45:09.200 --> 00:45:11.260 align:middle line:84% That's why they stood out in Chinese society 00:45:11.260 --> 00:45:16.380 align:middle line:84% to a certain extent, because it was an identity, meaning 00:45:16.380 --> 00:45:18.600 align:middle line:84% it wasn't like, oh, I'm going to the mosque today, 00:45:18.600 --> 00:45:20.183 align:middle line:84% maybe I'll go to that temple tomorrow. 00:45:20.183 --> 00:45:22.100 align:middle line:84% It was like, they always went to that mosque. 00:45:22.100 --> 00:45:22.975 align:middle line:90% You know what I mean? 00:45:22.975 --> 00:45:26.260 align:middle line:84% And they had certain culinary dietary restrictions 00:45:26.260 --> 00:45:30.205 align:middle line:84% that set them apart, especially like not eating pork for Muslims 00:45:30.205 --> 00:45:31.080 align:middle line:90% and things like that. 00:45:31.080 --> 00:45:34.900 align:middle line:84% So this is what I was actually just talking about right here. 00:45:34.900 --> 00:45:38.300 align:middle line:84% Ultimately, the Ming is the era where 00:45:38.300 --> 00:45:41.040 align:middle line:84% you see the emergence of the Hui Muslims in China. 00:45:41.040 --> 00:45:44.120 align:middle line:84% These are the people today who are going to be called Hui zu. 00:45:44.120 --> 00:45:48.100 align:middle line:84% They're basically Chinese-speaking-- they're, 00:45:48.100 --> 00:45:51.120 align:middle line:90% frankly, culturally Chinese. 00:45:51.120 --> 00:45:54.140 align:middle line:84% But traditionally, they practice Islam. 00:45:54.140 --> 00:45:57.722 align:middle line:84% Increasingly, you'll see a lot of Hui are secular today, 00:45:57.722 --> 00:46:00.180 align:middle line:84% especially if they live in Beijing or Shanghai or whatever. 00:46:00.180 --> 00:46:02.300 align:middle line:84% But you will still see a lot of religious Hui. 00:46:02.300 --> 00:46:03.760 align:middle line:90% And like those are-- 00:46:03.760 --> 00:46:06.700 align:middle line:84% I think this is Niujie, if I'm not mistaken. 00:46:06.700 --> 00:46:08.560 align:middle line:84% That's the big mosque in Beijing. 00:46:08.560 --> 00:46:10.700 align:middle line:90% So again, Islam was tolerated. 00:46:10.700 --> 00:46:12.080 align:middle line:90% It was OK to do it. 00:46:12.080 --> 00:46:14.260 align:middle line:84% It was OK to build mosques and stuff like that. 00:46:14.260 --> 00:46:18.000 align:middle line:84% But there were restrictions, of course, 00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:21.580 align:middle line:84% on what the buildings could look like and everything like that. 00:46:21.580 --> 00:46:22.783 align:middle line:90% It's an interesting topic. 00:46:22.783 --> 00:46:24.700 align:middle line:84% Now, you might say, why am I bringing this up? 00:46:24.700 --> 00:46:25.540 align:middle line:90% Why is this so important? 00:46:25.540 --> 00:46:27.640 align:middle line:84% Because probably one of the most famous Muslims 00:46:27.640 --> 00:46:30.780 align:middle line:84% of Chinese history is this guy, Zheng He. 00:46:30.780 --> 00:46:34.540 align:middle line:84% I don't know if you recognize or even knew that he was Muslim, 00:46:34.540 --> 00:46:35.800 align:middle line:90% but he was. 00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:38.880 align:middle line:84% And that's part of what makes his story so interesting, 00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:43.000 align:middle line:84% because he is captured as a child, 00:46:43.000 --> 00:46:47.640 align:middle line:84% I think, from Yunnan province, as the Ming is basically 00:46:47.640 --> 00:46:51.080 align:middle line:84% coming in and conquering the rest of Southeast China. 00:46:51.080 --> 00:46:52.600 align:middle line:90% He's taken as a child captive. 00:46:52.600 --> 00:46:54.820 align:middle line:90% And he's, of course, castrated. 00:46:54.820 --> 00:46:56.940 align:middle line:90% So he becomes a eunuch. 00:46:56.940 --> 00:47:01.000 align:middle line:84% And then, when Yongle gets to the throne and he's saying, 00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:04.620 align:middle line:84% OK, I want to do this big overseas expedition, which 00:47:04.620 --> 00:47:08.740 align:middle line:84% is going to be the first of the seven voyages of Zheng He, 00:47:08.740 --> 00:47:11.400 align:middle line:84% he's like, who am I going to pick to lead this up? 00:47:11.400 --> 00:47:12.700 align:middle line:90% And he picks Zheng He. 00:47:12.700 --> 00:47:14.860 align:middle line:84% Now, why would you pick Zheng he? 00:47:14.860 --> 00:47:17.780 align:middle line:84% Part of the reason, I suspect, that he 00:47:17.780 --> 00:47:21.340 align:middle line:84% picked Zheng He is because having a Muslim do 00:47:21.340 --> 00:47:23.980 align:middle line:84% this job, especially in the early Ming, 00:47:23.980 --> 00:47:27.300 align:middle line:84% was definitely an advantage for the state. 00:47:27.300 --> 00:47:29.820 align:middle line:84% So Zheng He probably was familiar with a lot 00:47:29.820 --> 00:47:31.920 align:middle line:90% of the places in Southeast Asia. 00:47:31.920 --> 00:47:33.160 align:middle line:90% He knew Islam. 00:47:33.160 --> 00:47:35.080 align:middle line:84% He might have known Arabic a little bit. 00:47:35.080 --> 00:47:38.180 align:middle line:84% He might have known Persian a little bit. 00:47:38.180 --> 00:47:40.160 align:middle line:90% These were knowledges. 00:47:40.160 --> 00:47:45.460 align:middle line:84% And part of the scene that the Ming government recognized 00:47:45.460 --> 00:47:48.340 align:middle line:84% was important for foreign diplomacy. 00:47:48.340 --> 00:47:49.940 align:middle line:84% So it's like, let's send Zheng He. 00:47:49.940 --> 00:47:52.040 align:middle line:84% Zheng He, on one of his voyages, ends up, 00:47:52.040 --> 00:47:54.300 align:middle line:84% we think, going to Mecca, actually. 00:47:54.300 --> 00:47:56.580 align:middle line:84% But you could basically see what he does. 00:47:56.580 --> 00:47:58.400 align:middle line:90% He goes down. 00:47:58.400 --> 00:48:00.740 align:middle line:84% He goes basically into Southeast Asia. 00:48:00.740 --> 00:48:03.380 align:middle line:84% He goes down to Java in a few of the voyages. 00:48:03.380 --> 00:48:05.100 align:middle line:84% He goes through the Strait of Malacca. 00:48:05.100 --> 00:48:07.920 align:middle line:90% He ultimately gets to Kolkata-- 00:48:07.920 --> 00:48:12.300 align:middle line:84% well, gets to Southern India, gets into the Strait of Hormuz. 00:48:12.300 --> 00:48:15.700 align:middle line:90% Those are the seven voyages. 00:48:15.700 --> 00:48:17.600 align:middle line:90% They were super expensive. 00:48:17.600 --> 00:48:22.000 align:middle line:84% They involved ships that were, again, huge, so we think. 00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:25.800 align:middle line:84% So they required tons of timber to build, like the palace 00:48:25.800 --> 00:48:30.840 align:middle line:84% that Yongle was building at the same time he was doing this. 00:48:30.840 --> 00:48:35.628 align:middle line:84% And so that's the story of Zheng He. 00:48:35.628 --> 00:48:37.420 align:middle line:84% Now, one of the things that I'll just say-- 00:48:37.420 --> 00:48:40.680 align:middle line:84% this is kind of a fun thing-- anybody know-- 00:48:40.680 --> 00:48:46.200 align:middle line:84% I was going to say there's a really fun story with Zheng He, 00:48:46.200 --> 00:48:52.380 align:middle line:84% when Zheng He brings back an animal from one of his voyages. 00:48:52.380 --> 00:48:56.188 align:middle line:84% And all the animals he brought back, all the stuff 00:48:56.188 --> 00:48:57.980 align:middle line:84% he brought back would have to be classified 00:48:57.980 --> 00:48:59.440 align:middle line:90% by the imperial government. 00:48:59.440 --> 00:49:00.200 align:middle line:90% What is it? 00:49:00.200 --> 00:49:01.540 align:middle line:90% What did you bring back? 00:49:01.540 --> 00:49:03.780 align:middle line:84% And so they classified one animal 00:49:03.780 --> 00:49:06.660 align:middle line:90% he brought back as a qilin. 00:49:06.660 --> 00:49:09.200 align:middle line:84% So now, qilins are mythical animals. 00:49:09.200 --> 00:49:10.900 align:middle line:90% They look kind of like that-- 00:49:10.900 --> 00:49:14.340 align:middle line:90% or one example of qilin. 00:49:14.340 --> 00:49:17.660 align:middle line:84% And what animal do you think he brought back 00:49:17.660 --> 00:49:19.072 align:middle line:90% that they classified as such? 00:49:19.072 --> 00:49:19.780 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: A lion. 00:49:19.780 --> 00:49:21.447 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: No, you would think lion, 00:49:21.447 --> 00:49:23.820 align:middle line:90% but it was actually the giraffe. 