China In The Ming Dynasties - Book Report/Review Example

China In The Ming Dynasties The Ming dynasty was characterized by several calamities, which posed a major concern on the very existence of the vast dynasty. The dynasty resolved in a number of policies to be implemented and use them to deal with the existing calamities. The Ming subjects where to comply with the directives given as a means of ensuring their survival. The state controlled the subjects through tax quotas and censuses. The census gave an estimate figure of the residence. Other means where the fixed residence and migration policies that tactics both groups of subjects within the dynasty. They also subdivided the dynasty to ensure effective control. The Ming was divided into counties and later into cantons and into smaller townships and wards (Brook, 47). The ward was a smaller unit of administration. The model ensured policies were implemented based on the subdivision and anyone living within these subdivisions was accounted for by the administration. The Ming obligated its administrator to give an annual household population update. Those mandated to give updates on the estimate household failed to give correct information as they resolved in using previous results and figures from past years. The static nature of the population posses a major problem as in many cases was not the real figure on the ground. This affected the administrative effectiveness of the population. The dynasty operated in evaluation of its population as a change in population meant that the administration is either effective or is operating below the set objectives. The figure provided affected the overall tax collected by the administration as many would effectively evade it without being traced. The taxpayers also innovated methods to reduce the amount remitted as tax. They subdivided themselves into smaller household to avoid being assessed for Corveé (44). There was also the aspect of locals being assigned dues of collecting taxes amongst their own kind. This reduced effectiveness as many could be waved off their taxes as a means of either favors or bribe taking. Communication being a vital element in and administration, the Ming dynasty did its best in design system that would be effective in implementing policies and at the same time use them to respond and warn subjects about a looming calamity. To solve the issue of natural calamities, the administration subdivided and accounted for the entire size of arable land within her jurisdiction. This enable effective controlled farming (48). Effective farming ensures a steady supply of food and food reserves. This is an effective model in that food reserves are accounted and utilized in an event a calamity occurs. A justice system was design and land demarcation done to prevent land related crisis hence the dynasty narrowing down to ensuring farming meets the demand and surplus is stored for future use. The essence of devolution in administration in the dynasty was enhanced by the Ming’s dynasty to ensure an administrative control that ensured development and productivity. The model dealt effectively with the scale issue. The dynasty managed to deal effectively with the food shortages experienced during their long rule. Weather being a natural calamity, was predictable but extreme weather conditions where unpredictable giving the administration an uphill task in ensuring these conditions did not affect the stability of the nation. The first natural calamity was the extreme cold period of the 15th century. The dynasty registered a high number of causalities due to cold in mid 1450’s the trend recurred over a long period with animals being affected (54). Floods were also a major concern of the dynasty with a number of floods being recorded during the Ming reign. Different from the Yuan rule the Ming dynasty administration was able to champion the construction of the Grand Canal (61). It was meant to control events caused by flooding. These measures where effective until the mid 15th century when floods where recorded again, successive periods including 1586 characterized massive floods that hit the dynasty. Other calamities were not weather related during the long tenure of the dynasty. They had similar effects as the weather related perils. There were periods of locust infestation during the Ming rule. The worst being recorded in 1441, this had immense effect on the crops and food security during the period (61). There was a recurrence of the same in the 16th century. A combination of locust infestation and a long period of drought greatly affected the production of the dynasty (62). The tax household tax because of farming was compromised by these situations. The other non- weather related calamity was the earthquake. The Ming dynasty experienced its first earthquake in 1303; its recurrence in 1556 had its effect with almost a million deaths recorded (63). The earthquakes were also linked to a number of volcanoes that hit the dynasty during its rule. Disease and epidemic registered in the dynasty attributed to the high number of deaths recorded in the Ming dynasty. Bubonic plague, typhoid fever, smallpox and other epidemics had an effect in the number of deaths experienced during the Ming tenure (65). The administrative failure to have measures to deal with these epidemics attributed to reduced population of the dynasty. These calamities had great effect in the overall administration. The reduction in population meant a reduction in the amount remitted taxes. The production of food also was affected and incompetence nature of some of the emperors reduced a chance of recovery. In conclusion, these natural and manmade calamities had immense effect on the stability of the Ming dynasty. The measures taken to control migration, land usage and taxation were tasted with the recurrence of these calamities. The hunger attributed to weather and reduced productive population created a sense of instability. The incompetence nature of some rulers of the dynasty worsen the situation notable being Zhengde Slough rule (74). The instability made the dynasty prompt to outside interference. Measures developed during the china reign of the Ming dynasty where meant to deal with predictable calamities. The era lacked the capacity to deal with threats of high magnitude hence leading to the number of deaths recoded during the rule with other causes being manmade hence controllable. Work cited Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010. Print. Read More