Chinese And European Exploration example essay topic

Chinese and European exploration took place under very different historical circumstances. There were differences and there were also similarities in the forms of exploration. The Chinese choose to use trade to further their success in exploration, and the Europeans used conquest. Each from of exploration's goal was the achievement of wealth. In order to understand the ways religious and social doctrines were used to achieve political aims, we must consider a variety of social, political, and economical issues, which existed in each area at the time.

Through looking at, the geo-political situation in each of these areas, the relative positions of each society during exploration, the characteristics of Chinese and European exploration, the political and economical goals of each region, and the ways in which each area went about achieving its aims, the differences in each form of exploration will be identified. China used trade to achieve their goals while Europe conquered. The geo-political situation in China differed from that of Europe at the beginning of the age of exploration. A strong central government controlled China's very large population, and an emperor, named Yongle, ruled over his people with a close bond. Yongle sided with the common people against the scholar-gentry class.

As a result two groups developed in China, those who revered the ancient Chinese text and, those who wanted to enhance the country's prestige through wealth and trade. China's location in Southeast Asia gave it easy access to trade either through the northwestern land or the southeastern sea". They should realize that the southeast sea foreigners need Chinese goods and the Chinese need their goods" (Essay On Merchants). China's location left it in a very good trading position, but the Chinese took little advantage of it because of the growing tension between the groups favoring the scholar-gentry class. At the beginning of the age of exploration China was not isolated and had much contact with other cultures.

As changes occurred in the social structure of China, the scholar-gentry class took power, ceasing China's age of exploration. The European geo-political situation differed that of China's. Europe consisted of many different countries, which competed with one another. Unlike China, if one country in Europe went into an economical depression, many other countries would continue to explore, conquer, and trade. China on the other hand was a large single nation, controlled under one government. If the Chinese went into a depression, there would be no competition for Europe, leaving them in control.

European exploration was possible because of state centralization, increasing technology, and seaworthy ships. Meaning the power came under one rule, maps became more detailed and portola nis was formed, and ships were built with axel rudders and cannons. European roots were held up by the convivencia. In Europe there was an uneasy coexistence between the Christians, the Muslims, and the Jews. "Communities lived side by side and shared many aspects of language, culture, food, and dress, consciously borrowing each other's outlook and ideas" (Henry Kamen). The Christians fought the wars and farmed, the Muslims built the houses, and the Jews presided over the enterprises as fiscal agents and they were also skillful technicians.

The Europeans formed a new scientific class, developing social classes and dividing people into groups by wealth. Common villagers formed the Middle Class through this change in science. The geographical location of the Europeans allowed them to explore Africa, the Americas, and the Indian Ocean. This gave the Europeans the ability to conquer and trade.

Europe became stronger over time through force. At the beginning of the Age of Exploration China held a stronger relative position than the Europe. They had been wealthier, more advanced, and more cosmopolitan than any other Culture. China accounted for twenty-nine percent of the global economy and a quarter of the world's gross national product.

China controlled most of the trade in the Indian Ocean, and a Chinese fleet could be seen in all the large ports in the southeast seas. This time of splendor and wealth ended. The internal struggle for power left the scholar-gentry class in control. The scholar-gentry class ceased the production of trading ships, halted any voyages of Zheng He's successors, and destroyed all of Zheng He's sailing records. Another reason for China's decline was the fact that "China was not greedy enough" (Kristof).

The Chinese put their Confusions ethics over all else and they looked down on business. Moneymaking was unimportant for them and the Chinese had a culture of complacency. This led to devote themselves to past ideals and methods. The Chinese had a respect for authority and a suspicion for new ideas.

Many called this", intelligent xenophobia,"petrifaction of classes", and the "static nature" (Kristof). The fact that China was a single nation while Europe was a group of countries left it ill equipped for the future. What is one man to many? Europe's position was one not revered by the Chinese. The Chinese felt the Europeans had bad good and that there was no need to trade with them. Europe's power in exploration and trade were far less than the power of the Chinese.

The Europeans exploring changed because they needed power in the Indian Ocean. The Europeans began destroying ports to shut off others supplies and to gain control of trade in the Indian Ocean. This plan worked ceasing all other trade in the Indian Ocean. The destruction of ports became common after this sudden change. Trade characterized Chinese exploration. During the age of exploration navigation and wealth were of great importance.