00:49:23.820 --> 00:49:24.700 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:49:24.700 --> 00:49:26.580 align:middle line:84% It was like, he brought back a giraffe. 00:49:26.580 --> 00:49:29.800 align:middle line:84% And then they were like, what is this animal? 00:49:29.800 --> 00:49:33.800 align:middle line:84% And then they were like, oh, that's the qilin. 00:49:33.800 --> 00:49:35.220 align:middle line:90% It lives in Africa. 00:49:35.220 --> 00:49:36.940 align:middle line:90% So there you go. 00:49:36.940 --> 00:49:41.100 align:middle line:84% So Zheng He delivered on his promise. 00:49:41.100 --> 00:49:46.340 align:middle line:84% And Yongle probably thought it was totally worth it. 00:49:46.340 --> 00:49:47.920 align:middle line:90% So now, this is the question. 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:49.620 align:middle line:90% And I was going to ask you this. 00:49:49.620 --> 00:49:52.190 align:middle line:84% We were talking about this at the end of class last week. 00:49:52.190 --> 00:49:54.170 align:middle line:90% Why do expensive voyages happen? 00:49:54.170 --> 00:49:55.430 align:middle line:90% And why do they stop? 00:49:55.430 --> 00:49:57.210 align:middle line:84% And when I always think about Zheng He, 00:49:57.210 --> 00:49:59.810 align:middle line:84% I do think about the NASA space program 00:49:59.810 --> 00:50:03.950 align:middle line:84% and sending people to the moon and all the money that took 00:50:03.950 --> 00:50:07.750 align:middle line:84% and all the technology that took, and, of course, the risk 00:50:07.750 --> 00:50:11.350 align:middle line:84% that was involved with doing that, and the very 00:50:11.350 --> 00:50:12.407 align:middle line:90% high publicity with it. 00:50:12.407 --> 00:50:14.990 align:middle line:84% And it's kind of one of those things that we did from the late 00:50:14.990 --> 00:50:19.150 align:middle line:84% 1960s through the 1980s, but then just kind of stopped doing 00:50:19.150 --> 00:50:20.610 align:middle line:90% it. 00:50:20.610 --> 00:50:21.930 align:middle line:90% And it's like, I don't know. 00:50:21.930 --> 00:50:23.210 align:middle line:90% So what do you think? 00:50:23.210 --> 00:50:27.750 align:middle line:84% I mean, how do you read the whole 00:50:27.750 --> 00:50:29.770 align:middle line:90% Zheng He episode in history? 00:50:29.770 --> 00:50:33.250 align:middle line:84% I mean, do you see other historical parallels? 00:50:33.250 --> 00:50:37.550 align:middle line:90% 00:50:37.550 --> 00:50:38.110 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 00:50:38.110 --> 00:50:41.030 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I guess if we're comparing it to the US moon 00:50:41.030 --> 00:50:44.450 align:middle line:84% launch, to establish superiority over the Soviet Union. 00:50:44.450 --> 00:50:45.535 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah. 00:50:45.535 --> 00:50:46.910 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I guess you can compare 00:50:46.910 --> 00:50:49.712 align:middle line:84% this to establishing superiority in the rest of the world. 00:50:49.712 --> 00:50:51.670 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah, no, but it definitely was. 00:50:51.670 --> 00:50:52.390 align:middle line:90% This is a great point. 00:50:52.390 --> 00:50:53.598 align:middle line:90% I'm glad you brought this up. 00:50:53.598 --> 00:50:56.170 align:middle line:84% So what are they trying to do with the Zheng He 00:50:56.170 --> 00:51:01.890 align:middle line:84% voyages, do you think, in terms of the geopolitical situation? 00:51:01.890 --> 00:51:02.650 align:middle line:90% Any idea? 00:51:02.650 --> 00:51:04.450 align:middle line:90% What do you think? 00:51:04.450 --> 00:51:05.970 align:middle line:90% So you're right on the track. 00:51:05.970 --> 00:51:07.870 align:middle line:84% So the US was competing against the Soviets. 00:51:07.870 --> 00:51:10.110 align:middle line:84% Ming is competing against Mongols. 00:51:10.110 --> 00:51:13.470 align:middle line:84% The thing about Mongols is they just had a world empire. 00:51:13.470 --> 00:51:15.550 align:middle line:84% They had influence all across Eurasia. 00:51:15.550 --> 00:51:21.010 align:middle line:84% And then you can't go up to the North, if you're the Ming, 00:51:21.010 --> 00:51:24.790 align:middle line:84% and go on your geopolitical campaigns that way. 00:51:24.790 --> 00:51:26.190 align:middle line:90% The North is really dangerous. 00:51:26.190 --> 00:51:27.930 align:middle line:90% You have to go South. 00:51:27.930 --> 00:51:29.990 align:middle line:84% So the South, into Southeast Asia, 00:51:29.990 --> 00:51:32.990 align:middle line:84% that was their opening to basically say, hey, 00:51:32.990 --> 00:51:34.190 align:middle line:90% let's do trade. 00:51:34.190 --> 00:51:35.990 align:middle line:90% Let's get some relations going. 00:51:35.990 --> 00:51:37.670 align:middle line:84% Let's get some recognition going. 00:51:37.670 --> 00:51:41.690 align:middle line:84% Yongle also-- I think we have to consider this, as well-- 00:51:41.690 --> 00:51:44.130 align:middle line:84% he's a guy who usurped the throne. 00:51:44.130 --> 00:51:46.250 align:middle line:90% This is always kind of tricky. 00:51:46.250 --> 00:51:49.330 align:middle line:84% If you inherit the throne the fair and square way, 00:51:49.330 --> 00:51:50.850 align:middle line:90% nobody ever questions you. 00:51:50.850 --> 00:51:57.270 align:middle line:84% But if you kill your nephew and steal the throne and everybody 00:51:57.270 --> 00:51:58.990 align:middle line:84% knows it-- and by the way, some officials 00:51:58.990 --> 00:52:02.810 align:middle line:84% were pretty disgusted with Yongle for doing that. 00:52:02.810 --> 00:52:04.830 align:middle line:90% They refused to serve him. 00:52:04.830 --> 00:52:06.810 align:middle line:84% That did happen early in his reign. 00:52:06.810 --> 00:52:09.250 align:middle line:84% So he's constantly trying to show, no, 00:52:09.250 --> 00:52:11.850 align:middle line:90% I'm serious emperor stuff. 00:52:11.850 --> 00:52:13.530 align:middle line:90% I'm serious emperor material. 00:52:13.530 --> 00:52:14.890 align:middle line:90% Look at the Grand Canal. 00:52:14.890 --> 00:52:16.330 align:middle line:90% Look at the palace in Beijing. 00:52:16.330 --> 00:52:18.570 align:middle line:90% Look at my fabulous voyages. 00:52:18.570 --> 00:52:21.670 align:middle line:84% I think there is a little bit of that going on, too. 00:52:21.670 --> 00:52:23.910 align:middle line:84% So, I mean, it's one of those things 00:52:23.910 --> 00:52:26.937 align:middle line:84% of, we don't do it all the time, this kind of thing. 00:52:26.937 --> 00:52:29.270 align:middle line:84% The other thing that Zheng He is constantly compared to, 00:52:29.270 --> 00:52:33.630 align:middle line:84% of course, is the European, Portuguese, Spanish exploration 00:52:33.630 --> 00:52:37.710 align:middle line:84% stuff, which happened later in the same century that Zheng He 00:52:37.710 --> 00:52:39.110 align:middle line:90% did his thing. 00:52:39.110 --> 00:52:42.930 align:middle line:84% But what do you see as the difference? 00:52:42.930 --> 00:52:47.010 align:middle line:84% What's the difference between Vasco da Gama or whoever 00:52:47.010 --> 00:52:48.770 align:middle line:90% and the Zheng He stuff? 00:52:48.770 --> 00:52:49.270 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 00:52:49.270 --> 00:52:52.310 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: I think for a lot of the [INAUDIBLE] 00:52:52.310 --> 00:52:53.810 align:middle line:84% that they do is they eventually want 00:52:53.810 --> 00:52:56.247 align:middle line:84% to set down roots and establish trade routes and all 00:52:56.247 --> 00:52:56.830 align:middle line:90% of this stuff. 00:52:56.830 --> 00:52:58.250 align:middle line:84% And it becomes a whole economic thing, 00:52:58.250 --> 00:53:00.167 align:middle line:84% where it's the beginning of this establishment 00:53:00.167 --> 00:53:03.390 align:middle line:84% of foreign relationships and colonialism. 00:53:03.390 --> 00:53:06.902 align:middle line:84% But there's no real major colonization 00:53:06.902 --> 00:53:08.610 align:middle line:84% that seems to happen and occurs, and also 00:53:08.610 --> 00:53:11.370 align:middle line:84% no real type of economic or trade 00:53:11.370 --> 00:53:13.090 align:middle line:84% thing that results from this, which 00:53:13.090 --> 00:53:15.410 align:middle line:84% is what I think all of the Portuguese and all of them 00:53:15.410 --> 00:53:20.050 align:middle line:84% intended to do, was to go to India and East Asia 00:53:20.050 --> 00:53:24.250 align:middle line:84% and trade and get various goods and stuff. 00:53:24.250 --> 00:53:25.750 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: I know what you mean. 00:53:25.750 --> 00:53:28.610 align:middle line:84% Yeah, there's such an emphasis with the Zheng 00:53:28.610 --> 00:53:32.910 align:middle line:84% He voyages on relations between the countries. 