The Ming Dynasty
The Medieval Period
xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0
In the early fifteenth century, China was the most advanced civilization in the world. The world became aware of this when, from 1405 to 1433, a fleet of four-deck intercontinental sailing ships under the command of a Chinese admiral and eunuch named Zheng He travelled around the world, ostensibly seeking the deposed predecessor of the Chinese emperor. The fleet reached the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, presenting gifts of gold, silver, porcelain, and silk to the countries they encountered along the way. There is some evidence that Chinese mariners may have even reached the Americas in 1421. The voyages were tied up in imperial court politics, with Confucian scholars opposing them and court eunuchs supporting them.
During the Ming Dynasty, the musical theater that had become popular in various regions during the Yuan Dynasty was more universally enjoyed. Several distinct styles emerged. The Ming aristocracy favored kunqu, a culturally Wu style featuring a male falsetto singer and accompanied by dizi, pipa, and sheng. More popular among the people was yiyang qiang, which featured a chorus and percussion instruments.
In response to widespread piracy in the seas of southeast Asia and a growing sense of Sino-Centricism, Ming emperors adopted an isolationist policy. China, the most technologically sophisticated country in the world at the time, banned oceangoing ships, minimized foreign trade, and forbade its citizens to leave the country. The Great Wall was expanded and the emperors moved to the Forbidden City just outside of Beijing.