Question

a) Identify ONE way in which the passage illustrates the development of China in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

b) Identify ONE other state in the period 1450–1750 that used methods of rule similar to those described in the passage.

c) Explain ONE factor that might have contributed to Verbiest’s view of the emperor in the second paragraph.

Answer 1

a) The passage shows the Qing court’s uptake of Western science and technical expertise — Jesuit missionaries like Verbiest were integrated into state institutions (astronomy, calendar-making), which strengthened imperial administration and legitimized Qing rule in the 17th–18th centuries.

b) Russia (late 17th–early 18th century under Peter the Great) used similar methods: it imported Western experts and technology, reformed administration and the military, and promoted centralized, autocratic rule to strengthen the state.

c) Verbiest’s favorable view likely reflected his personal position and interests: as a Jesuit granted patronage and a post at the imperial court (working on astronomy and the calendar) he depended on imperial favor, so he had incentive to praise the emperor; additionally, Jesuit cultural bias toward strong, enlightened monarchs and the desire to portray missionary success to European audiences would have encouraged a positive portrayal.