Why China Became Isolated in the 15th Century? Essay

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 15^th century during the rule of the Ming dynasty lasted until Qing’s dynasty in the 19^th century (Bentley 750). However, unlike 19^th century China, 15^th-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 15^th 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 13^th and 14^th 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 15^th and 16^th 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 15^th 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.