Compare And Contrast Ming And Chinese Dynasties

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During ancient China, many different dynasties emerged, flourished, and failed; all within the span of a few centuries. Each dynasty had their own unique beliefs, their own form of government, and culture. These contrasting elements not only set them apart but also changed the way they functioned. Whether a dynasty expanded or isolated was a major decision each dynasty had to face, and there are interesting examples of both cases. The Qin, for example, chose to expand, while the Ming chose to isolate. Some Chinese dynasties encouraged expansionism while others chose to isolate China because of both differences in financial circumstances and their individual foreign relationships. These choices sometimes distracted and weakened a dynasty and …show more content…

As a child, the Qin emperor grew continuously more ambitious and was the first emperor to be able to successfully unify all of China (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/qin_shihuang_1.htm). His great power was not only due to his ambition, but also the number of people he had in his army; it is reported that he had around 2 million soldiers- making him extremely powerful and giving him the power to unify China. Centuries later, the Mongols came into power. They are described as ‘phenomenally hard-driving and ambitious…and their accomplishments were considerable’ (http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/3.htm). The Mongols ruled from the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Black sea (https://www.rt.com/news/world-most-notorious-tyrants/), a feat accomplished by their great military power and fighting on horseback. They were so powerful, that they were able to defeat the Song and capture its capital, Hangzhou, in the year 1276, which led to the creation of the Yuan Dynasty (http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-yuan-dynasty.htm). In addition, these conquests only further fueled the ambition of the Mongol leaders, driving them to continue on expanding their territory. These actions of expansionism for both the Mongols and the Qin dynasty were not without further benefits, though. With

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