During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He, a famous Chinese navigator, led a large fleet of ships to the Western Ocean, with a strong military force and ample supplies. However, instead of colonizing by force, as Columbus did, Zheng He followed the ancient Chinese tradition of establishing friendly relations through tribute and the establishment of diplomatic relations. In contrast, Columbus's great geographical discoveries brought the development of the American colonies and great wealth, but also triggered the political-military and scientific leaps of the West. The Ming Dynasty's non-colonial policy was seen as a turning point in the situation between the East and the West. Why didn't the Ming Dynasty establish a colonial system?In fact, colonies are a unique territorial claim of Western capitalist societies, which arise from the need for mercantilist societies to control resources and markets. On the contrary, the Ming Dynasty was a feudal dynasty that traditionally attached importance to agriculture, and its situation of expanding its territory was also a traditional garrison and ** jurisdiction. In addition, the Chinese's sense of superiority and the people's perception of other regions as wild areas, as well as their rejection of uprooting, are also incompatible with ancient Chinese culture. In the administrative system, the jurisdiction of the colony is thousands of miles away, and its ideas are in conflict with the centralization of power. Therefore, these are the reasons why China did not start colonizing abroad.
It can be said that the foundation of the colony is the control of resources and markets. In China's agrarian-based society, colonies could not be located. Although Columbus and other Western countries have gained huge wealth and scientific and technological leaps through colonial policies, the ancient Chinese culture and traditional concepts have made China choose to establish friendly relations to carry out overseas **, which is an important turning point in the development of Chinese and Western society. In the long history of China, national interests have never been obliterated by commercial interests. The change of dynasty is a contest of heaven, and Jiuding has already stabilized the foundation of China. China is a vast territory, and many places still have potential for development during the Ming Dynasty. However, China never intended to open a colony, because the logistical cost of transporting grain back from the colony far outweighed the value of the grain itself. As far as agriculture is concerned, such a colonial opening is ridiculous. Perhaps the Song dynasty, if it had survived, might have taken action to open colonies, provided that commercial interests outweighed the pursuit of Confucian rules. There were indeed similar colonies, such as the Ryukyus, Annam, Korea and other vassal states, which could be regarded as resource points and markets controlled by the ** dynasty. But mass migration is almost impossible, because in Asia it means war.
The Manchu and Ming dynasties fought against Burma and Vietnam, not for colonial purposes, but for illusory reasons such as national dignity. The political style of ancient China contrasted sharply with the overly pragmatic Western society. The most fundamental reason for Zheng He's voyage to the West may be the rumor that Emperor Jianwen was exiled to the South Seas. In fact, in "Water Margin", there is a legend of Li Jun expanding his territory in the South Seas. In the Song Dynasty, although there was no state action, private business practices allowed Chinese merchants to control the main commodities of Southeast Asia. During the Song Dynasty, spices became a luxury, and porcelain and tea, which were considered luxuries by local rulers, were important to the profits of Chinese merchants. It can be said that at the civil level, considering the dominant position of the Chinese in local commercial activities, there are some seeds of colonization, but without the intervention of state power and the protection of military force, this cannot be regarded as a real prototype of colonization. The importance of hometown occupies an important place in Chinese culture. Unlike the West, which focuses on commercial interests, the emotional significance of hometown in Chinese culture is extraordinarily important. In the Manchu guild halls, fellow villagers established cemeteries to appease the souls of their exiled villagers in foreign lands.
At the end of their lives, many people would rather spend a lot of money to find transportation home, hoping to end their life journey in the atmosphere of their hometown. Ancient Chinese culture was crucial to the attitude of leaving home. The ancients never had the concept of leaving their homeland because they were bound by the Confucian doctrine of "parents are there, not far away", which limited their adventurous spirit. Even in officialdom, ** who were sent to the Southwest and Northwest Territories were considered to be dismissed. In the middle of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the county magistrates in Yunnan and other places, even those who had obtained official positions through the examination would find various excuses not to go, and some people would even prefer to resign from their official positions rather than fill vacancies in those places. In ancient times, exile was a severe punishment second only to beheading, and wouldn't it be the greatest punishment to spend the rest of one's life in a colony more distant than the original place of exile, or to have their children and grandchildren spend the rest of their lives there?In such an environment, a colonial boom is unthinkable. Secondly, Chinese culture's self-confidence and belief in itself are also a factor. Despite the rapid development of the Western world, the Manchu rulers still harbored a deep sense of national pride, believing that the West was just a few tricks and gadgets, and that the Manchus were just shouting about the strength of their ships and guns when they were attacked.
