This is a work of history that aims to explore in depth the reasons for the Ming dynasty’s fall.
The book begins with the fiscal and military crises of the late Ming, using detailed historical sources and logical analysis to examine soldiers driven to hunger and cold, disaster victims with nowhere left to turn, rebel bands that could never be eradicated, and the roots of the fiscal crisis. It offers a comprehensive analysis of many aspects of the late Ming, including politics, economics, military affairs, and culture, revealing the deeper causes of the dynasty’s collapse.
At its heart, the book reexamines and reinterprets Ming history, challenging conventional historical assumptions. These include myths about the Chongzhen Emperor’s private treasury, exaggerated claims of corruption, and the truth behind excessive taxation and extortion.
This work offers profound historical insight. Drawing on the author’s rigorous research and careful reasoning, it presents readers with a vivid, multifaceted portrait of the Ming dynasty. The book not only offers a unique historical perspective, but also prompts readers to think deeply. It is an important reference for both fiction enthusiasts and scholars of history.
The idea that the Ming fell because of autocracy and corruption is an invention, not a fact. China’s ancient political institutions developed ahead of their time, and the bourgeoisie took practical control of the government too early. The state was unable to turn its advanced social economy into formidable national strength, and the brilliant Ming dynasty met a tragic end...
China’s economy was advanced during the Ming, with thriving industry and commerce. The Wanli era of the late Ming was a time of especially vigorous trade and economic activity. New ideas, concepts, and technologies emerged in abundance, and the seeds of capitalism flourished. Why, then, was the more civilized and economically powerful Ming dynasty so fragile? Most people’s minds are filled with ready-made conclusions and rigid labels drawn from all kinds of sources.
Who Brought Down the Great Ming Dynasty? examines the reasons for the dynasty’s fall against the backdrop of two thousand years of institutional change in China, from the Warring States period to the Ming, and in comparison with the development of modern capitalism in the West. It focuses on the renewal and transformation of traditional Chinese thought and culture. The notion that the Ming fell because of autocracy and corruption is an invention, not a fact. The late Ming’s military crisis stemmed from its fiscal crisis, which in turn arose from a distorted tax structure. That distortion was caused by the civil official elite and scholar-gentry, who gained practical control of the government through the imperial examinations, acting overwhelmingly as representatives of private industrial and commercial interests, in other words, the “bourgeoisie” of the West. Under their control, the state could not effectively allocate society’s human, material, and financial resources, or convert a prosperous, advanced economy into formidable national strength.
China’s ancient political institutions developed ahead of their time, and the bourgeoisie took control of the state too early. Although the Song and Ming dynasties each gradually developed their own institutional patterns through the power struggle between emperors and civil officials, neither managed to overcome the challenges posed by large-scale warfare and natural disasters. Setting the record straight about the Ming matters not only for understanding that dynasty, but also for judging the value of Chinese civilization itself and finding solutions to many of the problems we face today. In this sense, history is an excellent teacher.
It is now 25 years old. This book is generally good and the description is objective. However, there are some areas that need to be discussed. First, the so-called Western learning. Among them, the "Qiuqi" is said to be domestically produced and cannot be compared with Western learning. There were 99 multiplication tables in the Qin Dynasty. There is a lot of evidence that modern mathematics and astronomy have been open sources in Chinese culture for a long time. High-end arithmetic is often integrated with astronomy. Second, it is overall objective but biased towards objectivity. To the civil servants, it represents the commercial capital class because they chose peace for the sake of the imperial examination. Generally speaking, the late Ming Dynasty was characterized by narrow-mindedness, selfishness, greed, and darkness evolved from ideology (Confucian culture). The so-called industrial and commercial classes were all slaves. Even if they eat, this group of people talk about their righteousness every day. They also make peace and collude with external snobbery to treat the world as a chessboard and use the numerous grassroots people as cannon fodder. The most obvious ones are civil unrest and military unrest. These people would rather not let go of anything. Chinese civilization is not Confucian civilization. What should be discarded, liquidated, and reflected on most is Confucian culture, whose poison is still there today.
This book is very interesting. It breaks the stereotypes of traditional historiography and allows us to see that the reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty may not be what we have always thought. The interpretation of history in the book is unique and the analysis is spot on. I especially like the author's thorough analysis of the behavior of the civil servants who control the power. But I kind of hate those people who do anything for their own interests. They are really the sinners of the Ming Dynasty! Overall, this is a book worth reading and will give you a lot of new thoughts.
It does not say that overthrowing traditional feudalism will lead to the death of the cyclical narrative, but gives different analyzes and refutations, detailed historical research, and the author's thoughtful analysis, which is of great reference value. It systematically summarizes the institutional defects of the demise of the Ming Dynasty - the country cannot perform normal functions (compared to modern times and previous dynasties).
This book is well-argued and worth recommending, and it is a bit emotional to clarify the injustice.
Very good, thanks to Teacher Du, I learned a lot... What you said is well-founded... Very rare... I like to read it
Very good, the logic is clear
I bought the physical book and I really like the teacher's point of view.
The author's research is very rigorous and well-founded. It answers many questions about the history of the Ming Dynasty and is worth reading.