00:53:32.910 --> 00:53:37.130 align:middle line:84% It's like, we want the Ming to be recognized. 00:53:37.130 --> 00:53:38.350 align:middle line:90% So I agree with that. 00:53:38.350 --> 00:53:39.270 align:middle line:90% What else? 00:53:39.270 --> 00:53:40.530 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 00:53:40.530 --> 00:53:45.190 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]-- sorry, so the European voyages were 00:53:45.190 --> 00:53:47.830 align:middle line:84% mostly for commercial reasons, to circumvent the Ottoman 00:53:47.830 --> 00:53:49.657 align:middle line:90% blockade of the spice route. 00:53:49.657 --> 00:53:50.490 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Yeah. 00:53:50.490 --> 00:53:56.150 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: And that's mainly for like, I want paprika or saffron 00:53:56.150 --> 00:53:56.770 align:middle line:90% or whatever. 00:53:56.770 --> 00:53:58.070 align:middle line:90% Zheng He was just like-- 00:53:58.070 --> 00:53:59.610 align:middle line:84% Yongle was like, I don't know, man, 00:53:59.610 --> 00:54:00.810 align:middle line:90% I need to build my prestige. 00:54:00.810 --> 00:54:02.175 align:middle line:90% Give me a giraffe. 00:54:02.175 --> 00:54:03.050 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Right. 00:54:03.050 --> 00:54:04.600 align:middle line:90% Well, this is a very good point. 00:54:04.600 --> 00:54:06.850 align:middle line:84% And I think you're definitely on the right track here, 00:54:06.850 --> 00:54:10.470 align:middle line:84% which is to say a lot of the, quote, unquote, "European" 00:54:10.470 --> 00:54:17.590 align:middle line:84% voyages are basically private people who get charters from 00:54:17.590 --> 00:54:21.250 align:middle line:84% a royal family to say, OK, go abroad and do this. 00:54:21.250 --> 00:54:25.130 align:middle line:84% And if you find something in the name of the crown, 00:54:25.130 --> 00:54:27.470 align:middle line:84% claim it, or something like that. 00:54:27.470 --> 00:54:30.230 align:middle line:84% In the case of Zheng He, it's a state mission. 00:54:30.230 --> 00:54:33.130 align:middle line:84% It's a real state-directed mission. 00:54:33.130 --> 00:54:36.130 align:middle line:84% So the state is involved with paying for everything. 00:54:36.130 --> 00:54:39.050 align:middle line:84% This isn't about sharing the booty, sharing the money, 00:54:39.050 --> 00:54:40.330 align:middle line:90% sharing the spoils. 00:54:40.330 --> 00:54:41.210 align:middle line:90% It's not about that. 00:54:41.210 --> 00:54:45.940 align:middle line:84% This is a state mission, state ships, state-directed voyages. 00:54:45.940 --> 00:54:49.100 align:middle line:84% So it kind of has that aspect of it, 00:54:49.100 --> 00:54:51.920 align:middle line:84% which basically meant it was very expensive for the state 00:54:51.920 --> 00:54:54.560 align:middle line:90% in a way that Columbus-- 00:54:54.560 --> 00:54:57.160 align:middle line:90% how expensive was that voyage? 00:54:57.160 --> 00:54:58.660 align:middle line:84% I mean, I'm not saying it was cheap. 00:54:58.660 --> 00:55:00.580 align:middle line:84% But I'm just saying-- you get what I'm saying? 00:55:00.580 --> 00:55:01.840 align:middle line:90% So it basically makes it-- 00:55:01.840 --> 00:55:06.000 align:middle line:84% I think that the private enterprise element of it 00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:08.920 align:middle line:84% may have-- and the profits focused of it-- 00:55:08.920 --> 00:55:11.280 align:middle line:84% may have made some of the European voyages, 00:55:11.280 --> 00:55:14.380 align:middle line:84% even though they had high risk, more sustainable. 00:55:14.380 --> 00:55:16.480 align:middle line:84% Whereas in the case of Zheng He, the problem is 00:55:16.480 --> 00:55:19.960 align:middle line:84% there was no constituency within China 00:55:19.960 --> 00:55:23.360 align:middle line:84% who was going to defend these voyages after Yongle 00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:24.340 align:middle line:90% left the throne. 00:55:24.340 --> 00:55:28.400 align:middle line:84% What constituency would want these to continue? 00:55:28.400 --> 00:55:32.120 align:middle line:84% The Confucian literati, you can imagine, they were like, 00:55:32.120 --> 00:55:33.720 align:middle line:90% this is a waste of money. 00:55:33.720 --> 00:55:35.920 align:middle line:90% Don't do it. 00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:38.680 align:middle line:84% The military officers were like, eh, I 00:55:38.680 --> 00:55:41.480 align:middle line:84% don't see a huge military use for this. 00:55:41.480 --> 00:55:43.000 align:middle line:90% So it's like just gonna happen. 00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:46.260 align:middle line:84% It's like, why did the space-- why did the moon 00:55:46.260 --> 00:55:48.183 align:middle line:90% stuff end basically? 00:55:48.183 --> 00:55:49.600 align:middle line:84% I know it's not technically ended, 00:55:49.600 --> 00:55:53.460 align:middle line:84% but it's a pale shadow of what it was like decades ago. 00:55:53.460 --> 00:55:54.860 align:middle line:90% Why did it end? 00:55:54.860 --> 00:55:58.460 align:middle line:84% Well, the geopolitical threat from the Soviets 00:55:58.460 --> 00:56:00.140 align:middle line:90% kind of disappeared. 00:56:00.140 --> 00:56:03.660 align:middle line:84% And the federal budget's got-- it's really big. 00:56:03.660 --> 00:56:07.420 align:middle line:84% And it's very expensive to do these big government-funded 00:56:07.420 --> 00:56:08.120 align:middle line:90% projects. 00:56:08.120 --> 00:56:11.260 align:middle line:84% Maybe we could do other projects. 00:56:11.260 --> 00:56:14.260 align:middle line:84% It's an interesting question of, if we're 00:56:14.260 --> 00:56:19.740 align:middle line:84% talking about interplanetary space travel, how much would 00:56:19.740 --> 00:56:22.900 align:middle line:84% that-- how much state support will that require 00:56:22.900 --> 00:56:24.150 align:middle line:90% to sustain over the long term? 00:56:24.150 --> 00:56:26.025 align:middle line:84% Because it's not one thing that you could do, 00:56:26.025 --> 00:56:27.760 align:middle line:84% like oh, I'm coming in as president, 00:56:27.760 --> 00:56:29.593 align:middle line:84% let's do this for four years, and then we'll 00:56:29.593 --> 00:56:32.320 align:middle line:84% do something else after he or she leaves office. 00:56:32.320 --> 00:56:35.580 align:middle line:84% You got to do this for decades in order to actually see results 00:56:35.580 --> 00:56:36.120 align:middle line:90% from it. 00:56:36.120 --> 00:56:41.200 align:middle line:84% So it might be that basically you 00:56:41.200 --> 00:56:47.760 align:middle line:84% have to just make travel to Mars tourism, like private tourism, 00:56:47.760 --> 00:56:50.400 align:middle line:90% that it will actually happen. 00:56:50.400 --> 00:56:51.660 align:middle line:90% You know what I mean? 00:56:51.660 --> 00:56:55.000 align:middle line:84% And then, I don't know, that's just-- anybody else 00:56:55.000 --> 00:56:57.440 align:middle line:90% have any thoughts on this? 00:56:57.440 --> 00:56:59.320 align:middle line:90% Just something to think about. 00:56:59.320 --> 00:57:02.900 align:middle line:90% Yeah, it's a fascinating moment. 00:57:02.900 --> 00:57:04.080 align:middle line:90% But let me just say-- 00:57:04.080 --> 00:57:08.317 align:middle line:84% and I want to make this really, really-- 00:57:08.317 --> 00:57:10.900 align:middle line:84% I don't want to overstate the connection between these things. 00:57:10.900 --> 00:57:14.200 align:middle line:84% But since we're on this topic of Zheng He, I do want to say, 00:57:14.200 --> 00:57:19.500 align:middle line:84% in the centuries after Zheng He, specifically the 1500s, 00:57:19.500 --> 00:57:22.120 align:middle line:84% this is really where you start to see the overseas Chinese 00:57:22.120 --> 00:57:22.660 align:middle line:90% communities. 00:57:22.660 --> 00:57:24.340 align:middle line:84% And when I say "overseas Chinese communities," 00:57:24.340 --> 00:57:26.757 align:middle line:84% at this point I'm not talking about Canada, North America, 00:57:26.757 --> 00:57:27.460 align:middle line:90% or Australia. 00:57:27.460 --> 00:57:30.040 align:middle line:84% I'm talking really about the first places people in China 00:57:30.040 --> 00:57:34.040 align:middle line:84% went, which were Taiwan and Southeast Asia, 00:57:34.040 --> 00:57:35.980 align:middle line:90% with big Chinese populations. 