ASIA BETWEEN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES: EMPIRES, DYNASTIES AND EVENTS - HISTORY - 2024

Asia, between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was made up of a multitude of cultures, with a development often comparable to that of European states. Some great empires had been formed on the continent, and important dynasties reigned in various countries.

The two most important empires during those centuries were the Mughal of India, which came to dominate a large territory in the Indian subcontinent. On the other hand, the Ottoman Empire stood out, despite the fact that part of its dominions were in Europe. The latter went through a period of weakness during the seventeenth century, although it recovered in the next.

Mughal Empire in the 18th century. Source: nafSadh under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license

Also, the 17th century marked the end of the Ming dynasty in China. It was replaced by the Qing, which would be the last of the great dynasties that dominated the country for centuries. Precisely, the invasion of the Manchu that marked the change between this dynasty was one of the most important events that occurred in Asia during those centuries.

On the other hand, the arrival of Europeans, who were looking for new markets, was consolidating during that time. As with the English, in many cases they established colonies and conquered various Asian territories.

Major Empires / Dynasties

Some of the great empires that existed in Asia during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were at their political and cultural peak. Most of them had been formed by force of arms and their economic development was comparable to that of the empires that existed in Europe.

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire of India, also called the Great Mughal, was a Turkic state that professed Islam. Its formation took place in the 16th century and it remained together until the 19th century. Experts mark the year 1707 as the peak moment in the history of this Empire.

At its peak, it encompassed a large expanse of land. Thus, it included present day India, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Likewise, it also spread to parts of Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and eastern Iran. The Great Mughal became the economic power of the planet for many decades.

Ottoman empire

Ottoman Empire. By André Koehne (My draw of commons image (see other versions)), via Wikimedia Commons

Before becoming one of the most important empires for several centuries, the Ottomans had resided in small Asian Turkish states. Little by little, after the fall of the Seljuk Empire, they expanded their territory.

The taking of Constantinople, which occurred in 1453, was one of the most important moments in history. The Ottomans conquered the capital of the Byzantine Empire and proceeded to expand their dominions looking towards Europe.

After the time of decline that followed the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans regained some of their power. Despite the defeat suffered in 1571 at the hands of the Spanish and Venetians at the Battle of Lepanto, in the 17th century they managed to recover. Their victory against the Persians in 1638 allowed them to increase their power in that area of ​​Asia.

At the end of the 17th century, the Turks reached Vienna, although they failed to consolidate their control over those territories.

From that moment, the Ottoman Empire began to lose the lands conquered in much of Europe, initiating a decline that would lead it to bow to the European powers in the following century.

Ming dynasty in China

The Ming dynasty, of Mongol origin, had installed itself in power in 1368 and was overthrown in 1644. For many historians, this dynasty established one of the most disciplined governments in history, providing great stability to the country.

China, as early as the 16th century, had established trade routes with the Europeans, especially the Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish. This provided a great economic boom for several decades.

However, already in the seventeenth century, various circumstances caused this trade to stagnate, affecting the situation of the population.

The wear and tear that this economic crisis caused the Ming rulers was one of the reasons for the emergence of insurrections against them. Beijing, the capital, fell in 1644 after a rebellion led by Li Zicheng. Soon after, the Manchus seized power, establishing the Qing dynasty.

Qing Dynasty in China

The Qing dynasty, officially the Empire of the great Qing, replaced the Ming in power after they were overthrown in the 17th century. It was the last imperial dynasty in the country and ruled until 1912.

The Qing, coming from Manchuria, took advantage of the rebellion that had defeated the Ming to seize power. For four decades they dedicated themselves to expanding their territories and, after controlling the entire country, they extended their control to Central Asia.

The peak of the Qing dynasty occurred during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, between 1735 and 1796. The empire had 400 million inhabitants.

The subsequent decline was caused by low economic growth and corruption. The intervention of the European powers and the Opium War were fundamental factors for the Empire to weaken.

Important events

Asia was one of the most productive continents on the planet during the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of its products were sold in Europe, especially in France and England. Their great empires could compete in all respects with the Europeans.

However, the great powers of Europe went from being customers or sellers to seeking to establish their political dominance on the continent. That was, without a doubt, the event that most changed the Asian situation during those centuries.

East India Company

The first voyage of the Dutch to the island of Sunda occurred in the early 17th century. Seeing the commercial potential, in 1602 the East India Company was created in Amsterdam, dedicated solely to trade with that part of the world.

The Dutch had to compete with the Portuguese and, above all, with the British, who created their own Company with the same name as the Dutch. On the other hand, the French presence began to increase.

Tokugawa Shogunate

In Japan there was a political change that marked the history of the country almost until the 20th century. In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power in the country, establishing the so-called Tokugawa Shogunate.

Although, in some respects, it modernized the country, in others they preferred to maintain isolation from foreigners. In this sense, the law enacted in 1641 that established the expulsion of non-Japanese and the prohibition of their entry into Japan stands out.

Manchu invasion of China

Ming dynasty saw its power diminish and that the eunuchs were really the ones who ruled the politics of the country.

On the other hand, in Manchuria, the Tanguts had reunited the tribes in the area. Nurhaci had declared himself Khan in 1616 and had created the dynasty that would eventually conquer China.

In 1629, the Manchus broke through the Great Wall and began to bring their troops closer to Beijing. At the same time, the Ming had to face continuous riots caused by poor harvests and the economic crisis in the country, which weakened the defenses against the Manchu.

Finally, after a costly period in which the Shun dynasty reigned, the Manchu managed to occupy the Chinese throne, inaugurating the Qing dynasty.

Russian-Turkish wars

Although most of the confrontations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia took place on European territory, the war between the two powers had many repercussions in Asia. Among these, the control of the Black Sea, the main maritime passage between the two continents.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there were several wars between the two empires. In the end, the last war, between 1768 and 1774, ended up confirming Russian control of Crimea, previously controlled by the Ottomans.

British colonization of India

At the end of the 18th century there was the so-called second era of colonization in Asia. The most important case was the British conquest of India, which was completed during the following century.

As noted above, the British had founded their East India Company in the 17th century. Through this company, they created a network of trading posts in places like Calcutta, Bombay or Madras.

The British took advantage of the lack of strong leaders in India during this period and moved from commercial activity to political dominance.

In 1767, British troops defeated Indian forces near Bengal. Following this, Warren Hasting became the first Governor General in 1774. Within a few years, the entire Indian subcontinent was in the hands of the East India Company.

References

1. Japan Experience. The Edo period (1603-1868). Obtained from japan-experience.es
2. Pellini, Claudio. The Manchu Dynasty Government of the Qing in China. End Ming dynasty. Obtained from historiaybiografias.com
3. Rodríguez, Isabel. Comparative History: The Genesis of the Mughal Empire. Obtained from lasociedadgeografica.com
4. Bin Wong, R. East Asian Political Order, 1500s to -1800s. Recovered from ccnmtl.columbia.edu
5. Frederick, William H. History of Southeast Asia. Retrieved from britannica.com
6. Major, Andrea. The East India Company: How a trading corporation became an imperial ruler. Retrieved from historyextra.com
7. BBC. Ottoman Empire (1301-1922). Retrieved from bbc.co.uk
8. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Mughal dynasty. Retrieved from britannica.com