Our nation prides itself on being at the center of the world, and has no obvious shortcomings in terms of products. As a result, we have no incentive to expand. We have achieved the most to the extent that geography allows, and we do not need colonies. And religion was also an important factor in the operation of the Western colonies. The doctrine of the religion stipulates the responsibility of probation of those who do not believe in the religion to become believers. The most staunch colonists in the Western colonies, the most daring colonists to penetrate into unfamiliar areas, were mostly clergy with strong religious complexes. They carried the responsibility of communicating God's will to the barbarians, and this sense of religious responsibility was an important factor in the early settlers' quest for inner peace. The Spaniards shouted the Virgin Mary, and the English Protestants shouted ** to kill countless Incas and Indians, a skill that our nation did not have. The people of the Ming Dynasty would not shout the slogan of long live Confucius and long live our emperor, and go to the uncivilized people of Southeast Asia. Finally, the adventurous and pioneering spirit of the maritime people is indeed more prominent. From the Vikings to the Anglos, these peoples found sea routes to war in the harsh waters of the North Atlantic, and they spent their lives in pursuit of adventure. This is determined by the national culture.
Odin never skimped on his Valhalla Temple, which was the crowning glory for those warriors who pioneered territory. Colonizers in South America enjoyed rich political treatment and economic rewards. The explorers of Spain, Portugal and Italy possessed an adventurous spirit that is rare in other Eurasian civilizations. Relatively speaking, Chinese civilization gradually became conservative from the Song Dynasty onwards, with the Han and Tang dynasties having their ambitions limited by technological prowess, and the Ming and Qing dynasties having their explorations suppressed politically. The success of Western colonists in South America was rewarded with the generous knighthood of the Spanish crown. These conquerors, who were mostly ruffians and vagabonds, are now marquis and dukes. In the West, feudalism has always been the norm, and as long as the colonizers can bring profits to the royal family, they are not politically hindered, and even strongly encouraged. Thus, colonies, commercial interests, and feudalism mutually reinforcing, forming a rational political structure. Once successful, the colonists could choose to stay in the colony or return to their home country with a great deal of wealth to receive the knighthood. This perfect system of rewards similar to Qin's merits made young people who were hopeless in their home countries flock to the colonies.
On the contrary, how did a dynasty like the Ming define the leader of a colony?Is the king just a joke?There was an armed conflict between vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty, so what would it be like for high-ranking ** and several rank officials to be supervised?If the family stayed in the interior, I am afraid that no one would want to go to the colony;And if the family members go with them, this is undoubtedly a tricky problem for the ** dynasty. Such a ** regime in the Ming and Qing dynasties did not leave vacant political positions for the colonies. The colony is not a shortcut to becoming an official, but a potential threat to the ** regime. All in all, the colonies were the first front line for Western countries to seize resources and compete for markets. The Western world, driven by national policies and economic interests, was full of impetus for the establishment of colonies. The explorers possessed the adventurous spirit of the maritime peoples, as well as the call for missionary duty, so establishing a stronghold in a strange land became the most important thing for these countries. Not only did the colonists enjoy rich political treatment, but they were suddenly promoted from unknown white to knight, and the economic rewards were amazing. They paid huge protection money to the royal family, but still had a large surplus.
Conversely, the Central Plains dynasties, such as the Ming Dynasty, which prioritized agricultural stability, did not show much interest in colonies dominated by commercial interests. China's vast land and abundant resources have brought a strong sense of pride to the Chinese people. However, China** did not have a desire to expand into the surrounding region. China's philosophical system, which includes Confucianism and Taoism, does not have the same strong missionary will as Western religious beliefs. The Ming Dynasty did not show much interest in the expansion of its colonies because it was unable to manage its distant colonies reasonably. For these views, we can refer to the History of the Ming Dynasty, the History of Western Navigation, and the History of the World.