MING DYNASTY 1368-1644 A.D.

The end of the Yuan Dynasty was abrupt and inevitable. Chinese history had been one forged in the fires of Chinese culture and tradition. The Mongol rule of China was brought to an end after a civil war among Mongol princes and generals created conditions for a popular massive peasant rebellion that the foreign Mongol rulers could not contain.

The Ming dynasty began in 1368, and lasted until 1644 A.D. Its founder was a peasant named  Zhu Yuanzhang, the third of only three peasants ever to become Emperor of China. Zhu Yuanzhang was a poor man who had joined the Red Turban rebellion in the lower Yangtze region to free China from the yoke of Mongol rule. He is known as Hongwu Emperor, because he led the main revolt against the Mongols.

The Mandate of Heaven was now back in the hands of the Chinese with the court of  Zhu Yuanzhang   ruling by its decree. After eliminating his rivals and banishing the Mongols from China, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty in 1368, with his capital city first in Nanjing and later in Beijing. As a result of his peasant origins, Emperor Hongwu created laws that improved the peasant life. He kept the land tax low, and kept the granaries stocked to guard against famine.

Historic similarities can be found in Zhu Yuanzhang’s court to that of the Han Dynasty that was also founded by a peasant who became Emperor. Like his Han predecessor Zhu Yuanzhang was very suspicious of the educated courtiers and exerted an extremely authoritarian regime ("nicked named the tyrant of Nanjing"). His harsh governmental centralized style was due to the influence of governmental institutions inherited from the previous Mongol rule that was characterized by strong centralization. Zhu Yuanzhang, full of mistrust, took over the whole responsibility of the imperial administration by abolishing crucial ministries and secretaries. To control the highest officials at the court, he installed the Brocade Guards, a secret spy service staffed with eunuchs.

The Ming Dynasty reached its zenith of power during the first quarter of the fifteenth century. The territory the Ming controlled was smaller than that of the Yuan. However, at the height of their power, they controlled the Mongols in the north, captured the Western Region in the west, conquered the Jurchen (also Nuzhen) in the northeast, governed Tibet in the southwest and established the Jiaozhi Prefecture in the south. During the Ming period, Zheng He's (famous Muslim Eunuch Admiral) long voyages to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean made the Ming much more influential abroad than the Tang and no less influential than the later Qing.

One of the remarkable accomplishments of the Ming  Dynasty was the great reconstruction works of the new Capital Beijing and the refurbishing and extension of the Great Wall. While the Great Wall had been built in earlier times, most of what is seen today was either built or repaired by the Ming. The brick and granite work was enlarged, the watch towers were redesigned and cannons were placed along its length.

The Ming Dynasty era is considered by Chinese historians as one of China's most prosperous. China under the banner of the Mandate of Heaven and a Chinese Emperor embraced the  Neo-Confucian philosophies of the past and gave tremendous support of the peasantry that in turn created  an agrarian-centered based society. This era of Chinese history was a stable period with a rapidly expanding  population that numbered some 100 million. During the Ming Dynasty incredible advances in the sciences and arts were achieved giving the Chinese great pride and self confidence with the knowledge that  that they had created the most advanced civilization on earth.

In the closing years of the Ming, great military campaigns of conquest were launched, the long wars with the Mongols, repeated attacks on  Chinese controlled Korea by the Japanese, and Japanese attacks on Chinese coastal cities greatly hurt the economy of the Ming. A very dangerous and risky military campaign to conquer Vietnam caused tremendous increases in taxes that exploited the masses. Many peasants had to abandoned their lands due to the high taxes and servitude to the greedy landowners. A great agrarian economic crisis that lead to a peasant uprising in 1627 gave way to the social conditions that led to the conquest of the Ming by the Manchurians.

The Ming Dynasty was the last native Chinese Dynasty to rule the empire. Spanning almost three centuries between the fall of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) and the rise of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), the Ming reunited what is now called China proper after almost 400 years of foreign incursion and occupation.

Ancient Jades created during the Ming Dynasty are perhaps the highest pinnacle of lapidary refinement achieved throughout China’s long history. During the Ming Dynasty a popular fad was to wear ancient jade as it “connected” the wearer with the ancestors and brought great fortune. So popular was this fad that many of the Emperors of the Ming would accept presents of jade only if they were ancient. The term to describe the ancient jades that were worn and prized by the living is “Pan Kung” jades. Interesting is the fact that many of the jade workshops during the Ming period created fantastic copies of ancient jades to feed the demand for “Pan Kung” jades. Today many of these inspired works have become antiques in their own right. Experts that specialize in ancient Chinese jades can of course detect such inspired copies but they are in their own right works art. 

Authentic Ming  Dynasty Jades are perhaps the better known jades for western antique collectors to recognize. The themes of Taoist Immortals, Luck Children, Bats for luck and Girls with Pig tail hair styles are often associated with Ming art and jades. Ming jades actually offer a large spectrum of diversity and beauty. Many Ming treasures are priceless and can be found in the finest museums of the world. My 30-year private jade collection has spectacular Ming specimens that  range from Amulets to Statues. Please check my Ebay auctions while I have Ming  jade specimens available. -ian (Fung Gen Qua)