Assignment Evaluate the factors that made China the preeminent power in the early modern world. Response Over the last 500 or 600 years, history has proven that East Asia, particularly China, has been the preeminent power in the early modern world. It was in the Ming dynasty when China rose as the world most powerful nation and bequeathed its achievements in policies and technologies to the following dynasties. Under Ming ruler, the China Empire unified for the first time in 250 years after vanquishing the Mongols back to the north, expanded its territory thus increased the population and affirmed its prestige throughout the neighbour countries. The factors that contribute to China's success to dominate the world belong to three main categories: bureaucracy, agriculture and trade. In addition, military power also influences the country's power, although to a smaller extent. Despite some of its limitations, policies made based on these three main sets have effectively shaped China a strongest and unique nation among others at this time in the world. From the beginning of the dynasty, the Ming rulers had known how to use its predecessor's governance strategies to rule efficiently in its own way. Although some certain areas resembled the Mongols dynasty government, the Ming had brought China to a higher level. Compare to other empires at the time, China had the highest population density. This might benefit China in terms of providing an enormous labour resource or encouraging cultural values and traditions. But for a country with an economy mostly dependent on agrarian revenues, with only 7% of world cultivable land to support agriculture, China needed a policy system that can sustain and perpetuate the life of its people. With his power in hand, the Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang designed a fiscal system for an unchanging economy, which was considered quite conservative. The system did not allow private oversea voyages, limited trade with foreigners; a system that were unlike any commercialize market systems existing at the time. Nevertheless, it succeeded in bringing sufficient land tax revenues to the central government through registering both population and land. The system designed by Zhu Yuanzhang, however, was altered a little under the next emperor's reign, Yongle. After successfully seizing the power from Zhu Yuanzhang's designated heir, Yongle launched a more ambitious policy system. Although basically it still followed the former system, but this time including the emperor's spectacular ocean voyages visited several southern countries and the famous expenditure of Zheng He, the little changes in policy making enhanced not only the emperor's reputation but also brough