Just a moment...
Ming rule represented a vehement reaction against what was seen by its original supporters as the corruption, oppression and overtaxation of the Mongol Yuan.
John Darwin • After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000
Despite its strengths, Song China never developed an effective military system. Instead it relied on mercenaries, diplomacy, and paying off outside threats.
Stephen Davies • Just a moment...
The Ming Emperors believed that Song policy had produced a weak, divided polity and had undermined the stability of traditional Chinese society.
Stephen Davies • Just a moment...
the Song came to depend increasingly on taxes on trade and so systematically encouraged it.