©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
EAS379 Final Study Guide
Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) - answer✔Chinese dynasty established by Kublai Khan and the Mongols that
preceded the Ming dynasty. The dynasty was notable for its strong military leadership and incorporation
of other cultures and peoples, though they kept a lot of non-Chinese in high official changes.
Environmental changes like the little ice age and the flip of the Yellow River's course led to famine and
disease that likely contributed to the dynasty's fall.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) - answer✔Chinese Han dynasty founded by Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu
Emperor). During this period the civil service system was perfected, and the court came to rely heavily
upon eunuchs, leading to increased factionalism.
Ming Military Revolution - answer✔The Ming was a gunpowder empire that used guns and cannons in
military combat.
Zheng He Expeditions (1405-1433) - answer✔A series of seven naval expeditions led by Zheng He that
used huge treasure ships to bring back curiosities and ambassadors from foreign lands. The expeditions
were not for exploration or necessarily for trade but were more like an extension of the tribute system.
Maritime Prohibition - answer✔An isolationist policy that existed before and after Zheng He that
prohibited maritime travel and trade.
Silver Famine - answer✔A decline in silver trade from the West. The Ming Dynasty consumed a lot of
silver, but unlikely to be a proximate cause of the fall of the Ming because the Chinese economy was
strong during this period.
The Seventeenth Century Crisis - answer✔A climate crisis in which crops failures abounded throughout
the northern hemisphere and there were wars and political crises throughout the world. Temperatures
rose during this period and drought became rampant.
The Rise of the Manchus - answer✔The rise of the Manchus occurred due to Nurhaci and his son, Hong
Taiji. They were able to unify the Jurchen tribes under the khan (Nurhaci) and initiate a process of war
with the Ming that would lead to the establishment of the Qing dynasty.
Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) - answer✔A 12th to 13th century dynasty in which the Jurchen peoples ruled
over northern China.
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
Latter Jin Dynasty (1616) - answer✔Nurhaci unified the tribes and was elected khan in 1616. The process
of war with the Ming led to the declaration of the Latter Jin dynasty that would later become the Qing
dynasty.
Battle of Ningyuan (1626) - answer✔A battle that involved the use of Western-style cannons as part of
the Ming defense and that resulted in the death of Nurhaci. His death then triggered a power struggle
because khanates are not passed to a single heir and are instead split amongst sons.
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - answer✔There were four stages of the Qing dynasty:
(1) ~1616-1644, state formation in Manchuria and Central Asia that was initiated by Nurhaci - answer✔
(2) 1644-1722, early Qing period of consolidation - answer✔
(3) 1700s, high Qing period of prosperity under the Kang-Qian period of fluorescence - answer✔
(4) ~1800-1911, late Qing period in which internal and external wars shake China - answer✔
Fall of Beijing (1644) - answer✔Li Zicheng led his bandit-army into Beijing and destroyed the ancestral
tombs. He was met with little to no defense and was able to easily take Beijing.
Suicide of Chongzhen Emperor (1644) - answer✔After seeing Li Zicheng's destruction of the ancestral
tombs and the subsequent lack of response from his court, the Chongzhen emperor hung himself -
bringing an end to the Ming dynasty.
Battle of Shanhaiguan (1644) - answer✔A battle involving the Ming general Wu Sangui who was trapped
between the Manchus and the forces of Li Zicheng. He eventually decided that he would ally with the
Manchus against Li Zicheng and worked with the Manchus to place the Shunzhi emperor on the throne.
Zheng Chenggong Attacks Nanjing (1659) - answer✔Zheng Chenggong attacked Nanjing as the protector
of the Ming Fuzhou court, but ended up retreating back to Xiamen.
Zheng Chenggong Attacks Taiwan (1661) - answer✔After facing pressure from Qing forces, Zheng
Chenggong attacks Taiwan (then a Dutch colony) in order to create a haven for his armies.
Dutch Surrender Taiwan (Feb 1662) - answer✔The Dutch surrender their hold on Taiwan at Fort
Zeelandia after being besieged by Zheng Chenggong's forces.
Zheng State on Taiwan (1662-1683) - answer✔The administration of Taiwan under the rule of the Zheng
family
Qing Capture Taiwan (1683) - answer✔The Qing captured Taiwan from the Zheng state for fear that it
would be taken by Europe or Japan as a colony.
Zeng Jing Incident - answer✔Zeng Jing, an unsuccessful scholar influenced by the writings of Lu Liuliang,
tried to stir rebellion in the Qing empire by sending a letter to Yue Zhongqi. The imperial response of the
Yongzheng emperor was to order the exhumation and dismemberment of Lu's corpse and the
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
enslavement or exile of all his surviving family members, to write and angry and detailed rebuttal, and to
make a dramatic gesture of pardoning Zeng with no more than a reprimand on the grounds that he had
been young and gullible.
