What were the reasons for China's closed-door policy in terms of politics, economy, national psychology and cultural traditions? (Detailed)

There have been many scholars who have discussed the motives of Kangxi's policy of sealing off the country. For example, some say that it was because of rampant piracy, or to prevent the trafficking of grain out of the country, or to defend against Western invaders, and some say that it was because of his insecurity about the Han Chinese, etc. This article shows that the first few reasons are not true, and that the real reason was to prevent the Han Chinese from leaving China. This article shows that the first few reasons are not true, the real reason is to guard against the Han Chinese.

In the previous blog, it has been mentioned that the instructions given by Kangxi in order to implement the closure of the country, as recorded in the Real Records of the Qing Emperor 270, is a first-hand source of information for exploring the motives of Kangxi's order to close the country to the Chinese.

On December 25, 1955, Kangxi spoke of Luzon (referring to the Philippines), Kara Bar (referring to Java, Indonesia) "hiding a lot of thieves. The people of the interior, hoping to make a profit, often in the boat load of rice to bring, and sell the boat and return, and even those who stayed in their place."

The next day, Kangxi on the ministers of the long instructions, are excerpted below: ".... Sea defense is today's important matters..... Annual shipbuilding trade in the ocean more than a thousand, back but ten of the five or six, the rest are sold overseas, a silver (that is, to bring back silver) and return, .... Quickly prohibited. Overseas there are Luzon, Kara Bar and other places, often stay Han people, since the Ming Dynasty, this is the sea of thieves (i.e., its gathering place) also.... Zhang Bo Xing has played the rice of Jiangsu and Zhejiang more than the sea trafficking, the words can not be fully believed, but must not be prevented... ... Eastern Ocean can make trade, if the South Seas merchant ships can not be made to... ... Overseas, such as the Western countries such as a thousand years later, China is afraid of being tired of it, which I expect the words. And the Han Chinese heart is not uniform, such as Manchuria Mongolia hundreds of thousands of people are one heart. I have been in the imperial (that is, the king of the world) for many years, every Han for the difficult to rule, in order that it can not be a heart of the reason."

Ministers according to Kangxi's instructions to draw up three specific measures, one is not allowed to Chinese people to go to the South Seas; the second is not allowed to sell the ship to a foreign country; the third is not allowed to go out to sea people stay abroad.

Kangxi was very shrewd, his knowledge, especially about the West, compared with the people of that era, and so rich, he would not be unaware of the West has been in the navigation of great benefits. Why did he make such a foolish decision?

First, rampant piracy, anti-grain exports, against foreign invaders are not the reason for the closure of the country

In the Kangxi dynasty did have pirates, but, never really reached the level of the Qing dynasty has a threat. Only the twenty-seventh year of Kangxi, forty-three years, fifty-two years, etc. There have been records of pirates. But are not too serious. Fifty-two years to pacify some of the pirates, the ministers asked how to deal with, Kang Xi said because they are familiar with the water, can be integrated into the naval division, strengthen the sea defense.

The shrewd Kangxi knows very well what these "pirates". He said in fifty-two years and the subject of the conversation, I heard that the sea in Zhejiang fishing boats are very much, fishing boats into the sea port, the officials and soldiers asked for money, before releasing its entrance, which does not live in poverty, can not go home, it became a pirate. Visible, Kangxi is very clear that the coastal pirates were originally forced out. Kang Xi more with the way to solve this problem, and dealt with is not very harsh. The shrewd Kangxi is not because of this small problem on the strict closed-door lockdown.

In the conversation, although also mentioned some areas of Southeast Asia is the gathering place of pirates, but these areas and the pirates along the coast of China did not have a direct relationship, there is no pirates to these areas as a base for infestation of the coast of China's records. And in the Ming Dynasty pirates - Japanese pirates have a considerable part of Japan, Ryukyu as a base, but Kang Xi allowed the Chinese to go to Japan to trade, visible ban on the sea and pirates do not have a direct relationship.

The reason for the closure of the country is also not because of food exports. Kangxi himself said that the minister's claim that food was sold overseas was not credible. If food is a problem, just tight control of food exports can be, no need to close the country. In the specific closed-door measures, it was allowed to trade in the East, and there was no emphasis on not exporting food.

From the Kangxi instructions in this paragraph and the measures determined by this, do not see the closed country is to deal with the aggressor. If it is to deal with foreign aggression, should use some other measures, such as strengthening the navy and sea defense forces, or foreigners to China to make some more severe restrictions. Kang Xi did not mention these, the ministers of the proposed measures are not in this regard. Kang Xi clearly said, in a thousand years China will suffer from the West, closed the country is the current implementation of the current problems, not for a thousand years to prepare for what happened.

Second, the root cause of the closure of the country in the prevention of the Han Chinese

The reason why Kang Xi made such a wrong instructions, the root cause is the very populous Han Chinese do not trust, do not rest assured.

Kangxi for the Chinese people shipbuilding sold to foreign countries and stay in Southeast Asia is very important, and that Southeast Asia is the gathering place of pirates. The Qing government formulated specific measures, also emphasized that the people are not allowed to move to Southeast Asia, not allowed to sell boats to foreign countries, if the violation of these provisions, is to kill. This should be the embodiment of Kangxi's intention.