00:57:35.980 --> 00:57:42.060 align:middle line:84% So the thing is, for these communities, a lot of them-- 00:57:42.060 --> 00:57:44.420 align:middle line:84% when I was in Malacca in Malaysia 00:57:44.420 --> 00:57:47.220 align:middle line:84% a few years ago, just after COVID, 00:57:47.220 --> 00:57:51.260 align:middle line:84% the Chinese community there makes a big deal about Zheng He. 00:57:51.260 --> 00:57:54.500 align:middle line:84% Zheng He's a big deal for them because Zheng He 00:57:54.500 --> 00:57:58.020 align:middle line:84% is kind of a symbolic beginning of their community 00:57:58.020 --> 00:58:00.940 align:middle line:84% and why they're there and their presence 00:58:00.940 --> 00:58:03.940 align:middle line:90% in this Malaysian society. 00:58:03.940 --> 00:58:07.980 align:middle line:84% But they don't come with Zheng He, per se. 00:58:07.980 --> 00:58:11.980 align:middle line:84% What happens is, in the decades and centuries after Zheng He, 00:58:11.980 --> 00:58:17.360 align:middle line:84% private Chinese merchants do go out to Southeast Asia. 00:58:17.360 --> 00:58:20.600 align:middle line:84% And they do establish roots in Southeast Asia. 00:58:20.600 --> 00:58:23.620 align:middle line:84% It's just that they don't have state support. 00:58:23.620 --> 00:58:32.820 align:middle line:84% They do so kind of illegally or under quasi-legal gray areas. 00:58:32.820 --> 00:58:34.700 align:middle line:90% They go abroad and do that. 00:58:34.700 --> 00:58:37.640 align:middle line:84% So one place that they go-- and I'll just tell you this. 00:58:37.640 --> 00:58:39.920 align:middle line:84% We'll get into this in the next few weeks 00:58:39.920 --> 00:58:43.640 align:middle line:84% more because Taiwan really comes on the map here. 00:58:43.640 --> 00:58:46.880 align:middle line:84% So the Chinese, the Fujian province, 00:58:46.880 --> 00:58:48.860 align:middle line:84% and the coastal areas in particular, 00:58:48.860 --> 00:58:50.760 align:middle line:90% they want to go abroad. 00:58:50.760 --> 00:58:54.020 align:middle line:84% They go basically right across the Straits of Taiwan. 00:58:54.020 --> 00:58:56.483 align:middle line:84% And Taiwan starts to see a Chinese community. 00:58:56.483 --> 00:58:58.400 align:middle line:84% I know, in Chinese history books, they'll say, 00:58:58.400 --> 00:59:00.608 align:middle line:84% in the Song dynasty, there was already an expedition. 00:59:00.608 --> 00:59:01.740 align:middle line:90% Whatever, guys. 00:59:01.740 --> 00:59:04.412 align:middle line:84% Look, the bottom line is it was in the 1500s, really, 00:59:04.412 --> 00:59:07.120 align:middle line:84% that you have a community there, that you can really say that was 00:59:07.120 --> 00:59:08.140 align:middle line:90% a community. 00:59:08.140 --> 00:59:10.000 align:middle line:90% Same thing with Southeast Asia. 00:59:10.000 --> 00:59:12.560 align:middle line:84% Indonesia is going to have a big Chinese community. 00:59:12.560 --> 00:59:15.160 align:middle line:84% Malaysia is going to have a big Chinese community. 00:59:15.160 --> 00:59:17.820 align:middle line:84% I mean, Malaysia in the early 20th century, like 1900, 00:59:17.820 --> 00:59:19.700 align:middle line:84% it was a third Chinese or something. 00:59:19.700 --> 00:59:22.820 align:middle line:84% It was an absolutely massive Chinese community in Malaysia. 00:59:22.820 --> 00:59:25.540 align:middle line:84% That number goes down because Singapore became independent. 00:59:25.540 --> 00:59:28.038 align:middle line:84% And many of the Chinese were in Singapore. 00:59:28.038 --> 00:59:30.580 align:middle line:84% But still, Malaysia still has a very large Chinese community. 00:59:30.580 --> 00:59:33.240 align:middle line:84% This is a really, really fascinating history. 00:59:33.240 --> 00:59:34.740 align:middle line:84% So you could do Chinese communities. 00:59:34.740 --> 00:59:37.115 align:middle line:84% You could do timeline projects for any of those countries 00:59:37.115 --> 00:59:39.010 align:middle line:90% if you're interested. 00:59:39.010 --> 00:59:41.570 align:middle line:90% So I will say-- 00:59:41.570 --> 00:59:43.830 align:middle line:84% let me just put that there for right now. 00:59:43.830 --> 00:59:46.330 align:middle line:84% And let me just go to early Ming key takeaways. 00:59:46.330 --> 00:59:49.050 align:middle line:84% The early Ming, under Ming Taizu and Yongle, 00:59:49.050 --> 00:59:50.990 align:middle line:84% reacted against the years of Mongol rule, 00:59:50.990 --> 00:59:54.170 align:middle line:84% but also adapted critical elements from it. 00:59:54.170 --> 00:59:55.955 align:middle line:84% The Ming dynasty sees the birth of a group 00:59:55.955 --> 00:59:57.330 align:middle line:84% of people who consider themselves 00:59:57.330 --> 00:59:59.850 align:middle line:84% Han Chinese, different from Mongols, Tibetans, et cetera. 00:59:59.850 --> 01:00:03.650 align:middle line:84% This is what I was saying of, like, Han comes out 01:00:03.650 --> 01:00:07.110 align:middle line:84% at this time for reasons that you can clearly think about. 01:00:07.110 --> 01:00:10.430 align:middle line:84% Same thing of Hui comes out at this time. 01:00:10.430 --> 01:00:13.210 align:middle line:84% So a lot of those identities that you're going to see tossed 01:00:13.210 --> 01:00:18.370 align:middle line:84% around in 20th-century China come out of this Ming moment, 01:00:18.370 --> 01:00:20.370 align:middle line:90% this post-Mongol moment. 01:00:20.370 --> 01:00:23.690 align:middle line:84% But the Ming can't be simplified as a reactionary Han dynasty. 01:00:23.690 --> 01:00:26.550 align:middle line:84% Ming Taizu and Yongle supported and recognized the rights-- 01:00:26.550 --> 01:00:29.870 align:middle line:84% "rights" is kind of an overladen legal word there. 01:00:29.870 --> 01:00:33.130 align:middle line:84% But it's still, they recognize Muslims to live in China 01:00:33.130 --> 01:00:34.710 align:middle line:84% and employ them in their governments. 01:00:34.710 --> 01:00:37.390 align:middle line:84% Zheng He is actually an example of that. 01:00:37.390 --> 01:00:39.410 align:middle line:84% The Zheng He expeditions were hugely important. 01:00:39.410 --> 01:00:41.743 align:middle line:84% Zheng He made contacts with countries in the Middle East 01:00:41.743 --> 01:00:45.950 align:middle line:84% and Africa decades before Columbus or Magellan set sail. 01:00:45.950 --> 01:00:48.573 align:middle line:84% After the Zheng He voyages, no subsequent government will 01:00:48.573 --> 01:00:50.990 align:middle line:84% express great interest in overseas expeditions or learning 01:00:50.990 --> 01:00:52.188 align:middle line:90% until the 19th century. 01:00:52.188 --> 01:00:54.230 align:middle line:84% But Chinese themselves in the following centuries 01:00:54.230 --> 01:00:57.230 align:middle line:84% started to move abroad, to Taiwan, to Southeast Asia, 01:00:57.230 --> 01:00:58.310 align:middle line:90% and beyond. 01:00:58.310 --> 01:01:00.190 align:middle line:90% So it's not that-- 01:01:00.190 --> 01:01:03.328 align:middle line:84% I want to just reemphasize-- it's not that Zheng He 01:01:03.328 --> 01:01:04.870 align:middle line:84% goes on his voyages and he brings all 01:01:04.870 --> 01:01:06.090 align:middle line:90% these Chinese with him. 01:01:06.090 --> 01:01:08.530 align:middle line:84% No, it's that Zheng He goes on the voyages. 01:01:08.530 --> 01:01:11.010 align:middle line:84% Then they stop, and nothing happens. 01:01:11.010 --> 01:01:12.990 align:middle line:84% And then private Chinese from Fujian 01:01:12.990 --> 01:01:16.370 align:middle line:84% and Guangdong, they start going to Southeast Asia. 01:01:16.370 --> 01:01:20.710 align:middle line:84% But they do so without state support, 01:01:20.710 --> 01:01:24.670 align:middle line:84% which is why there are no Chinese colonies in Southeast 01:01:24.670 --> 01:01:25.550 align:middle line:90% Asia. 01:01:25.550 --> 01:01:26.830 align:middle line:90% You get what I'm saying? 01:01:26.830 --> 01:01:32.590 align:middle line:84% With the very, very interesting possible exception of Singapore, 01:01:32.590 --> 01:01:37.330 align:middle line:84% which is a Chinese state in the middle of Southeast Asia. 01:01:37.330 --> 01:01:40.270 align:middle line:84% Of course, I understand that's not the Singaporean story. 01:01:40.270 --> 01:01:42.030 align:middle line:84% Singapore has its own unique identity. 01:01:42.030 --> 01:01:44.190 align:middle line:84% It was carefully crafted over the 20th century. 01:01:44.190 --> 01:01:45.530 align:middle line:90% But you get what I mean. 01:01:45.530 --> 01:01:49.170 align:middle line:84% If you wanted to push it, that's what you could push. 01:01:49.170 --> 01:01:50.330 align:middle line:90% Questions? 01:01:50.330 --> 01:01:51.690 align:middle line:90% Good? 01:01:51.690 --> 01:01:52.990 align:middle line:90% All right, 17 minutes left. 01:01:52.990 --> 01:01:54.310 align:middle line:90% Let's use it. 01:01:54.310 --> 01:01:58.150 align:middle line:84% So let's talk about this really incredible crisis. 