Kangxi Freezes Taxation Population Measure (1712) - answer✔Kangxi emperor's declaration that from
then on the number of taxpaying adults should be perpetually fixed at the present level for head-tax
purposes, permanently exempting the balance of future population growth from taxation.
Protectorate of Tibet (1751) - answer✔The Chinese empire gained the protectorate of Tibet in 1751
during the Qianlong emperor's rule. He became very involved with Buddhism.
Conquest of Xinjiang (1760) - answer✔The Qianlong emperor was able to complete a conquest of
Xinjiang in the west and expand the empire's borders.
The Great Qing Peace (~1760-1839) - answer✔A period of relative peace in which the Qing had fewer
wars, likely because it was the largest and most powerful empire that no one wanted to go to war
against.
Population Doubles (18th Century) - answer✔During the Qianlong emperor's reign, the population of
China doubles (along with the entire world population), which may not necessarily be due to
modernization during this period.
Macartney Mission (1792-1793) - answer✔The first British diplomatic mission to China led by Lord
George Macartney that is widely regarded as being a failed mission. Macartney traveled to the court of
the Qianlong emperor to officially celebrate his birthday, but had goals of gaining access to more cities,
attaining a 'base' of operations in China (like Portugal had with Macau), create demand for British
products, and establish a permanent embassy in Beijing. The mission failed to reach any of those goals
and the mission was plagued with the kowtow issue.
Letter from Qianlong to George III (1793) - answer✔The letter from the Qianlong emperor basically
states that he will not be fulfilling any of the Macartney mission's requests.
The Titsingh Mission (1794-1795) - answer✔Dutch Isaac Titsingh represented the Dutch East India
Company in his visit to Qianlong's imperial court. The mission is notable because Titsingh made every
effort to conform with Chinese etiquette, including kowtowing to the Qianlong emperor (in contrast to
the previous Macartney mission), and the mission was met with relative success, as Titsingh was
received with respect and honors by the Chinese.
The Miao Rebellion (1795-1806) - answer✔An anti-Qing uprising in the Hunan and Guizhou provinces by
the local populations during the Jiaqing emperor's reign. It was caused by indigenous grievances against
Qing tyranny in the region, resulting in bloody suppression by Qing forces.
The White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804) - answer✔Sporadic uprisings in north-central China in the late
eighteenth-early nineteenth centuries during the reign of the Jiaqing emperor by followers of a
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
EAS379 Final Study Guide
Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) - answer✔Chinese dynasty established by Kublai Khan and the Mongols that
preceded the Ming dynasty. The dynasty was notable for its strong military leadership and incorporation
of other cultures and peoples, though they kept a lot of non-Chinese in high official changes.
Environmental changes like the little ice age and the flip of the Yellow River's course led to famine and
disease that likely contributed to the dynasty's fall.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) - answer✔Chinese Han dynasty founded by Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu
Emperor). During this period the civil service system was perfected, and the court came to rely heavily
upon eunuchs, leading to increased factionalism.
Ming Military Revolution - answer✔The Ming was a gunpowder empire that used guns and cannons in
military combat.
Zheng He Expeditions (1405-1433) - answer✔A series of seven naval expeditions led by Zheng He that
used huge treasure ships to bring back curiosities and ambassadors from foreign lands. The expeditions
were not for exploration or necessarily for trade but were more like an extension of the tribute system.
Maritime Prohibition - answer✔An isolationist policy that existed before and after Zheng He that
prohibited maritime travel and trade.
Silver Famine - answer✔A decline in silver trade from the West. The Ming Dynasty consumed a lot of
silver, but unlikely to be a proximate cause of the fall of the Ming because the Chinese economy was
strong during this period.
The Seventeenth Century Crisis - answer✔A climate crisis in which crops failures abounded throughout
the northern hemisphere and there were wars and political crises throughout the world. Temperatures
rose during this period and drought became rampant.
The Rise of the Manchus - answer✔The rise of the Manchus occurred due to Nurhaci and his son, Hong
Taiji. They were able to unify the Jurchen tribes under the khan (Nurhaci) and initiate a process of war
with the Ming that would lead to the establishment of the Qing dynasty.
Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) - answer✔A 12th to 13th century dynasty in which the Jurchen peoples ruled
over northern China.
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
Latter Jin Dynasty (1616) - answer✔Nurhaci unified the tribes and was elected khan in 1616. The process
of war with the Ming led to the declaration of the Latter Jin dynasty that would later become the Qing
dynasty.
Battle of Ningyuan (1626) - answer✔A battle that involved the use of Western-style cannons as part of
the Ming defense and that resulted in the death of Nurhaci. His death then triggered a power struggle
because khanates are not passed to a single heir and are instead split amongst sons.
