The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644, a period distinguished by good government, peace, artistic achievements, and prosperity. Ming emperors took an interest in the common people's welfare, going so far as to break up large estates and redistribute them among the poor. Was this some kind of prelude to the much later socialist government? Not really, but it was forward-thinking.

China was also fortunate that when the Ming Dynasty finally crumbled in 1644, a ruling family from the province on Manchuria took over, establishing the long-lived Qing Dynasty, which lasted into the twentieth century. At its height, the Qing Dynasty gave China some of its ablest emperors and most stable administrations ever.

Kangxi, the Qing emperor from 1736 to 1796, molded himself into the image of the ideal Confucian ruler — a benevolent protector of the people. He stressed loyalty, traditional morality, and hard work for the common good — especially in farming. By 1800, the Chinese population was 300 million. Under successive Qing emperors, the Chinese developed fast-maturing varieties of rice so that they could produce multiple harvests within a single growing season.