01:01:58.150 --> 01:02:03.530 align:middle line:84% So in the post-war Yongle era, the voyages stop. 01:02:03.530 --> 01:02:05.310 align:middle line:90% The government's in Beijing. 01:02:05.310 --> 01:02:08.650 align:middle line:84% And we kind of settle into a more status-quo Ming. 01:02:08.650 --> 01:02:10.890 align:middle line:84% And I kind of promised you, the Ming 01:02:10.890 --> 01:02:14.250 align:middle line:84% is going to have basically some of the worst 01:02:14.250 --> 01:02:16.010 align:middle line:90% emperors of Chinese history-- 01:02:16.010 --> 01:02:18.325 align:middle line:84% just really incompetent people, one after another. 01:02:18.325 --> 01:02:20.450 align:middle line:84% Some of them are just absolutely off their rockers. 01:02:20.450 --> 01:02:24.890 align:middle line:84% So this individual involved with this crisis 01:02:24.890 --> 01:02:30.390 align:middle line:84% becomes emperor twice in a story that you just 01:02:30.390 --> 01:02:31.390 align:middle line:90% have to hear to believe. 01:02:31.390 --> 01:02:34.870 align:middle line:84% So he comes to the throne as the Zhengtong emperor. 01:02:34.870 --> 01:02:35.910 align:middle line:90% He serves. 01:02:35.910 --> 01:02:39.630 align:middle line:84% And then the Mongols, under his reign, 01:02:39.630 --> 01:02:43.950 align:middle line:84% basically cross over into Ming territory. 01:02:43.950 --> 01:02:46.930 align:middle line:84% And not only does he want to meet them and kick them out, 01:02:46.930 --> 01:02:50.150 align:middle line:84% he wants to personally go into battle against them. 01:02:50.150 --> 01:02:50.830 align:middle line:90% So he goes. 01:02:50.830 --> 01:02:53.530 align:middle line:90% He leaves Beijing with his army. 01:02:53.530 --> 01:02:56.510 align:middle line:84% And then at the Fort of Tumu, right here, 01:02:56.510 --> 01:03:00.110 align:middle line:84% he is surrounded and captured by the Mongols. 01:03:00.110 --> 01:03:03.550 align:middle line:84% So you have right here a Chinese emperor 01:03:03.550 --> 01:03:07.390 align:middle line:84% on the throne, who is now captured by the Mongols 01:03:07.390 --> 01:03:10.190 align:middle line:90% and taken back to Mongolia. 01:03:10.190 --> 01:03:11.430 align:middle line:90% That's embarrassing. 01:03:11.430 --> 01:03:13.550 align:middle line:90% That's really bad. 01:03:13.550 --> 01:03:17.090 align:middle line:84% That would be as if the Canadians took Biden. 01:03:17.090 --> 01:03:17.690 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:03:17.690 --> 01:03:19.970 align:middle line:84% It's like, what are you going to do? 01:03:19.970 --> 01:03:24.710 align:middle line:84% So then what happens is that there was this big official. 01:03:24.710 --> 01:03:26.463 align:middle line:84% I want to say he's from Zhejiang, 01:03:26.463 --> 01:03:27.630 align:middle line:90% but you could kind of guess. 01:03:27.630 --> 01:03:30.130 align:middle line:84% If you have to ever guess, hey, where's the official from, 01:03:30.130 --> 01:03:31.610 align:middle line:90% just pick a Jiangnan province. 01:03:31.610 --> 01:03:33.730 align:middle line:84% And then you say, OK, I think he was from Zhejiang 01:03:33.730 --> 01:03:35.810 align:middle line:90% because his death-- 01:03:35.810 --> 01:03:37.970 align:middle line:90% his tomb is on West Lake. 01:03:37.970 --> 01:03:39.330 align:middle line:90% Yu Qian. 01:03:39.330 --> 01:03:41.810 align:middle line:90% So Yu Qian is this official. 01:03:41.810 --> 01:03:45.062 align:middle line:84% And he basically-- this is an unprecedented situation-- 01:03:45.062 --> 01:03:47.270 align:middle line:84% he basically kind of takes control of the government. 01:03:47.270 --> 01:03:49.730 align:middle line:84% He says-- because the Mongols want a ransom. 01:03:49.730 --> 01:03:50.588 align:middle line:90% They want territory. 01:03:50.588 --> 01:03:51.630 align:middle line:90% They want all this stuff. 01:03:51.630 --> 01:03:53.750 align:middle line:84% And they said, we'll give you your emperor back. 01:03:53.750 --> 01:03:56.370 align:middle line:84% So then Yu Qian is basically facing down 01:03:56.370 --> 01:03:58.610 align:middle line:84% a Mongol invasion of Beijing, which 01:03:58.610 --> 01:04:00.450 align:middle line:90% is really tough, really brutal. 01:04:00.450 --> 01:04:05.290 align:middle line:84% And he basically says, look, no, we're not going to negotiate. 01:04:05.290 --> 01:04:07.330 align:middle line:90% Let them keep the emperor. 01:04:07.330 --> 01:04:10.730 align:middle line:84% Just put a new emperor in, and we're going to keep going. 01:04:10.730 --> 01:04:13.390 align:middle line:90% So Yu Qian saves the Ming. 01:04:13.390 --> 01:04:16.130 align:middle line:84% And he basically also fortifies Beijing. 01:04:16.130 --> 01:04:18.750 align:middle line:84% And the Mongols, who thought they were going to negotiate, 01:04:18.750 --> 01:04:20.850 align:middle line:84% realized they're not going to negotiate with us. 01:04:20.850 --> 01:04:24.530 align:middle line:90% And so Beijing is saved. 01:04:24.530 --> 01:04:26.650 align:middle line:84% Yu Qian, maybe he's kind of a hero, 01:04:26.650 --> 01:04:29.780 align:middle line:84% except eventually the Mongols get 01:04:29.780 --> 01:04:33.220 align:middle line:84% sick of holding this emperor under house arrest 01:04:33.220 --> 01:04:34.680 align:middle line:90% and then just let him go. 01:04:34.680 --> 01:04:35.260 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:04:35.260 --> 01:04:37.820 align:middle line:90% So he comes back to Beijing. 01:04:37.820 --> 01:04:42.720 align:middle line:84% And he's like, what were you guys doing? 01:04:42.720 --> 01:04:45.680 align:middle line:90% You just let me stay there. 01:04:45.680 --> 01:04:47.900 align:middle line:84% So then he goes under house arrest 01:04:47.900 --> 01:04:49.900 align:middle line:84% because there's a new emperor on the throne that 01:04:49.900 --> 01:04:52.340 align:middle line:84% was put on there basically under the reign of-- 01:04:52.340 --> 01:04:55.100 align:middle line:90% under the watch of Yu Qian. 01:04:55.100 --> 01:04:57.100 align:middle line:84% So the Zhengtong emperor is under house arrest. 01:04:57.100 --> 01:05:02.180 align:middle line:84% Then-- oh, classic Ming-- there's a eunuch coup, 01:05:02.180 --> 01:05:04.040 align:middle line:90% and they take out that emperor. 01:05:04.040 --> 01:05:07.620 align:middle line:84% And then this guy comes back to the throne as Tianshun 01:05:07.620 --> 01:05:13.280 align:middle line:84% and then, I think, probably has him immediately executed. 01:05:13.280 --> 01:05:16.500 align:middle line:84% So then Yu Qian has a very, very fascinating legacy 01:05:16.500 --> 01:05:20.290 align:middle line:90% in Chinese history of being a-- 01:05:20.290 --> 01:05:23.220 align:middle line:84% he sold out the emperor, but he saved the country. 01:05:23.220 --> 01:05:26.160 align:middle line:84% So in later centuries, he kind of became celebrated. 01:05:26.160 --> 01:05:29.892 align:middle line:84% And today, you can visit his mausoleum on West Lake. 01:05:29.892 --> 01:05:31.100 align:middle line:90% It's kind of a site to visit. 01:05:31.100 --> 01:05:31.440 align:middle line:90% Yeah? 01:05:31.440 --> 01:05:33.600 align:middle line:84% AUDIENCE: Why wouldn't they just kill him instead of putting him 01:05:33.600 --> 01:05:35.142 align:middle line:84% on house arrest and be like, 'oh, no, 01:05:35.142 --> 01:05:38.440 align:middle line:84% he had an accident'? 'What are the chances?' 01:05:38.440 --> 01:05:43.300 align:middle line:84% TRISTAN BROWN: So I mean, this is-- that's a great question. 01:05:43.300 --> 01:05:45.280 align:middle line:90% Why not just kill him? 01:05:45.280 --> 01:05:49.060 align:middle line:84% I mean, it might have just been bad press. 01:05:49.060 --> 01:05:52.800 align:middle line:84% I mean, it was kind of obvious that the Mongols 01:05:52.800 --> 01:05:54.340 align:middle line:90% brought the emperor back. 01:05:54.340 --> 01:05:56.880 align:middle line:84% And, I mean, it was so awkward because this is not 01:05:56.880 --> 01:05:58.480 align:middle line:84% something that ever should happen, 01:05:58.480 --> 01:06:01.120 align:middle line:84% because technically he's still the emperor. 01:06:01.120 --> 01:06:02.680 align:middle line:90% He was crowned the emperor. 01:06:02.680 --> 01:06:04.040 align:middle line:90% He didn't die. 01:06:04.040 --> 01:06:04.855 align:middle line:90% So what is he? 01:06:04.855 --> 01:06:05.980 align:middle line:90% So nobody knew what he was. 01:06:05.980 --> 01:06:08.147 align:middle line:84% So it was like, OK, just put him under house arrest. 01:06:08.147 --> 01:06:09.960 align:middle line:84% But then he was back with a vengeance. 01:06:09.960 --> 01:06:12.020 align:middle line:90% And so it was just brutal. 01:06:12.020 --> 01:06:13.633 align:middle line:90% I mean, it's just brutal. 