Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century? Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

History indicates that after a period of active maritime explorations, China systematically retreated to its central kingdom. Consequently, the systematic isolation that began in the 15th century during the rule of the Ming dynasty lasted until Qing’s dynasty in the 19th century (Bentley 750). However, unlike 19th century China, 15th-century China was a major player in the global affairs and it was poised to achieve hegemony before Europe. The China that is detailed in the book “Before European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350” has the potential of being the most dominant force in the world. Janet Abu-Lughod the author of “Before European Hegemony” provides a keen insight into the Eurasian trading network and how it shaped affairs in various parts of the world. This paper utilizes Abu-Lughod’s book to answer the questions how and why China shut itself to the world in the 15th century.

According to Abu-Lughod, the period that falls between AD 1250 and 1350 is crucial to the history of the world because it acts as the ‘turning point’ of the previous and current systems. The author notes that Asia and the Middle East played a vital role in the global transformation that elevated the European systems. During this same period, China’s fortunes were determined by the powers of the Mongolian Empire.

Consequently, the Mongols were able to chart out functional trade routes that connected the East and the West. Nevertheless, the author’s main argument is that none of the systematic transformations that occurred in 13th and 14th centuries were historically necessary (Abu-Lughod 12). Furthermore, China was the most practical country to achieve hegemony and consequent world domination. The initial encounter between China and the rest of the world clearly indicates that the former was the dominant force. This raises the question why this ‘natural order’ of events did not happen.

There were various minor and major issues that prevented China’s achievement of hegemony including economic problems and disease outbreaks. First, Abu-Lughod notes that China experienced a major economic meltdown between the 15th and 16th centuries. The economic crisis occurred in the same period that Spain and Portugal were embarking on major maritime exploration projects. Unfavorable economic climate forced China to abandon the country’s flourishing naval exploration projects (Abu-Lughod 371). The economic crisis of the 15th century is one of the most logical reasons why China retreated into the cocoon of its kingdom instead of following into the footsteps of Spain and Portugal and discovering new economic

China also suffered a disaster when it lost a significant proportion of the population to the Bubonic Plague (Abu-Lughod 359). Unlike in Europe, most of the residents in Eurasia did not adopt a combative stance towards the plague. Instead, most Chinese natives turned to spirituality and traditional remedies. On the other hand, the author of Before European hegemony notes that the severity of the bubonic plague was mundane in Europe because the residents turned to the forests where the spread of the disease was slower. Consequently, China took longer to recuperate from the Bubonic plague than Europe did. When Mongols lost possession of China, the region’s overall significance to the world also declined (Abu-Lughod 359). Consequently, both Europe and China found that they needed each other less, hence the latter’s retreat.

Overall, Abu-Lughod’s book provides useful insight into the period when China almost dominated world affairs. The author is also able to point out the crucial contributions that were made by Eurasia in respect to the history of world trade.

Works Cited

Abu-Lughod, Janet. Before European hegemony: the world system AD 1250-1350, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print.

Bentley, Jerry. “Cross-cultural interaction and periodization in world history.” The American Historical Review 3.1 (2006): 749-770. Print.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, May 12). Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century? https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-china-became-isolated-in-the-15th-century/

Work Cited

"Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century?" IvyPanda, 12 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/why-china-became-isolated-in-the-15th-century/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century'. 12 May.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century?" May 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-china-became-isolated-in-the-15th-century/.

1. IvyPanda. "Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century?" May 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-china-became-isolated-in-the-15th-century/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century?" May 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-china-became-isolated-in-the-15th-century/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1