| 1. | Focus Question: How were the Ming and the Qing Dynasties similar and dissimilar? |
| How did the Ming dynasty differ from the Qing? How were they similar? How large was China's population by the early decades of the 19th century? What accounted for this population growth? | |
| 2. | Focus Question: What accounted for China's Third Commercial Revolution, and what were its effects? |
| How was the attitude of the early Ming emperors toward the economy? What three "elements" contributed to the growth of commerce during the mid-sixeenth century? Where was urban population growth most notable between 1500 and 1800? How was trade organized during this period? What was the Confucian family ideal during the Ming and Qing period? How did the Manchu attitude differ from that of the Chinese in regards to footbinding? Why did women's "voice" tend to increase in households during this period? | |
| 3. | Focus Questions: How did the Ming/Qing political system function? What were its strengths and weaknesses? To what extent did the political structure of the Ming and Qing differ, why? |
| What were the sources of strength of the perfected Ming-Qing system? What was the Confucian view of society? How did the "perfected" late imperial system operate in China? What was the importance of the emperors in this system of government? What was the bureaucracy like during the Ming-Qing era? How were government officials normally selected? How many people typically passed the metropolitan examination? How often was it held? How was the gentry class in China different from that in England, and what was its role? | |
| 4. | Focus Question: How did the Manchu manage to maintain so effectively their control over China? When and how did the Manchus seize power? What measures did the Manchus take in order to control China? What "event" drained the government's ample reserves at the end of the 18th century? |
| 5. | Focus Question: How did the Ming/Qing relate to the outside world? Why did the Chinese NOT expand overseas as did the Europeans? |
| What were the main tenets of Chinese foreign policy in the Ming-Qing period? What were the "managed frontiers"? What advantages did the tribute system for foreigners under the Ming? What did the expeditions of Zheng He accomplish and why did the Chinese abandon these missions? What foreign groups were the greatest threat to the Ming and Qing empires? What is the Chinese attitude toward empire? How did the Jesuits establish their position at the Ming and Qing courts? Why were the Jesuits unsuccessful in establishing Christianity on a more solid basis in China? Why did Qianlong reject the Macartney mission? | |
| 6. | Focus Question: What were the characteristics of Ming/Qing culture? |
| Why had Chinese culture turned inward? What were the traditional categories of Ming and Qing high culture? Which cultural achievement do Chinese today consider to have been characteristic of the Ming-Qing era? How did the novel develop in this period and who wrote them? | |
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Manchus Mandarins Treaty of Nerchinsk |
law of avoidance (district magisrates could not be appointed to home districts)
"dyarchy" (rule by one Manchu and one Chinese official to the same office)