01:06:13.633 --> 01:06:15.800 align:middle line:84% So this is what I'm saying about all the Ming stuff. 01:06:15.800 --> 01:06:18.860 align:middle line:84% And realize, the Ming-- of all the eras of Chinese history-- 01:06:18.860 --> 01:06:21.960 align:middle line:84% this is the heyday of the eunuchs. 01:06:21.960 --> 01:06:25.780 align:middle line:84% The eunuchs are super powerful during the Ming. 01:06:25.780 --> 01:06:28.680 align:middle line:84% And they're-- again, it's not fair to say this, 01:06:28.680 --> 01:06:33.500 align:middle line:84% but as the historical annals go, they're seemingly always up 01:06:33.500 --> 01:06:34.440 align:middle line:90% to some mischief. 01:06:34.440 --> 01:06:38.420 align:middle line:84% I'll show you some more examples of that not too long from now. 01:06:38.420 --> 01:06:40.340 align:middle line:90% The Great Wall. 01:06:40.340 --> 01:06:42.240 align:middle line:84% Why does the Great Wall come to exist? 01:06:42.240 --> 01:06:45.340 align:middle line:84% It comes to exist right around this time in the way that you 01:06:45.340 --> 01:06:48.640 align:middle line:84% know it today, basically right during these reigns, 01:06:48.640 --> 01:06:50.360 align:middle line:84% the Zhengtong to Tianshun reigns, 01:06:50.360 --> 01:06:54.800 align:middle line:84% this era in the middle of the 15th century, the 1400s. 01:06:54.800 --> 01:06:55.580 align:middle line:90% And why? 01:06:55.580 --> 01:06:58.060 align:middle line:84% Because basically this is the reaction to, 01:06:58.060 --> 01:07:00.200 align:middle line:90% the emperor was taken. 01:07:00.200 --> 01:07:04.580 align:middle line:84% We need to fortify the northern defense. 01:07:04.580 --> 01:07:06.660 align:middle line:84% So it's right around this time that basically you 01:07:06.660 --> 01:07:12.500 align:middle line:84% could say there's all this money thrown to this defensive version 01:07:12.500 --> 01:07:13.700 align:middle line:90% of the Great Wall. 01:07:13.700 --> 01:07:14.820 align:middle line:90% You got it? 01:07:14.820 --> 01:07:15.480 align:middle line:90% You good? 01:07:15.480 --> 01:07:16.092 align:middle line:90% All right. 01:07:16.092 --> 01:07:17.300 align:middle line:90% AUDIENCE: And it was useless. 01:07:17.300 --> 01:07:18.508 align:middle line:90% TRISTAN BROWN: Useless, yeah. 01:07:18.508 --> 01:07:20.780 align:middle line:90% Yeah, so it was pretty useless. 01:07:20.780 --> 01:07:21.840 align:middle line:90% I mean, think about this. 01:07:21.840 --> 01:07:23.740 align:middle line:90% Just remember this. 01:07:23.740 --> 01:07:27.080 align:middle line:84% The wall does not work like a wall to keep people out. 01:07:27.080 --> 01:07:30.840 align:middle line:84% You can't ride a horse up this mountain. 01:07:30.840 --> 01:07:32.760 align:middle line:90% Look at that mountain. 01:07:32.760 --> 01:07:34.720 align:middle line:84% It's not like the horse isn't going to come up 01:07:34.720 --> 01:07:36.260 align:middle line:84% and say, oh, wow, the wall's there. 01:07:36.260 --> 01:07:37.400 align:middle line:90% I can't go in. 01:07:37.400 --> 01:07:43.720 align:middle line:84% No, the wall exists to basically unify the watchtowers. 01:07:43.720 --> 01:07:45.580 align:middle line:84% Do you understand what I'm saying here? 01:07:45.580 --> 01:07:48.080 align:middle line:84% The wall is actually-- quote, unquote, the "wall" 01:07:48.080 --> 01:07:50.320 align:middle line:90% is a misnomer of the Ming. 01:07:50.320 --> 01:07:53.120 align:middle line:84% It's the watchtowers that give you 01:07:53.120 --> 01:07:55.480 align:middle line:84% the signaling and the communication system. 01:07:55.480 --> 01:07:59.740 align:middle line:84% The wall itself is really there for the walkway between them 01:07:59.740 --> 01:08:02.000 align:middle line:84% so that you can walk between the mountains. 01:08:02.000 --> 01:08:06.080 align:middle line:84% It's not actually like, I'm riding my horse up this Mount 01:08:06.080 --> 01:08:06.860 align:middle line:90% Everest. 01:08:06.860 --> 01:08:09.280 align:middle line:90% That's not going to work. 01:08:09.280 --> 01:08:11.920 align:middle line:84% No horse is going to get over that anyway. 01:08:11.920 --> 01:08:13.420 align:middle line:84% So you can think about it like that. 01:08:13.420 --> 01:08:16.600 align:middle line:84% So it's not really fair to say it was useless, 01:08:16.600 --> 01:08:18.640 align:middle line:84% in the sense of it did work as guard towers, 01:08:18.640 --> 01:08:20.640 align:middle line:84% and it did work as communication relay. 01:08:20.640 --> 01:08:22.500 align:middle line:90% It did work as those things. 01:08:22.500 --> 01:08:28.770 align:middle line:84% But in terms of, did it work to keep invaders out, no. 01:08:28.770 --> 01:08:30.029 align:middle line:90% It didn't. 01:08:30.029 --> 01:08:32.350 align:middle line:84% All right, now let's get on to the Jiajing emperor. 01:08:32.350 --> 01:08:36.130 align:middle line:84% This guy, I got to say, probably one of-- probably the craziest. 01:08:36.130 --> 01:08:37.950 align:middle line:90% Probably the craziest. 01:08:37.950 --> 01:08:40.609 align:middle line:84% I'll tell you some good stories about him. 01:08:40.609 --> 01:08:43.330 align:middle line:84% And then I'll get through Jiajing today. 01:08:43.330 --> 01:08:45.170 align:middle line:84% And I'll tell you some fun stuff about him. 01:08:45.170 --> 01:08:48.109 align:middle line:90% And then we'll call it a break. 01:08:48.109 --> 01:08:51.109 align:middle line:84% And I'll give you a recording for Wednesday. 01:08:51.109 --> 01:08:54.250 align:middle line:90% So first things first. 01:08:54.250 --> 01:08:57.250 align:middle line:84% Jiajing-- you will be confused, I 01:08:57.250 --> 01:09:00.689 align:middle line:84% guarantee you, because there is a Qing emperor called Jiaqing. 01:09:00.689 --> 01:09:03.149 align:middle line:84% So just realize there's Jiajing in the Ming, 01:09:03.149 --> 01:09:04.850 align:middle line:90% Jiaqing in the Qing. 01:09:04.850 --> 01:09:09.069 align:middle line:84% So just think, "Jiaqing," "-qing", that's the Qing. 01:09:09.069 --> 01:09:11.229 align:middle line:90% "Jiajing," that's the Ming. 01:09:11.229 --> 01:09:16.870 align:middle line:84% So he comes to the throne, and already there's a problem. 01:09:16.870 --> 01:09:19.569 align:middle line:84% And it's actually kind of an interesting problem to have. 01:09:19.569 --> 01:09:22.010 align:middle line:84% This is called the Great Rites Controversy. 01:09:22.010 --> 01:09:28.310 align:middle line:84% So in the Ming, basically you come to-- the emperor 01:09:28.310 --> 01:09:29.350 align:middle line:90% comes to the throne. 01:09:29.350 --> 01:09:32.069 align:middle line:84% And the emperor does the ancestral sacrifices 01:09:32.069 --> 01:09:34.950 align:middle line:84% to his father, who is the previous emperor. 01:09:34.950 --> 01:09:36.770 align:middle line:90% That's how it's supposed to be. 01:09:36.770 --> 01:09:41.850 align:middle line:84% The problem was Jiajing was not the son of the previous emperor. 01:09:41.850 --> 01:09:44.630 align:middle line:84% The previous emperor did not have a male heir. 01:09:44.630 --> 01:09:49.210 align:middle line:84% So he was like the cousin-- oh, no, sorry, nephew. 01:09:49.210 --> 01:09:50.069 align:middle line:90% Nephew. 01:09:50.069 --> 01:09:55.110 align:middle line:84% So you have, then, a problem, which is to say, OK, no problem. 01:09:55.110 --> 01:09:56.050 align:middle line:90% We can handle this. 01:09:56.050 --> 01:09:57.312 align:middle line:90% The Ming can handle this. 01:09:57.312 --> 01:09:59.270 align:middle line:84% So according to the rules, what you have to do, 01:09:59.270 --> 01:10:02.350 align:middle line:90% Jiajing, is you have to adopt-- 01:10:02.350 --> 01:10:04.430 align:middle line:84% the previous emperor posthumously 01:10:04.430 --> 01:10:06.050 align:middle line:90% adopts you as his son. 01:10:06.050 --> 01:10:09.070 align:middle line:84% So you do the ancestral sacrifices to that emperor, 01:10:09.070 --> 01:10:10.290 align:middle line:90% who's like your uncle. 01:10:10.290 --> 01:10:15.390 align:middle line:84% But then Jiajing is like, no, I want to sacrifice to my dad. 01:10:15.390 --> 01:10:17.590 align:middle line:90% That's my biological dad. 01:10:17.590 --> 01:10:23.850 align:middle line:84% So you can see you have here a Confucian problem. 01:10:23.850 --> 01:10:25.910 align:middle line:90% Is it the family or the states? 01:10:25.910 --> 01:10:28.950 align:middle line:84% So Jiajing makes the argument that, no, 01:10:28.950 --> 01:10:31.070 align:middle line:84% I want to give the sacrifices to my dad. 01:10:31.070 --> 01:10:33.090 align:middle line:84% And then there's all of these officials 01:10:33.090 --> 01:10:34.590 align:middle line:90% who are up in arms over this. 01:10:34.590 --> 01:10:36.610 align:middle line:84% There's a public protest among officials 01:10:36.610 --> 01:10:40.290 align:middle line:84% who are scandalized at the idea that he won't be adopted and do 01:10:40.290 --> 01:10:41.790 align:middle line:90% the proper sacrifices. 