On Feb 23, 2012 8:49 AM, "ashok _" <[email protected]> wrote: > Its interesting you mention the ming dynasty in this context. Sometime > back i finished reading Charles Mann's 1493 ( > http://www.amazon.com/1493-Uncovering-Columbus-Created-ebook/dp/B004G606EY > ). there is a really interesting part of the book about the silver > trade with the spanish colonies in the americas and its huge impact on > the chinese economy. they would become so dependent on spanish silver > that it became the de-facto currency in china ... and all this > eventually led to the ming empires decline and fall. >
Yes, a rather sad turn of events. New world silver was impacting the old world like little else, the Mughals too had to deal with the sudden wealth of the traders. The Ming dynasty started with a policy of self sufficiency and lack of trade or money in the villages. The very rich and the very poor effectively didn't have or have the need for money. The Ming dynasty lasted nearly 300 years and with the move of the capital to Beijing many policies changed. The navy grew to enormous proportions both as a fleet and also as singularly large ships, a single Ming treasure ship was larger than all of the ships of Christopher Columbus put end to end according to some accounts. The famous eunuch admiral Zheng he invaded Sri Lanka and had the local king (Akalesvara) clasped in chains and brought to Beijing for no more a crime than an assumed insult to the Chinese emperor. The delicious irony is how each of the inhuman conquistadors, Christopher Columbus, Francisco Pizarro, Hernan Cortez all ended up either shipped back to Spain in chains, or put to death or died begging for a living.
