Ming Rulers an Examination of Term Paper

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In fact, the Ming rulers managed to remain in power as long as they did and manipulate the scholar-official structures because their rule was ideologically and organizationally reinforced by the supremacy of Confucianism as official state doctrine. A good example of such Confucian indoctrination was the Ming civil bureaucracy, which was selected through a rigorous process of competitive district, provincial, metropolitan, and palace examinations. According to this author, "Confucianism formed the core substantive content of the examinations, it became, for the ruling elite, not only the dominant ideology but also frequently an internalized norm and occasionally a religious conviction" (Tong 166). This reliance on an official state religion worked both to the advantage and ultimately the disadvantage of the Ming rulers. According to Lupher, "Even though the emperor occupied first place in the Confucian sociopolitical hierarchy, Ming rulers were themselves increasingly subject to the Confucian worldview [This was] compulsorily institutionalizing benevolent despotism" (25). During the period from 1470 to approximately 1644, then, Confucian doctrine and ritual served to constrain the authority of Ming rulers in "pervasive and irresistible ways" (Lupher 25).

Conclusion.


The research showed that the Ming dynasty lasted from approximately 1470 to approximately 1644, and the rulers during this period were responsible for a number of accomplishments - and failures. These accomplishments included a geographic expansion of the dynasty, the introduction of a number of administrative innovations and the introduction of a sophisticated system of taxation and equitable division of social responsibilities. The failures of the Ming rulers were found to include their inability to use these same innovations and complicated power structures to good effect when the Manchu conquest resulted in many of the theretofore powerful Ming eunuchs committing suicide (Tong 166).

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"Ming Rulers An Examination Of", 28 October 2005, Accessed.4 July. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/ming-rulers-examination-70122