During the reign of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, the political rivalry between the eunuchs and the Donglin Party was essentially a struggle between the emperor and the gentry. Wei Zhongxian was regarded as the first person of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, carrying out the emperor's orders and acting as his right-hand man. This conspiracy brought the Ming Dynasty a full treasury, powerful armaments, and financial support to deal with disasters. The eunuch party played a balancing role in officialdom, at least able to suppress the civilian officials (Donglin Party). The eunuchs, the military generals, and the civil officials checked and balanced each other, and the emperor maintained control in them, so that the political balance could be maintained.
The financial crisis in the late Ming Dynasty was mainly due to the surge in military spending. The Ming Dynasty's tax system did not cover military spending, and in the past, soldiers were self-sufficient through farming. However, due to the implementation of the conscription system, military spending reached 30% during the Jiajing period, and even soared to 50% in the late Wanli period. During the Chongzhen period, due to years of war, 80% of the treasury was used for military spending, resulting in a financial imbalance. In order to maintain the fiscal balance under the conscription system, the Ming Dynasty needed to at least double its annual tax revenue, otherwise it would be unsustainable even if it was saved.
As an agrarian society, the Ming Dynasty was dominated by agricultural taxes, and the existence of commercial taxes was relatively low. The commercial tax of the Ming Dynasty was almost negligible, ranging from 1 to 30 during the Hongwu period, and later even increased to 1 out of 50. Commercial taxes are mainly concentrated in agricultural areas such as salt and grain, and have little impact on industrial goods and services. Even in the Kaizhong Law implemented in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the support for commerce was mainly used in border towns, and commercial tax revenue was still limited.
The financial predicament of the late Ming Dynasty was related to commercial taxation, but the more fundamental problem was the expansion of the privileged class. Chongzhen's lack of determination to reform allowed the system to be consolidated. At the same time, the Jin merchants of foreign business have always been on the tip of the knife, which has long been recorded in history. The Ming Dynasty faced not only political pressures, but also great problems with the financial system.
Although party strife existed, more reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty should be attributed to some figures in the Southern Ming Dynasty, such as Ma Shiying. Chongzhen's downfall was inseparable from his own incompetence, and the strife in the court put the whole country into antagonism. Wu Sangui's switch was seen as a family issue, but his decision to cooperate with the Manchus was also based on his knowledge of Li Zicheng, who was still not free from the limitations of the peasant class and could hardly be recognized by the gentry. Eventually, the Manchus and the rebels joined forces to overthrow the Ming dynasty.
Party strife is only part of the problem, and the root cause lies in the severity of the land annexation of the Ming Dynasty. The entire tax system of the Ming Dynasty was monopolized by the gentry, and the imperial court taxes were only a small part of it. The Ming Dynasty has long been in tatters, and only the appearance of powerful ministers at the same time can reverse the decline. It is necessary to reform the land tax, replan the entire tax system, and reduce the power of the gentry. This is the key to the rebirth of the Ming Dynasty. However, these reforms are radical changes that require courageous and competent leaders to drive them.
Conclusion: The fall of the Ming Dynasty was not only due to party struggle, but also to the dilemma of land annexation.
The political turmoil and financial crisis at the end of the Ming Dynasty was a profound and deplorable period in Chinese history. The article exhaustively examines the party struggle between the eunuchs and the Donglin party during the reign of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, as well as the main reasons for the financial woes, and provides insight into the complex context of the fall of the Ming dynasty.
First of all, the article points out the power struggle between the eunuch party and the Donglin party. Through the analysis of Wei Zhongxian's role in the period of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, his key role as the emperor's ** person is emphasized. Such manoeuvres have a positive effect on maintaining political balance, ensuring the fullness of the national treasury, and responding to disasters. The article profoundly analyzes the relationship between the checks and balances between eunuchs, military generals, and civil officials in the officialdom, as well as the emperor's control in them, and emphasizes the necessity of such a balance.
Second, the root cause of the fiscal crisis is attributed to the surge in military spending and the inadequacy of the tax system. The article details the growth of military spending in the Ming Dynasty and the fiscal crisis caused by the failure of the tax system to adapt to the reforms. This in-depth analysis gives us a clearer picture of the close link between the fiscal system and war spending, and the impact of this problem on the country's economy as a whole.
In addition, the article's detailed analysis of the tax structure of the Ming Dynasty also attracted my attention. The phenomenon of agricultural taxation in an agrarian society is vividly described in the article. The low commercial tax of the Ming Dynasty and its limited impact on commerce revealed to me certain features of China's economic structure at that time. This has important implications for understanding the socio-economic landscape and financial predicament at that time.
Finally, in-depth reflections on the reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty enrich the article. Through the analysis of Ma Shiying and others in the Southern Ming Dynasty, it is emphasized that party strife was only one of the reasons that led to the fall of the Ming Dynasty. The issue of land annexation was pointed out as the fundamental crux of the problem, and the article put forward proposals to reform the land tax and reduce the power of the gentry in order to revitalize the Ming Dynasty.
Overall, this article presents us with a complex picture of the late Ming Dynasty by providing an in-depth analysis of the political struggles and financial issues of the Emperor of the Apocalypse. For me personally, this is not only a profound interpretation of historical events, but also an inspiration for the socio-economic structure and political system at that time, which has made my understanding of Chinese history more comprehensive and deeper.
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