Surname 1
Compare and Contrast Ming/Qing China and Tokugawa Japan Empires
The Ming/Qing and the Tokugawa dynasties remain as the most visible empires during
the transformation period in East Asia. The Ming Dynasty rose to power in 1368 and collapsed
in 1644. The Qing dynasty took over and learned from the past mistakes of the Ming dynasty
thereby implementing economic reforms that favored peasant farmers. It brought the population
more together and brutally oppressed actions that would result to decentralization of the empire
and resources. The Tokugawa dynasty rose to power in 1603 after Leyasu gave himself the title
of Shogun (military ruler). The Dynasty unified Japan to become a centralized form of
government. The paper will compare and contrast the three dynasties while taking into account
their commercial, agricultural, cultural, and religious perspectives.
The Ming dynasty rose to power after overthrowing the Mongols in 1368. It soon became
