I've heard it said that while China certainly had the ability to expand with its technological superiority, it just never really had a reason to do so, leaving Europe to. So is there any way to alter the Chinese mindset to want to spread across the world?
A reason for Chinese expansionism?
- Thread starter MrNumbahOne
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I mean, there's not really a lot around worth expanding into in the first place. Southeast Asia and the Korean states were generally tributary states so no reason to annex them. To the north and west were tribes and empty plains, not worth the manpower and resources to bring them under control. The Han and Tang dynasties were pretty big at their heights though(I'm excluding the Qing). A Ming Colonial empire though, that's an intriguing thought.
"China" certainly was an expansionist state, hell it wasn't all that long ago they (re)annexed Tibet. Barring all the 'non Han' land gobbled up by China, there's also the factor that Ancient China itself was pretty much the yellow river valley. Outside of direct annexation, China tended to prefer having, as mentioned previously in this thread, tributary states. During most of it's history, almost every state surrounding China paid tribute in some way, and was considered to be part of what we would describe as a 'Sinosphere'.
China even in modern times has all the buffer territory it needs. Consider too that its south western border is mostly mountains and its northern border, which traditionally stretches into Mongolia and Russia, is desert and wilderness.
And its not like China never tried to expand. It tried to invade its neighbours several times.
If China had any legitimate competitors in their area, or lacked resources or space then expansion would likely have become a priority.
As has been said they did expand a great deal until they had no need for more room, resources etc.
Spreading across the world can be more trouble than it is worth (ask Spain) and the logistics of China getting to, say, North America make such a venture extremely expensive, but also far less likely to succeed.
One of the reasons Western Europeans colonised in the way they did was because there was nowhere else to expand to at the time, and they had excess population.
Give China less territory to expand into, more dangerous neighbours and naval technology which allows quick and safe oceangoing travel then it could happen. As it was China had a wonderful position, territory and was the local superpower, not much cause to expand from that is there?
As has been said they did expand a great deal until they had no need for more room, resources etc.
Spreading across the world can be more trouble than it is worth (ask Spain) and the logistics of China getting to, say, North America make such a venture extremely expensive, but also far less likely to succeed.
One of the reasons Western Europeans colonised in the way they did was because there was nowhere else to expand to at the time, and they had excess population.
Give China less territory to expand into, more dangerous neighbours and naval technology which allows quick and safe oceangoing travel then it could happen. As it was China had a wonderful position, territory and was the local superpower, not much cause to expand from that is there?
Maybe if you can get China to convert to some sort of exclusivist missionary religion, they might start launching holy wars to convert foreign countries.
No need to expand, the Chinese were the producers of silk and porcelain, Muslims traders brought them exotic spices and ivories without them even have to lift a finger, that's why distant foreign land wasn't that attractive to them.
This is a good pod. Altered confucianism or something new entirely, a syncretism with Islam? Sounds like it could be interesting.