The History of China

Latest Episodes:

#235 - Ming 25: Some Light Treason Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Great Ming is having some problems with its border troops who think orders are actually "suggestions." The Jiajing Emperor is having some problems with his ministers being self-serving twits. Meanwhile, there's some strange happenings going on beyond the wild frontiers...

Time Period Covered:

~1510-1540 CE

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上海 Lockdown Update - Day 43/04: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like May 13, 2022

Show notes

05/13/2022

"Relax," said the night man,

"We are programmed to receive."

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#234 - Ming 24: The Grand Rites Controversy Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

With the Zhengde Emperor dead without an heir, the succession is in question and rebellion brewing. Fortunately, Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe has planned for this and calls in his backup - the 13-year-old Prince of Xing, Zhengde's younger cousin. He'll come to power as the Jiajing Emperor... but Secretary Yang will very quickly find out that, though young, Jiajing is a spitfire who's here to play the game, not be played.

Time Period Covered:

1519-1524 CE

Major Historical Figures:

Zhu Houcong (The Jiajing Emperor) [r. 1521-1567]

Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe [1459-1529]

Empress Dowager Zhang [1471-1541]

Lady/Empress Dowager Jiang

Major Works Cited:

Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.”

Legge, James. The Chinese Classics, Vol. III.

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Shanghai Total Lockdown Update, Day 15/04 :《This Content Not Available》 Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

Day 15 of 4: An overview of individual accounts of the unfolding Covid lockdown situation in Shanghai, the siege-mentality that has set in, and the struggles of day to day existence both on- and offline in a city cut off from the rest of the world.

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#233 - Ming 23: General Zhu Shou's Ultimate Party Yacht River Cruise Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

There's trouble brewing in the south. A minor prince with delusions of grandeur gets a bit too big for his britches. Portuguese Pirates plunder peninsular ports before coming to call on Canton. This sounds like a job for the great General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm and Ultimate Party-Boat Enjoyer.

Time Period Covered:

~1514-1521 CE

Major Historical Figures:

The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1505-1521]

The Prince of Ning (Zhu Chenhao) [1477-1520]

Jiang Bin

Qian Ning [d. 1520]

Grand Secretary Fei Heng

Sun Sui, Governor of Jiangxi [d. 1519]

General Wang Yangming [1472-1529]

General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm, Duke of Zhenguo [?? -??]

Tomé Pires, Portuguese explorer and ambassador [c. 1465-1524? or 40?]

Major Works Cited:

Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.”

Keevak, Michael. Becoming Yellow: A Short History of Racial Thinking.

Pires, Tomé, Armando Cortesão & Francisco Rodrigues. The Suma oriental of Tome Pires; and account of the East, from the Red Sea to China, written in Malacca and India in 1512-1515; and, The book of Franciso Rodrigues: Pilot-Major of the armada that discovered Banda and the Moluccas: rutter of a voyage in the red sea, nautical rules, almanack, vol. 1.

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#232.5 (185 Mk. 2): Back to the Medicine Shoppe (De Materia Medica Rebroadcast+ 2022 Update)) Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

A new update with all the new craziness 2 years on before we once again step into Ye Olde Chinese Medicine Shoppe for the tour...

Traditional Chinese Medicine – as its name duly implies – has been a part of China for at least 2,500 years. But what does it mean? Where does it come from? How does it work? And does it have a place it modern society?

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#232 - Ming 21: Animal House Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

The Zhengde Emperor decides that being the divine sovereign is *boring* and that being a cool war-hero would be way cooler... and... it goes weirdly better than expected. Also, he gives himself a cool nickname, and makes everyone call him that.

Time Period Covered:

1510-1518 CE

Major Historical Figures:

The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1505-1521]

Jiang Bin

Qian Ning

Liu Yun, Eunuch Commander

General Zhu Shou, Heroic Defender of the Realm [?? -??]

Tibet

The Prince of Rin-Sprungs [r. 1512-1544]

Mongols:

Dayan Khan (Batu Möngke) [r. 1479-1517]

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#231 - Ming 20: Liu Jin & the Eight Tigers Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

The adolescent Zhengde Emperor sits the throne, but everyone in the know knows that it is the eunuch-lord Liu Jin who truly controls Great Ming. Not everyone's exactly thrilled with this situation, and they're gonna get Liu Jin got... or die trying.

Time Period Covered:

1506-1510 CE

Major Historical Figures:

The Zhengde Emperor (Zhu Houzhao) [r. 1506-1521]

Liu Jin, Director of the Ceremonial [1451-1510]

The Prince of Anhua (Zhu Zhifan) [d. 1510]

Commander Qiu Yue

General Yan Yiqing

Inspector-in-Chief Zhang Yong

Major Works Cited:

Bourgon, Jérôme, Muriel Detrie, & Regis Poulet."Execution in Canton" in Chinese Torture – Supplices Chinois.

Brook, Timothy. The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

Geiss, James. “The Cheng-te reign, 1506-1521” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.”

Meadows, Thomas Taylor. The Chinese and Their Rebellions

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#230 - Ming 19: A Futile & Stupid Barrier Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Great Ming decides that it's going to (re-)(re-)Build a Great, Great, Great Wall...and MAKE THE MONGOLS PAY FOR IT!*

(*claim disputed by Mongolia)

Major Work Cited:

Fairbanks, John King. China: A New History, 2nd Edition.

Mote, Frederick W. “The Ch’eng-hua and Hung-chih Reigns, 1465-1505” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, Part I.

Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth.

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#229 - Ming 18: The Raven Himself Is Hoarse Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

After a very rocky start in life, the Chenghua Emperor takes the throne, only to be endlessly shoved around by overbearing mother, manipulative and murderous consorts, and conniving, terrorizing eunuchs. What else would one really expect for a guy with the personality of a west dishrag?

Time Period Covered:

1464-1487 CE

Major Historical Figures:

The Chenghua Emperor (Zhu Jianshen) [r. 1464-1487]

The Hongzhi Emperor (Zhu Youcheng) [1470-1505]

Noble Consort Wan Zheng'er [1430-1487]

Empress Wang

Empress Wu

Empress Dowager Zhou

Empress Dowager Qian

Grand Secretary Li Xian

Lady Zhi Tangmei