The Chinese would travel from port to port trading with different cultures seeking treasures and wealth. China explored for one reason, to find new lands with which to trade. The Chinese went to new lands to find new goods and a surplus of supplies they lacked, not to destroy and conquer the people they encountered. Large fleets would leave Chinese ports and return with riches and a new community of people with which to trade. European exploration was characterized by conquest. European exploration was much different than the Chinese.

Europeans had one original motive for expansion, an economic motive. Later in time, they used religion as a scapegoat to fulfill their greed. The Europeans traveled to new lands pretending to convert the people there. Instead they took the gold of the natives.

They care very little for the conversion of the native souls. They traveled to new regions to find more gold and to expand the Christian kingdom. They did not care to trade with the people they encountered. They wanted the native's gold and resources. They would take what they pleased and set up missionaries to convert the people to Christianity. In each place they stopped they would form the system, Encomienda.

The Europeans would convert the people and also use them as slaves. This method led to the death of millions of Native Americans". The reason the Christians have murdered on such a vast scale and killed anyone and everyone in their way is purely and simply greed" (La Casa). Europeans explored only for money and they did not care about the people or if they converted. The Europeans developed a population as savage conquerors that turned the conquered into slaves to farm and work on their own land until their death. The Europeans become savage conquerors because of many points.

A mythical reason to why they conquer is that they strive for their religion and that they have military idealism. A social reason is due to the fact that it has become religious wars not land wars. The economical reason is the fact of land disputes and ways in which to win land back. The fact that the country has religious roots gives them more of a reason to convert the people they conquer. They have religious roots because their queen is Christian.

The Chinese had both political and economical goals during the Age of Exploration. The political goals of the Chinese were to establish a strong connection between them and most cultures in the Southeastern seas. The Chinese wanted to befriend the cultures they met on their voyages for two reasons, to trade and to learn about the new cultures. Their economical goals were to ensure that the Chinese citizens always had the resources they would need.

They felt that if the common people of China had no confidence in the government, the state cannot stand (What Confucius Said)". If the people have no faith that the government will deliver what they need, then the government will fall. The Chinese gave this to their people and they gave wealth to the people. Merchants on the streets sold clothing but also priceless jade and other things of great value.

The Europeans political goal was much different from that of the Chinese. The Europeans wanted to gain control of as much land as they possibly could. They also planned to convert all the people they came in contact with to spread the power of their religion. Converting, conquering, taking, and crusading are the main things they wanted to do or achieve. The economical goals of the Europeans were to take or receive as much gold or valuables as possible.

They also wanted to set up colonies on newly explored land to farm the earth with the slaves they captured there. Through these slaves they then hoped to find gold and jewels would be satisfied. Nothing could satisfy their greed. The European's greed led to the deaths of most of the people they conquered, either through new diseases or overwork.

The Chinese achieved their goals economically. They gained great wealth through friendships and navigation. They explored new lands and found new cultures to with which to trade. They met these cultures with gifts of silk and gold. Without exploration the Chinese would never have been able to accomplish the level of wealth they brought back to China. If they had fought and destroyed the people of the regions they traveled to, they would never have been able to sustain longtime trading with each of the individual groups.

They needed this kind of trading relationships to satisfy their countries need of wealth. They did this until Confucian thought took over China. The Europeans tried to achieve their goals militarily and economically. They succeeded by mounting canons on their ships and destroying ports of all other competitors. They began with a small fleet and few canons and ended with large fleets and many canons. They took gold and jewels by force and they killed all who opposed them.

The Europeans battled with the people whose land they had come to explore, and once the Europeans had defeated the group they encountered they enslaved the survivors and used them to farm and work on they land from which they came. They set up missionaries to convert all non-Christians and, if they refused the European ways they were killed. Even though they set up missionaries " the Spanish have had little concern for the souls of the natives and millions have perished with no knowledge of God, and without benefit of the sacraments" (Las Casa). This indicates that the Spanish conquerors cared not for converting but for money. They would kill people even if they were willing to convert, but these methods helped them survive in the future. Each regions way of life led them to a different path on the road of development.

The Chinese shut themselves off from trade and other cultures because of the scholar-gentry class so the Europeans while the Chinese stayed with their old methods. Though the Chinese were wise they did not believe in scientific learning and therefore did not make the same necessary advances to compete in the future. The Chinese did not strive for new ideas. Instead they looked to the past and how they fit into the world around them.

In the end Confucian thought left China below Europe in terms of power and wealth. The Europeans on the other hand made use of scientific learning and in making advances from the past. They were able to control much of the world though conquest and achieving wealth. In the end the Chinese trapped themselves in their own bubble of the past, while the Europeans were blowing new ones.