The History of China

Ming China gets down and dirty with a Miao Rebellion the the Southwest, a Mongol(-ish) urprising in the Northwest, and a newly re-unified Japan gettin just a little too big for their britches in Korea. Time Period Covered: 1587-1600 CE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ming China enters the 16th century, the Wanli Emperor, his ministers, a new canal, Portuguese & Spanish explorers, the usual gaggle of Chinese neighbors, the Philippines, the Christian Church, The White Lotus, and - of course - the Jesuits all start becoming one another problems... Time Period Covered: ~1600-1617 CE Major Historical Figures: MING: The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yizhun) [r. 1572-1620] Li Zhi, persecuted Neo-Confucian philosopher [1527–1602] Li Rusong, Ming Commander in Chief [d. 1598] Wang Yangming, Master of the "School of the Mind" [1472–1529] Wang Zhicai, politician & assaultee [d. 16??] Zhang Zha, the "Attack With the Club" Intruder [d. 1617] OTHERS: Limahong (Lin Feng), Pirate Leader out of Manila [1499-1574] Wang Wang Gao, Ming Captian/Spanish Liason [15??] Fr. Martin de Rada [1533-1578] Nurhaci, Mysterious Aisin Gyoro Leader [1559- 1626] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First a brief lookback on the crazy, nutso year that was 2022, as our intrepid host deals with an unfortunate year-end bout of COVID... Then, a reach deep into the archives for an oldie, but goodie from a few centuries ago... This short episode covers the life of one of the great mathematicians, astronomers, and engineers of ancient China: Zu Chongzhi. In his life from 429-500 CE, he will re-create an ancient precursor to the compass that had been lost for centuries, calculate the motions of the celestial objects with a degree of accuracy in excess of 99.9%, design a comprehensive new calendar system, and derive the value of π to a degree of accuracy that would not be surpassed the world over for another millennium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being the most powerful person in the empire must be nothing but the good life, right? Well... not so much. And especially with the truly dysfunctional Ming system facing the newly-adult Wanli Emperor, it's a system that promises all the perks, but delivers only drudgery, frustration, and disappointment. Not even 5,000 concubines can make up for that... Time Period Covered: 1582-1600 CE Major Historical Figures: The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yizhun) [r. 1572-1620] Empress Xiaoduan (Wang Xijie) [1564-1620] Noble Consort Wang [1565-1611] Prince Zhu Changluo, "First Imperial Son" [1582-1620] Noble Consort Zheng [1565-1630] Prince Zhu Changxun, "Third Imperial Son" [1586-1641] Grand Secretary Zhang Zhuzheng [d. 1582] Major Sources Cited: Duhalde, Marcelo. “Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service” in South China Morning Post (July 12, 2018). Huang, Ray. 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline. Huang, Ray. “The L’ung-ch’ing and Wan’li Reigns, 1567-1620” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I. Toshima, Yoriko [Su Chung]. Court Dishes in China.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protests erupt across Chinese cities in perhaps the largest demonstration of public outcry in more than 30 years. Today, we look at some of the major reasons why. [WARNING: Disturbing Content - audio clips of deadly fire, protests, clashes with police] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 29, the weak and ineffectual Longqing Emperor take the Dragon Throne in 1567. But it won't be long before the curse of the House of Zhu strikes him down, leaving Great Ming to his 9-year-old son, Wanli. That means - of course - the government is in the hands of the court ministers and its all-powerful Grand Secretary, the ruthlessly conniving Zhang Juzheng. Time Period Covered: 1567-1582 CE Major Historical Figures: The Longqing Emperor (Zhu Zaihou) [r. 1567-1572] The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yijun) [r. 1567-1620] Grand Secretary Xu Jie [1503-1583] Grand Secretary Gao Gong [1513-1578] Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng [1525-1582] Sources Cited: Huang, Ray. 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty In Decline. Huang, Ray. “Lung-ch’ing and Wan-li Reigns” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part 1. Melvin, Shelia. “China’s Reluctant Emperor” in The New York Times (11/07/2011). Miller, H. State Versus Gentry In Late Ming Dynasty China, 1572-1644. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Great Ming has a pirate problem on its hands. Unable to effectively suppress it militarily, the officials in charge turn to wheeling and dealing to get the seabooters to give up their outlaw ways. But when the Jiajing Emperor starts sticking his nose in to such affairs from way up in Beijing, suddenly all bets are off... Time Period Covered: 1549-1567 CE Major Historical Figures: Ming: The Jiajing Emperor (Zhu Houcong) [r. 1521-1567] Grand Chancellor Yan Song [1480-1567] Nanjing Minister of War Zhang Jing [d. 1555] Censor Zhao Wenhua [d. 1557] Censor Hu Zongxian [1512-1565] Commander Yu Dayou [1512-1579] Commander Qi Zhiguang [1528-1588] Pirates: Wang Zhi, CEO of the High Seas [d. 1559] Captain Xu Hai [d. 1556] Lord Shimazi of Osumi Province Works Cited: Andrade, Tonio and Xing Hang. “Introduction: The East Asian Maritime Realm in Global History: 1500-1700” in Sea Rovers, Silver, and Samurai: Maritime East Asia in Global History, 1500-1700. Chin, James K. “Merchants, Smugglers, and Pirates: Multinational Clandestine Trade on the South China Coast, 1520-50” in Elusive pirates, pervasive smugglers: violence and clandestine trade in the Greater China Seas. Geiss, James. “The Chia-ching reign, 1522-1566” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I. Laver, Michael. “Neither Here nor There: Trade, Piracy, and the ‘Space Between’ in Early Modern East Asia” in Sea Rovers, Silver, and Samurai: Maritime East Asia in Global History, 1500-1700. Petrucci, Maria Grazia. “Pirates, Gunpowder, and Christianity in Late Sixteenth-Century Japan” in Elusive pirates, pervasive smugglers: violence and clandestine trade in the Greater China Seas. Wills, John E. “Maritime China from Wang Chih to Shih Lang: Themes In Peripheral History” in From Ming to Ch’ing: Conquest, Region, and Continuity in Seventeenth-Century China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man of science and his subject conduct one final experiment in an attempt to stave off death itself... by. Edgar Allen Poe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I am once again locked in at home, things are getting rather touchy on a bridge in Beijing, as well as online, threatening to spoil the Party's Big Party... All due credit to Samuel Wade for excellent episode name idea Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not all ghosts are scary! Some just want to be loved... some just want to write poems... 1:10 - Twenty Years a Dream 20:33 - A Fox Spirit Takes Off the Mask 25:32 - The Fire That Burst Into Flames Far From Where It was Set 29:08 - Yellow Leaf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices