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The Eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty (SUNY Series in Chinese Local Studies)
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ISBN-100791426882
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ISBN-13978-0791426883
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PublisherState University of New York Press
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Publication dateNovember 16, 1995
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LanguageEnglish
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Dimensions5.22 x 0.71 x 8.68 inches
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Print length312 pages
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Product details
- Publisher : State University of New York Press (November 16, 1995)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 312 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0791426882
- ISBN-13 : 978-0791426883
- Item Weight : 13.7 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.22 x 0.71 x 8.68 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #989,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #222 in Asian History (Books)
- #1,690 in Chinese History (Books)
- #34,362 in Unknown
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During the Ming dynasty eunuchs held leading positions in the military system, the intelligence -gathering system, international diplomacy, maritime activities (naval and commercial), imperial plantations, tax collection, salt monopoly, mining, purchasing agents, manufacturing, take care of the imperial seals, flood-control projects, and judiciary reviews. The activities are presented with dates, names of eunuchs with their position, successes and failures. In each of these areas eunuchs and other civil servants were equally influential.
The emperors had concluded that they could not trust their family members, other nobles or members of other aristocratic families in important government positions. They therefore organized all senior government positions on a 50/50 basis. The eunuchs reported to the emperor on the loyalty of the non-eunuchs and the others did the same on the eunuchs. Sometimes these two groups cooperated. There was however always tension. That was exactly what the emperor wanted to discover in time plots to harm him or reduce his power. From that point of view it worked. Unfortunately this competition sometimes led to disastrous results as exemplified by the destruction of the Chinese Navy at the end of 1500.
The Yongle Emperor, reign 1402-1424, wanted to expand the Chinese, influence of China overseas. He therefore commanded Zheng Hi, a Muslim eunuch to build a naval force. Three years after receiving the order Zheng Hi made the first expedition with more than 300 ships in the fleet and 27800 men. The largest ships, the treasury ships, had 9 masts were 150 meters long and 60 meter wide. The Santa Maria from Columbus was only 25 meters long and 8 meters wide, one sixth the size. Zheng led 7 expeditions, the last one in 1433. China totally dominated the Asian seas up to 1433.
The non-eunuch members of government opposed these maritime activities already starting around 1406 because they feared the increasing power of the eunuchs. They finally succeeded to convince the emperor in 1500 to burn all the ships. The history of the China and the world including Western colonization of Asia and the opium wars would not have happened if China had maintained its navy.
The book presents many very specific examples of how incompetent leadership of several Ming emperors led to the fall of the dynasty in 1644 and why the Manchu invading China from the North could occupy all of China, an occupation that lasted until 1911.
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During the Ming dynasty eunuchs held leading positions in the military system, the intelligence -gathering system, international diplomacy, maritime activities (naval and commercial), imperial plantations, tax collection, salt monopoly, mining, purchasing agents, manufacturing, take care of the imperial seals, flood-control projects, and judiciary reviews. The activities are presented with dates, names of eunuchs with their position, successes and failures. In each of these areas eunuchs and other civil servants were equally influential.
The emperors had concluded that they could not trust their family members, other nobles or members of other aristocratic families in important government positions. They therefore organized all senior government positions on a 50/50 basis. The eunuchs reported to the emperor on the loyalty of the non-eunuchs and the others did the same on the eunuchs. Sometimes these two groups cooperated. There was however always tension. That was exactly what the emperor wanted to discover in time plots to harm him or reduce his power. From that point of view it worked. Unfortunately this competition sometimes led to disastrous results as exemplified by the destruction of the Chinese Navy at the end of 1500.
The Yongle Emperor, reign 1402-1424, wanted to expand the Chinese, influence of China overseas. He therefore commanded Zheng Hi, a Muslim eunuch to build a naval force. Three years after receiving the order Zheng Hi made the first expedition with more than 300 ships in the fleet and 27800 men. The largest ships, the treasury ships, had 9 masts were 150 meters long and 60 meter wide. The Santa Maria from Columbus was only 25 meters long and 8 meters wide, one sixth the size. Zheng led 7 expeditions, the last one in 1433. China totally dominated the Asian seas up to 1433.
The non-eunuch members of government opposed these maritime activities already starting around 1406 because they feared the increasing power of the eunuchs. They finally succeeded to convince the emperor in 1500 to burn all the ships. The history of the China and the world including Western colonization of Asia and the opium wars would not have happened if China had maintained its navy.
The book presents many very specific examples of how incompetent leadership of several Ming emperors led to the fall of the dynasty in 1644 and why the Manchu invading China from the North could occupy all of China, an occupation that lasted until 1911.