CHINESE  HISTORY:  SECOND  PERIOD  15
The  extent  of  the  Empire  at  this  time  was  greater  than
ever  before.  The  Mongol  Emperors  ruled  over  the  vast
population  occupying  the  territory  between  the  shores  of
the  Black  Sea  and  the  Yellow  Sea,  and  between  Northern
Mongolia  and  the  frontiers  of  Annam.
During  the  latter  part  of  the  Yuan  Dynasty  rebellions
became  frequent,  and  numerous  secret  societies  sprang  into
existence,  having  as  their  chief  object  the  overthrow  of  the
Mongol  government.
Chu  Yuan-chang  (born  a.d.  1355),  who  had  spent  his
early  life  in  a  Buddhist  monastery,  inspired  by  the  spirit  of
patriotism,  put  off  his  priest’s  robes  and  became  the  leader
of  a  successful  band  of  insurgents.  He  finally  managed  to
overthrow  the  Yuan  Dynasty  and  establish  himself  upon
the  throne.  He  inaugurated  the  Ming  Dynasty,  and  thus
China  once  again  came  under  the  rule  of  a  native  sovereign.
We  can  only  account  for  the  decline  of  the  power  of  the
Mongols  on  the  ground  that,  as  they  adopted  Chinese
civilisation,  they  lost  much  of  their  martial  spirit,  and
became  more  or  less  enervated  and  demoralised.
The  Ming  Dynasty  (a.d.  1368-1644)
The  first  part  of  this  period  was  occupied  with  struggles
with  the  Mongols,  who  naturally  made  desperate  attempts
to  regain  what  they  had  lost.  The  Mings,  however,  were
able  to  make  their  possession  sure,  and  gained  control  over
the  whole  of  the  country.
In  1511  the  first  European  traders  made  their  appearance
in  China.  A  Portuguese  trader,  Raphael  Perestrello,  with
a  small  fleet  of  ships,  arrived  off  the  coast  of  Canton,  and
six  years  later  Fernando  Peres  de  Andrade  entered  the
Canton  River  with  his  vessels,  and  asked  for  the  privilege
of  opening  commercial  intercourse.  He  was  favorably
received  by  the  Chinese  officials,  and  was  allowed  to  proceed
to  Peking  and  reside  at  the  Court.  This  auspicious  beginning ­
  was  doomed  to  a  speedy  eclipse,  for  a  short  time
afterwards  a  second  Portuguese  fleet,  under  the  command
of  de  Andrade’s  brother  Simon,  arrived  in  Chinese  waters  ;