Ming And Qing Early Southeast Asian Studies,

This article reviews several aspects about the overseas Chinese living in the Southeast Asia in Ming dynasty and earlier stage of Qing dynasty, on the basis of historical records of China and foreign countries and by utilizing the analyzing method of Marxism theory about history. As early as in Han dynasty, there were records of Chinese immigrating to Southeast Asia. After Tang and Song dynasties, the number of overseas Chinese became remarkable in Southeast Asia and they lived in more places. In Yuan danasty, the overseas Chinese could be found in every part of Southeast Asia. It is in Ming dynasty and in the earlier stage of Qing dynasty that the population of overseas Chinese increased quickly and abruptly. The chaos caused by war in last years of Yuan and Ming dynasties and first years of Ming and Qing dynasties and the sanction of maritime trade forced some Chinese Soldiers and civilians to migrate to Southeast Asia. The development of commodity economy in Min~ and Qing dynasties and opening up some areas to the world carried out by some enlightening rulers of Ming and Qing dynasties 3 encouraged Chinese businessmen to move to Southeast Asia. By the end of earlier stage of Qing dynasty, the number of overseas Chinese had reached to several millions. Some of them established their own communities, and the others lived among the natives. They got well along with people in Southeast Asia, exploiting this area together. In the arduous struggle against natural environment, overseas Chinese gave selfless assistance to the countries in Southeast Asia in agriculture handicraft., commerce-, the development of towns and countries and cultural undertakings. They also laid a solid material foundation for the countries in Southeast Asia getting rich and prosperous. When the overseas Chinese and native people in Southeast Asia were creating spiritual values and material wealth constantly, western colonists intruded this paradise. They enslaved and plundered both the overseas Chinese and the native people cruelly. But the overseas Chinese and native people did not yield. They rose up and formed armies to fight the colonists. They did many things heroic and moving. These affairs had laid a historical foundation for the struggle of China and countries in Southeast Asia against the neocolonialism today.