Asian Literature

Chinese history is dotted with successive dynasties that have taken turns in uniting and ruling the people within the region referred to today as China. Among the most successful of these dynasties are the Qing and Ming dynasties. The two dynasties conducted their domestic and foreign affairs in a manner that many agree to be successful. Even though each dynasty had its unique problem and issues to deal with-most of which were inherited from their predecessors- there are particular attributes that they held in common.

The Ming dynasty came as a result of discontent among the Chinese. The dynasty lasted for about three centuries, being in place from 1368-1644. The opposition of the Chinese to the Yuan dynasty coupled with the weakness of the Yuan Empire resulted in their deposition. The leader of the rebellion established himself as the new emperor. 

There were various changes that were instituted during the Ming dynasty. All dimensions of society were brought under state control. Even though there was no remarkable improvement on the life of the Chinese people, the Ming dynasty is among the most important with regard to the resurgence of the Chinese. There is much evidence to suggest that the Ming period witnessed an unprecedented growth in Chinese civilization and the maturity of the traditional Chinese civilization in the final phase of what can be seen as its relatively intramural isolation and splendor (Ebrey et al., 2008). During this dynasty, there was a steady population increase, an increase in the level of literacy reinforced by growing sub-elite and elite cultural forms. The period also witnessed the filling out of the system of urban networks mirroring the expansion of productivity and exchange. The epochs expansiveness is also seen in the absorption of the inland southern and southwestern provinces.

    The Qing dynasty was similar to the Ming dynasty in several respects. The emperor implemented a form of government that was similar to that implemented during the Ming dynasty. The epoch also witnessed the expansion of the Chinese territory and growth in population.  China during the Qing dynasty mirrored the dynamics that were also common to the Ming dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, China continued to struggle with the problems of economic reconstruction, modernization and the resistance of foreign military and encroachment. The problems and their solutions were ingrained in the challenges that characterized the two dynasties.

The two dynasties appear to have been characterized by powerful governance. The strength, assertiveness and the high centralization of the regimes can be attributed to their founders. However, it may be argued that the desire and will of the early Ming emperors to centralize and to assert the supremacy of their will over acts of governance was in fact not as effectively institutionalized as they had intended and it could be that the rulers deceived themselves into believing that it actually was (Adler  Pouwels, 2007). The preference of the Chinese to solve all social problems ethically rather than technically established limitations in the manner in which both the governments operated which had the result of  deflecting the exercise of power. Even though this argument has some weight, the atmosphere of great power cannot be dismissed. The evidence of this can be found in the enhanced position of China in East Asia during the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasties.

The political history of both the Ming and Qing dynasties despite their strong beginnings is far from being a consistent achievement. There is wide consensus that the dynasties represented great achievements in Chinese civilization. However, it has also been conceived as representing ineradicable flaws of forms against actualities, as systems that were in constant need of patching up but never fictile to thoroughgoing rational correction. It must also be said that the governing of the Ming China was a mammoth undertaking, fantastic in its assumptions, majestic in its professional ideals and widely complicated in the interplay of ideal and actual patterns that characterized its daily existence. The same applies to the Qing dynasty.

Despite these similarities, the Ming and Qing dynasties were different in various remarkable ways. The Ming dynasty, having been a consequence of rebellion against perceived foreign leaders, was mainly seen as a Chinese dynasty. The Qing dynasty on the other hand was seen as an outside dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, the highest positions were held by the Manchu while the lower positions were held by the Chinese. The fact that Qing dynasty was a non-Chinese dynasty had various implications. The most important relates with how the emperor related with the subjects and how the Chinese viewed their rulers and themselves.

Both the two dynasties struggled with rebellion. Even though Qianlong struggled to display Chinese virtues, he was not entirely confident that his rule was supported by the Chinese. He did not hesitate to act on those he considered to espouse anti-Manchu sentiments. Apart from this, the two dynasties also struggled with massive corruption among the officials. For instance, an official whom the Qianlong emperor favored to various posts reserved for experienced officials was openly corrupt and the emperor did not take any action to stop him (Ebrey at al., 2008).

Being a non-Chinese dynasty, the Qianlong emperor understood that he could only hold the empire together by talking in political and religious idioms of his subjects. In this regard, he was a patron of Confucianism apart from being patron of other religions within China.

In conclusion, there are various similarities and differences that existed between the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. Like their predecessors, they were characterized by massive corruption and discontent. They were also threatened by both internal rebellion and external threats. However, the nature of the two dynasties was different. The Ming dynasty was mainly seen as a Chinese dynasty while the Qing dynasty was considered an outside dynasty. The two dynasties struggled to maintain their hold on their subjects despite the rebellions that were mainly a characteristic feature.  The structure of the two dynasties did not however differ except for the fact that the Chinese held minor positions during the Qing dynasty.

In order to trace the growth of various tendencies in China, it is important to make a comparison between the various dynasties. The dynasties rose and fell based on various circumstances that are anything but predictable and inevitable. Both the Ming and Qing empires were among the great land based empires during the middle and early modern periods. With the fall of the dynasties, there is much that can be learned with regard to patterns of revolution and nationalism which is characteristic of the collapse of other empires in general. There is much that can be drawn from the two dynasties with regard to imperial legacy to develop clear ideas of distinct languages, aristocratic traditions, religions and homelands.