A Look on How Was a Life During Ming Dynasty in China

The Expansion of the Chinese Empire

To start with, the Chinese Empire was vast and controlled most of Asia at one point in time. One of the dynasties that ruled the empire was the Ming Family. During the Ming dynasty, villages had their own ordinances. Even though ordinances cannot control all the greedy, crimes, and unlawful actions people make, they are a proper way to maintain good social order and morality within society. In the document, the author stated, “Contact between the high and low will be established, and the cycle will be formed.” This means the ordinances not only prevent the village from spiraling out of control, but they also bring people from low class to high class together, removing the distance of judgment between the rich and the poor. The local government believes prohibiting gambling and travel at night is crucial for village safety and proper behavior. The prohibition of gambling was created because people who are unemployed become addicted to gambling. Gambling becomes an addiction as it fuels people's desire to win. People even sell their houses, land, and jewelry for money to gamble. The author stated, “Unlawful intents are born, and wicked schemes are hatched.” This proves people are willing to participate in unlawful actions such as stealing, robbery, burglary, being violent, committing crimes, etc. As a result, the rate of vagrancy increased over time. Losing in bets caused people's attitudes to worsen. They become more violent in the family, always grumpy in conversations, and are drunk no matter the time of day. All in all, prohibiting gambling can consolidate unlawful fortunes, prevent unlawful behavior, and deter the homeless from forming gangs and occupying themselves with gambling.

Night Travel Prohibition for Safety

Prohibition on travel at night was for the purpose of safeguarding. It was strictly enforced by the village mandarin. People who violated this ordinance would be punished by the public, with no exceptions. While many thieves and rogues began to grow out of their bad habits, people living in the village feared they would be the next target, which led to everyone worrying about their privacy. The village had to come up with options to prevent night wanderers and also keep the town safe. With the prohibition in place, thieves and rogues would not prevail. People could feel safe during nighttime because guards would take turns patrolling the streets.

The Economy and Society of the Ming Dynasty

The economy of the Ming dynasty in China was the largest in the world during that period. The period was marked by the increasing political influence of merchants, the gradual weakening of imperial rule, and technological advances. Chinese society by Ming times was highly commercialized. During this period, most villagers were illiterate because only the rich could afford education. Trade was also significant in village activities, although there was a shift from barter to money transactions in many areas of China during mid-Ming times. However, they all understood the importance of having a contract to prove the agreement of buying and selling, borrowing, and mortgaging, and the pursuit of profit. Anything dealing with money required a financial agreement between both parties.

Community and Cooperation in Villages

Villages were real communities, small gathering places for group activity. During the Ming period, the villagers were very kind and sharing. For example, people were willing to share the water in the spring with other villages. Since the water in the spring was so abundant that it often overflowed, they wanted it to irrigate all the fields of the villagers. Unfortunately, the spring gushed so strongly that they were unable to make it work. Di Ming Shi said, “It is better to share water with neighboring villagers than to let it go to waste. And if two more ditches are built, East Great-Water village will also enjoy the benefits of further irrigation.” He wanted to take this as a chance to approach neighboring villages to gain their cooperation for projects of mutual benefits. The village constructed more ditches so everyone had enough water, leading to shared labor and benefits. Some people raised controversies with the magistrate because they felt it was unfair that people drained off too much and they always had to finish the job, which is why Magistrate Di ordered another decree to satisfy the villagers. The ditches are now divided equally in every area. Relying on the fairness of Magistrate Di, the villagers shared the water peacefully, and later generations should be aware of the Old South Ditch.

Religious and Educational Developments

Most villages had small votive shrines and temples. Monks and nuns traveled extensively, providing links to the outside world. They often promoted village group pilgrimages to religious sites such as well-known temples. Most villages had schools that were established on temple premises. In 1874, the village brought up a proposal about building a temple-market so all the people in the area would benefit. “It is important to appease the gods and to satisfy the people, for this will bring our village as well as the surrounding communities a good reputation.” This explains why people often feel a stronger loyalty to their village than they do towards their country or ethnic group. They have a strong bond to their home village even if it has been generations since their family lived there. Villagers assist one another in various ways, such as collecting funds for the cost of construction and soliciting donations from neighboring areas for the construction of a temple-market. It became popular because all kinds of goods were brought in from all over, and people came from all directions. They believe that more education will speed rural development. Students mainly studied Confucianism and classic Confucian books, such as the Four Books.

Conclusion: A Society of Respect and Order

To conclude, the Chinese developed a society based on respect for the spirits of the earth, one's ancestors, and other people. The wealthy and middle class were either nobility, merchants, politicians, or civil servants, while the poor were the farmers and laborers. The villagers were all as one. They took leadership roles in helping villagers in many activities such as prohibiting travel at night and gambling, building a temple market for everyone's benefit, and sharing water with neighboring areas. They viewed these as ways to promote morality and good social order, regardless of class.

References

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