01:10:41.790 --> 01:10:43.070 align:middle line:90% You can think about-- 01:10:43.070 --> 01:10:46.470 align:middle line:84% I know you say this, but today, when presidents, 01:10:46.470 --> 01:10:48.490 align:middle line:84% they visit the cemetery at Normandy 01:10:48.490 --> 01:10:51.130 align:middle line:84% or they do some other ritual, people get up 01:10:51.130 --> 01:10:53.130 align:middle line:84% in arms about how they act, what they say, 01:10:53.130 --> 01:10:54.410 align:middle line:90% was Biden asleep, whatever. 01:10:54.410 --> 01:10:55.858 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 01:10:55.858 --> 01:10:57.150 align:middle line:90% People talk about these things. 01:10:57.150 --> 01:10:59.010 align:middle line:84% They matter, the public performance 01:10:59.010 --> 01:11:00.470 align:middle line:90% of being a leader like this. 01:11:00.470 --> 01:11:02.330 align:middle line:84% So it mattered right from the very beginning 01:11:02.330 --> 01:11:03.610 align:middle line:90% of Jiajing's reign. 01:11:03.610 --> 01:11:07.210 align:middle line:84% So what he basically does is that he 01:11:07.210 --> 01:11:09.910 align:middle line:84% makes this ancestral rites adjustment. 01:11:09.910 --> 01:11:11.730 align:middle line:90% He holds his ground on this. 01:11:11.730 --> 01:11:13.810 align:middle line:84% And then something really remarkable 01:11:13.810 --> 01:11:17.030 align:middle line:84% happens in Chinese society during this time, 01:11:17.030 --> 01:11:21.910 align:middle line:84% which is that basically Jiajing sort of encourages people 01:11:21.910 --> 01:11:25.470 align:middle line:84% across China to build ancestral halls 01:11:25.470 --> 01:11:27.010 align:middle line:90% and worship their ancestors. 01:11:27.010 --> 01:11:29.630 align:middle line:84% So this is a really fascinating story 01:11:29.630 --> 01:11:33.250 align:middle line:84% because let me basically pose it to you this way. 01:11:33.250 --> 01:11:35.910 align:middle line:90% This is an accidental-- 01:11:35.910 --> 01:11:37.687 align:middle line:84% this is an accident of Chinese history 01:11:37.687 --> 01:11:38.770 align:middle line:90% that it happened this way. 01:11:38.770 --> 01:11:41.670 align:middle line:90% So the rites controversy-- 01:11:41.670 --> 01:11:43.170 align:middle line:90% let me put it this way. 01:11:43.170 --> 01:11:46.050 align:middle line:84% In the Song dynasty, people worshipped their ancestors, 01:11:46.050 --> 01:11:46.830 align:middle line:90% of course. 01:11:46.830 --> 01:11:49.830 align:middle line:84% But everybody can worship their mother, their father, 01:11:49.830 --> 01:11:50.850 align:middle line:90% their grandparents. 01:11:50.850 --> 01:11:55.190 align:middle line:84% But in terms of deep ancestors, long-standing ancestral lines, 01:11:55.190 --> 01:11:58.430 align:middle line:84% in the Song dynasty, building an ancestral hall, 01:11:58.430 --> 01:12:00.910 align:middle line:84% that was reserved for people who had passed the exams 01:12:00.910 --> 01:12:02.330 align:middle line:90% and became officials. 01:12:02.330 --> 01:12:05.410 align:middle line:84% You had the right to build a temple to your own family. 01:12:05.410 --> 01:12:06.870 align:middle line:90% That's really nice. 01:12:06.870 --> 01:12:09.510 align:middle line:90% Here's Tristan's family temple. 01:12:09.510 --> 01:12:10.170 align:middle line:90% There you go. 01:12:10.170 --> 01:12:13.290 align:middle line:84% In the Song, if I was a jinshi degree holder and official, 01:12:13.290 --> 01:12:14.010 align:middle line:90% I could do that. 01:12:14.010 --> 01:12:15.450 align:middle line:90% I had the right to do that. 01:12:15.450 --> 01:12:17.470 align:middle line:84% And by the time you get to the Ming, 01:12:17.470 --> 01:12:19.510 align:middle line:84% as a result of this rites controversy, 01:12:19.510 --> 01:12:21.668 align:middle line:84% Jiajing basically says everybody can do it. 01:12:21.668 --> 01:12:23.210 align:middle line:84% So that's where you're going to start 01:12:23.210 --> 01:12:26.730 align:middle line:84% to see the Liu family ancestral hall, the Wong family 01:12:26.730 --> 01:12:27.750 align:middle line:90% ancestral hall. 01:12:27.750 --> 01:12:30.630 align:middle line:84% Every family can build an ancestral hall now 01:12:30.630 --> 01:12:32.870 align:middle line:84% because he basically takes off the guardrails. 01:12:32.870 --> 01:12:37.350 align:middle line:84% So in other words, this extends the rite of ancestor worship, 01:12:37.350 --> 01:12:39.030 align:middle line:90% really true ancestor worship. 01:12:39.030 --> 01:12:41.310 align:middle line:84% I'm not just saying father, mother, grandfather, 01:12:41.310 --> 01:12:41.810 align:middle line:90% grandparent. 01:12:41.810 --> 01:12:43.030 align:middle line:90% That always existed. 01:12:43.030 --> 01:12:46.290 align:middle line:84% But I'm talking about building a freestanding temple 01:12:46.290 --> 01:12:50.130 align:middle line:84% that the lineage under the name of a common ancestor 01:12:50.130 --> 01:12:51.750 align:middle line:90% held the land and paid taxes. 01:12:51.750 --> 01:12:54.910 align:middle line:84% This is, again, when we talk about the gender relations-- 01:12:54.910 --> 01:12:57.770 align:middle line:84% we were talking about that last year; sorry, last week-- 01:12:57.770 --> 01:13:00.370 align:middle line:84% I was telling you about how property inheritance rules, 01:13:00.370 --> 01:13:01.430 align:middle line:90% everything like that. 01:13:01.430 --> 01:13:04.090 align:middle line:84% In the Ming, the big family lineage 01:13:04.090 --> 01:13:05.930 align:middle line:90% becomes more and more important. 01:13:05.930 --> 01:13:08.790 align:middle line:84% That patriline becomes more and more important. 01:13:08.790 --> 01:13:12.050 align:middle line:84% And with this change and this incentive 01:13:12.050 --> 01:13:14.990 align:middle line:84% to worship ancestors and build ancestral halls, 01:13:14.990 --> 01:13:16.850 align:middle line:84% basically all the land is held in the name 01:13:16.850 --> 01:13:18.700 align:middle line:84% of the ancestor, who then becomes 01:13:18.700 --> 01:13:20.660 align:middle line:90% the taxpayer when he's dead. 01:13:20.660 --> 01:13:22.320 align:middle line:90% So who owns the land? 01:13:22.320 --> 01:13:23.920 align:middle line:84% Well, our great, great grandfather. 01:13:23.920 --> 01:13:26.340 align:middle line:84% So then the structure of the lineage 01:13:26.340 --> 01:13:27.800 align:middle line:90% becomes really important. 01:13:27.800 --> 01:13:31.380 align:middle line:84% The Chinese family became a lineage corporation. 01:13:31.380 --> 01:13:34.460 align:middle line:84% And the pattern of late imperial society from the Ming and Qing 01:13:34.460 --> 01:13:38.700 align:middle line:84% dynasties became strong central government, a small government 01:13:38.700 --> 01:13:42.320 align:middle line:84% bureaucracy, a large body of exam-taking gentry, 01:13:42.320 --> 01:13:45.580 align:middle line:84% and strong family units that essentially govern themselves. 01:13:45.580 --> 01:13:48.120 align:middle line:84% So this is what I want you to think about this paradox. 01:13:48.120 --> 01:13:49.328 align:middle line:90% You go, was the state strong? 01:13:49.328 --> 01:13:50.500 align:middle line:90% Or was the state weak? 01:13:50.500 --> 01:13:53.980 align:middle line:84% Well, the central government was strong. 01:13:53.980 --> 01:13:56.060 align:middle line:90% The emperor could be strong. 01:13:56.060 --> 01:13:59.580 align:middle line:84% But in terms of the penetration into local society, 01:13:59.580 --> 01:14:03.103 align:middle line:84% it was pretty much the families govern themselves. 01:14:03.103 --> 01:14:05.520 align:middle line:84% They establish their own temples and everything like that. 01:14:05.520 --> 01:14:07.720 align:middle line:84% So that's what you can think about it. 01:14:07.720 --> 01:14:09.780 align:middle line:84% So I'll just say-- and I was just 01:14:09.780 --> 01:14:12.160 align:middle line:84% going to give you the Chinese-- the family names. 01:14:12.160 --> 01:14:15.960 align:middle line:84% You can think of all the famous Hong Kong family corporations 01:14:15.960 --> 01:14:17.260 align:middle line:90% and things like that. 01:14:17.260 --> 01:14:19.380 align:middle line:90% This is really-- this looks old. 01:14:19.380 --> 01:14:21.280 align:middle line:90% This looks ancient. 01:14:21.280 --> 01:14:22.980 align:middle line:84% Oh, these Chinese family lineages. 01:14:22.980 --> 01:14:25.260 align:middle line:84% Oh, god, wow, this is traditional China. 01:14:25.260 --> 01:14:27.820 align:middle line:90% This is not traditional China. 