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - answer✔There were four stages of the Qing dynasty:
(1) ~1616-1644, state formation in Manchuria and Central Asia that was initiated by Nurhaci - answer✔
(2) 1644-1722, early Qing period of consolidation - answer✔
(3) 1700s, high Qing period of prosperity under the Kang-Qian period of fluorescence - answer✔
(4) ~1800-1911, late Qing period in which internal and external wars shake China - answer✔
Fall of Beijing (1644) - answer✔Li Zicheng led his bandit-army into Beijing and destroyed the ancestral
tombs. He was met with little to no defense and was able to easily take Beijing.
Suicide of Chongzhen Emperor (1644) - answer✔After seeing Li Zicheng's destruction of the ancestral
tombs and the subsequent lack of response from his court, the Chongzhen emperor hung himself -
bringing an end to the Ming dynasty.
Battle of Shanhaiguan (1644) - answer✔A battle involving the Ming general Wu Sangui who was trapped
between the Manchus and the forces of Li Zicheng. He eventually decided that he would ally with the
Manchus against Li Zicheng and worked with the Manchus to place the Shunzhi emperor on the throne.
Zheng Chenggong Attacks Nanjing (1659) - answer✔Zheng Chenggong attacked Nanjing as the protector
of the Ming Fuzhou court, but ended up retreating back to Xiamen.
Zheng Chenggong Attacks Taiwan (1661) - answer✔After facing pressure from Qing forces, Zheng
Chenggong attacks Taiwan (then a Dutch colony) in order to create a haven for his armies.
Dutch Surrender Taiwan (Feb 1662) - answer✔The Dutch surrender their hold on Taiwan at Fort
Zeelandia after being besieged by Zheng Chenggong's forces.
Zheng State on Taiwan (1662-1683) - answer✔The administration of Taiwan under the rule of the Zheng
family
Qing Capture Taiwan (1683) - answer✔The Qing captured Taiwan from the Zheng state for fear that it
would be taken by Europe or Japan as a colony.
Zeng Jing Incident - answer✔Zeng Jing, an unsuccessful scholar influenced by the writings of Lu Liuliang,
tried to stir rebellion in the Qing empire by sending a letter to Yue Zhongqi. The imperial response of the
Yongzheng emperor was to order the exhumation and dismemberment of Lu's corpse and the
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/8/2024 12:08 PM
enslavement or exile of all his surviving family members, to write and angry and detailed rebuttal, and to
make a dramatic gesture of pardoning Zeng with no more than a reprimand on the grounds that he had
been young and gullible.
Kangxi Freezes Taxation Population Measure (1712) - answer✔Kangxi emperor's declaration that from
then on the number of taxpaying adults should be perpetually fixed at the present level for head-tax
purposes, permanently exempting the balance of future population growth from taxation.
Protectorate of Tibet (1751) - answer✔The Chinese empire gained the protectorate of Tibet in 1751
during the Qianlong emperor's rule. He became very involved with Buddhism.
Conquest of Xinjiang (1760) - answer✔The Qianlong emperor was able to complete a conquest of
Xinjiang in the west and expand the empire's borders.
The Great Qing Peace (~1760-1839) - answer✔A period of relative peace in which the Qing had fewer
wars, likely because it was the largest and most powerful empire that no one wanted to go to war
against.
Population Doubles (18th Century) - answer✔During the Qianlong emperor's reign, the population of
China doubles (along with the entire world population), which may not necessarily be due to
modernization during this period.
Macartney Mission (1792-1793) - answer✔The first British diplomatic mission to China led by Lord
George Macartney that is widely regarded as being a failed mission. Macartney traveled to the court of
the Qianlong emperor to officially celebrate his birthday, but had goals of gaining access to more cities,
attaining a 'base' of operations in China (like Portugal had with Macau), create demand for British
products, and establish a permanent embassy in Beijing. The mission failed to reach any of those goals
and the mission was plagued with the kowtow issue.
Letter from Qianlong to George III (1793) - answer✔The letter from the Qianlong emperor basically
states that he will not be fulfilling any of the Macartney mission's requests.
The Titsingh Mission (1794-1795) - answer✔Dutch Isaac Titsingh represented the Dutch East India
Company in his visit to Qianlong's imperial court. The mission is notable because Titsingh made every
effort to conform with Chinese etiquette, including kowtowing to the Qianlong emperor (in contrast to
the previous Macartney mission), and the mission was met with relative success, as Titsingh was
received with respect and honors by the Chinese.
The Miao Rebellion (1795-1806) - answer✔An anti-Qing uprising in the Hunan and Guizhou provinces by
the local populations during the Jiaqing emperor's reign. It was caused by indigenous grievances against
Qing tyranny in the region, resulting in bloody suppression by Qing forces.
The White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804) - answer✔Sporadic uprisings in north-central China in the late
eighteenth-early nineteenth centuries during the reign of the Jiaqing emperor by followers of a
