The book mainly expounds on economic history rather than a cultural aspect as may be depicted right from the onset. As one reads the book, there is a relative feeling of pleasure coupled with an outburst of a mixed reaction concerning the history of economics in this Chinese society. In his assertion, Brook refutes the possibility of creating a literary work of the Ming Dynasty especially concerning the economic chronological record of events (1368–1644).
The writer, however, decides to take a different perspective when he opts for a “cultural history” (xvi). Brook then explores the historical aspects of man. In achieving this, he approaches the concept of cultural history by introducing Zhang Tao who was a former scholar of the Ming Dynasty. He recounts that this dynasty had transcended three seasons of human life and it was currently on the next season. The author is categorical when he observes that “an arc of change” (xvii), had taken place right from the rural setting to the urban one with economics being the center stage and main concern.
To keep death at bay, Brook suggests that it would be necessary to impose authoritative rules and regulations on those who carry out business activities. Moreover, the author tends to lament what commerce, in general, has done to the people of China. Commerce has set people moving from one stage to the other sometimes perpetuated by bad motives. He writes this with a perfect image from the Ming world. He argues that the very commerce has made “imaginations soaring, and taboos tumbling” (8).
Emperor Hongwu was the key architect behind the formation of the Ming Dynasty. He is believed to have come from a very humble family set up among the communities who were practicing agriculture as their main source of livelihood. He was very much concerned with the economic well-being of these peasant farmers and that is why he incepted the Dynasty to help speed up the economic status of the Chinese people. As the writer unfolds his study, there is an apparent shift in people’s attitude from peasantry farming to exchanging of goods and services.
Brook builds his background study from a junior officer whose pieces of literary works date back to the 17th century. Zhang Tao pursued a policy of moral decency and he expounds that the Ming Dynasty marked the beginning of the decay of societal values whereby people embraced commerce more than the standard rural peasantry farming. The brick in Nanjing makes a crucial plot in the development of this book.
From this viewpoint, the writer gives an elaboration of how the kiln master lived his life. Besides, he goes ahead and recounts how the registration procedure of the lijia used to be conducted. Further illustrations on the two types of systems are brought out. The first type of system was courier while the other one was posted. The writer explains how the two systems used to work alongside describing the Embassy witch belonged to Persia and the Korean soldiers who were devastated by the ship accident. The role played by the country in controlling trading activities and food provision is also described by the author (1368-1450).
The commerce which followed after the transformation from rural life is seen to have brought forth a lot of luxuries that never existed before. These are some of the luxurious goods which Zhang Tao was associating with moral decadence.
As commerce picked up from the traditional agrarian economy, the disparity in wealth between the have and have not widened considerably. As poverty continued to consume the poor majority, bitterness emerged especially among the less privileged leading to a Deng-Maoqi resistance before the close of the 15th century. This rebellion was aggravated by the fact that the need for silver had gone a notch higher creating a sour relationship between the wealthy landowners and the economically marginalized tenants.
The “retreat of the center” (1450-1550) marked a tough period whereby there was a widespread negative attitude and eventual rejection to be registered. The females were particularly of an opposite opinion towards registration. This period was also marked by government negligence to control widespread hunger among the poor population. At this point, the writer examines the role played by the Wahu leadership.
Nevertheless, Qiu Jin expressed fresh opinions towards the emergence and growth of commerce. He portrayed a perception of goodwill to the growing. The ideas of the latter came at a time when there was accelerated growth in the field of textile manufacturing and sea commerce. The Huizhou traders are depicted as pursuing gentrification while most scholars perceived the rule of Zhengde as one which lacked decency.
The “summer” season witnessed the infiltration of theft as the need to have “more coins” was rife (550-1644). There was improved ease of transport and communication from one place to the other. The writer explores some of the values which were pursued by traders like fashion styles and sexual lifestyles.
The fourth season as explained by the author is the “Fall”. The transformation of the Ming-Qing is explained here. There were two gentries during this time who mainly depended on commercial competence to survive (1642-1644). Overall, the Confusions of Pleasure does not get a coherent description as was intended by the Dynasty even as it marks the endpoint of Zhang Tao.
In summing up this book review, it is imperative to note that the Confusions of Pleasure attempts to address a wide spectrum of issues using a variety of interesting sources. Although the flow of Brook’s study might be composed of several incoherent pieces, the general outcome is a critical and well-intertwined analysis of Ming China because the readership is capable of creating vivid mental pictures of this ancient historical culture.
Works Cited
Brook Timothy. The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998.