01:14:27.820 --> 01:14:32.200 align:middle line:84% This is mid-Ming-dynasty China and after. 01:14:32.200 --> 01:14:38.200 align:middle line:84% It's only in the mid-Ming dynasty that these family units 01:14:38.200 --> 01:14:41.440 align:middle line:84% emerged in the way that we came to know them in the 20th 01:14:41.440 --> 01:14:41.940 align:middle line:90% century. 01:14:41.940 --> 01:14:44.580 align:middle line:90% So just so that you know that. 01:14:44.580 --> 01:14:46.800 align:middle line:90% Now, I'll just get back. 01:14:46.800 --> 01:14:50.520 align:middle line:84% OK, so really, really quickly, I promised you 01:14:50.520 --> 01:14:52.720 align:middle line:90% some stories about Jiajing. 01:14:52.720 --> 01:14:55.000 align:middle line:90% I will deliver on them. 01:14:55.000 --> 01:14:57.200 align:middle line:84% I'll talk really, really briefly about the palace 01:14:57.200 --> 01:14:58.475 align:middle line:90% plot of the Renyin year. 01:14:58.475 --> 01:15:00.600 align:middle line:84% This is something that comes up every now and then. 01:15:00.600 --> 01:15:04.620 align:middle line:84% And it's an example of just how out there Jiajing was. 01:15:04.620 --> 01:15:07.640 align:middle line:90% Just really, really quickly-- 01:15:07.640 --> 01:15:08.660 align:middle line:90% how do I even say this? 01:15:08.660 --> 01:15:13.120 align:middle line:84% So basically, Jiajing was interested in all types 01:15:13.120 --> 01:15:14.300 align:middle line:90% of self-cultivation. 01:15:14.300 --> 01:15:15.720 align:middle line:90% Of course he was, right? 01:15:15.720 --> 01:15:18.340 align:middle line:84% And he was trying to get elixirs to live forever. 01:15:18.340 --> 01:15:22.286 align:middle line:90% And this involved basically-- 01:15:22.286 --> 01:15:24.080 align:middle line:90% [SIGHS] 01:15:24.080 --> 01:15:25.100 align:middle line:90% 01:15:25.100 --> 01:15:28.860 align:middle line:84% He did some really strange stuff, OK? 01:15:28.860 --> 01:15:31.040 align:middle line:90% Just take my word for it. 01:15:31.040 --> 01:15:34.380 align:middle line:84% I don't know how much detail about this I should go into. 01:15:34.380 --> 01:15:38.300 align:middle line:84% But I'll just say that he collected young women 01:15:38.300 --> 01:15:43.020 align:middle line:84% from around the empire to basically help 01:15:43.020 --> 01:15:45.000 align:middle line:90% him make these elixirs. 01:15:45.000 --> 01:15:48.580 align:middle line:84% And we know he did this because, in 1542, there 01:15:48.580 --> 01:15:50.740 align:middle line:90% was literally a rebellion. 01:15:50.740 --> 01:15:54.838 align:middle line:84% And these women, who were in the palace, tried to strangle him. 01:15:54.838 --> 01:15:56.880 align:middle line:84% And you say, well, how do you know this happened? 01:15:56.880 --> 01:15:58.660 align:middle line:90% This is actually recorded. 01:15:58.660 --> 01:15:59.388 align:middle line:90% It is recorded. 01:15:59.388 --> 01:16:00.680 align:middle line:90% Like, this woman was strangled. 01:16:00.680 --> 01:16:01.600 align:middle line:90% This woman was strangled. 01:16:01.600 --> 01:16:03.380 align:middle line:84% This woman was strangled-- or beheaded-- 01:16:03.380 --> 01:16:05.480 align:middle line:84% because they tried to strangle him this night. 01:16:05.480 --> 01:16:09.080 align:middle line:90% That's how out there he was. 01:16:09.080 --> 01:16:12.900 align:middle line:84% Now, again, you can look it up for the details, I'll just say. 01:16:12.900 --> 01:16:18.660 align:middle line:84% But this is a moment that reflects, 01:16:18.660 --> 01:16:22.840 align:middle line:84% let's just say, the unique governing realities 01:16:22.840 --> 01:16:24.640 align:middle line:90% of the Jiajing reign. 01:16:24.640 --> 01:16:27.780 align:middle line:84% He's not particularly-- I won't say he's asleep at the wheel. 01:16:27.780 --> 01:16:29.600 align:middle line:90% He's not at the wheel. 01:16:29.600 --> 01:16:30.820 align:middle line:90% He's doing his own thing. 01:16:30.820 --> 01:16:34.680 align:middle line:90% He's involved in his own stuff. 01:16:34.680 --> 01:16:37.160 align:middle line:84% And I think it's really fascinating 01:16:37.160 --> 01:16:40.040 align:middle line:84% to look at this moment in history of, 01:16:40.040 --> 01:16:41.980 align:middle line:90% he nearly was assassinated. 01:16:41.980 --> 01:16:45.660 align:middle line:90% So he ultimately was not killed. 01:16:45.660 --> 01:16:49.320 align:middle line:84% The empress, Empress Fang, I think, 01:16:49.320 --> 01:16:52.035 align:middle line:84% saved him in the middle of the assassination attempt. 01:16:52.035 --> 01:16:54.160 align:middle line:84% And then all of the women who were basically trying 01:16:54.160 --> 01:16:56.560 align:middle line:90% to kill him were then executed. 01:16:56.560 --> 01:16:58.400 align:middle line:84% But basically, this is the moment. 01:16:58.400 --> 01:17:00.360 align:middle line:84% Now, this gives me an opportunity 01:17:00.360 --> 01:17:03.080 align:middle line:84% in the last two minutes here to say something 01:17:03.080 --> 01:17:08.640 align:middle line:84% about the subject of actually women coming into the palace. 01:17:08.640 --> 01:17:12.060 align:middle line:84% And remember, as I've said to you time and time 01:17:12.060 --> 01:17:15.900 align:middle line:84% and time and time again, that the Forbidden City was basically 01:17:15.900 --> 01:17:18.300 align:middle line:84% a palace of eunuchs and women, particularly 01:17:18.300 --> 01:17:23.780 align:middle line:84% the rear of the Forbidden City, where the imperial family lived. 01:17:23.780 --> 01:17:26.460 align:middle line:84% And so this is that-- when you look at the map of the Forbidden 01:17:26.460 --> 01:17:28.640 align:middle line:84% City, this is the ho gong, the inner court of it. 01:17:28.640 --> 01:17:34.660 align:middle line:84% So there's a great interactive article from a few years 01:17:34.660 --> 01:17:36.360 align:middle line:84% ago of the South China Morning Post, 01:17:36.360 --> 01:17:40.060 align:middle line:84% where they talk about, during the Ming dynasty, the selection 01:17:40.060 --> 01:17:44.320 align:middle line:84% process of becoming an imperial concubine in the imperial city. 01:17:44.320 --> 01:17:46.800 align:middle line:84% And when it comes to the plot of the Renyin year, 01:17:46.800 --> 01:17:49.660 align:middle line:84% I thought it was good background information to give it to you. 01:17:49.660 --> 01:17:52.700 align:middle line:90% So basically, what you'd have-- 01:17:52.700 --> 01:17:54.480 align:middle line:84% this is an example, "The Outstanding 50." 01:17:54.480 --> 01:17:57.900 align:middle line:84% In 1621, Ming emperor Tianqi sends eunuchs across the country 01:17:57.900 --> 01:18:01.600 align:middle line:84% to handpick 5,000 young women aged 13 to 16, 01:18:01.600 --> 01:18:04.720 align:middle line:90% for whom he would select a wife. 01:18:04.720 --> 01:18:06.720 align:middle line:84% This was true of the wife-selection process. 01:18:06.720 --> 01:18:10.190 align:middle line:84% This was also true of the concubine-selection process. 01:18:10.190 --> 01:18:12.190 align:middle line:90% So basically, you'd have-- 01:18:12.190 --> 01:18:15.750 align:middle line:90% I think this is 5,000. 01:18:15.750 --> 01:18:19.150 align:middle line:84% So 5,000 women would come into the palace. 01:18:19.150 --> 01:18:21.510 align:middle line:90% And then they would be selected. 01:18:21.510 --> 01:18:24.450 align:middle line:90% And there would be examinations. 01:18:24.450 --> 01:18:27.130 align:middle line:84% And it gets narrowed down as the days go on. 01:18:27.130 --> 01:18:29.750 align:middle line:84% And they ultimately narrow it down to 50. 01:18:29.750 --> 01:18:33.210 align:middle line:84% And then they, in turn, narrow it down further than that. 01:18:33.210 --> 01:18:37.250 align:middle line:90% And then he selects from there. 01:18:37.250 --> 01:18:41.870 align:middle line:84% So this is kind of in the background to this whole palace 01:18:41.870 --> 01:18:42.950 align:middle line:90% plot. 01:18:42.950 --> 01:18:45.990 align:middle line:84% The thing is, this palace plot against Jiajing 01:18:45.990 --> 01:18:49.990 align:middle line:84% is possible because there's so many women who 01:18:49.990 --> 01:18:53.710 align:middle line:84% are in the palace, you have to understand. 01:18:53.710 --> 01:18:57.270 align:middle line:84% They constituted a majority of the palace population. 01:18:57.270 --> 01:18:59.390 align:middle line:90% So I'm out of time. 01:18:59.390 --> 01:19:00.490 align:middle line:90% Great to see you. 01:19:00.490 --> 01:19:02.590 align:middle line:90% I'll record for Wednesday. 01:19:02.590 --> 01:19:04.690 align:middle line:90% And have a great break. 01:19:04.690 --> 01:19:08.040 align:middle line:90% [AUDIO OUT] 01:19:08.040 --> 01:20:09.000 align:middle line:90%