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Ming Maritime Ban

Type Object Region China Time 1371–1567

Ming policy restricting private overseas trade to guard against wokou, smuggling and coastal unrest, allowing only tributary trade and limited mariti…

Timeline

  1. 1371Coastal provinces of the early Ming · ChinaThe Ming founder ordered a ban on private overseas communication and trade, restricting people from sailing abroad on their own, retaining only legal foreign trade channels under the tributary system; the maritime ban policy began here.
  2. 1421–1430Quanzhou in Fujian and Guangzhou in Guangdong · Southeast coastDuring the Yongle era, under strict maritime ban, the court used Zheng He's fleets to promote tributary trade and diplomacy; Maritime Trade Supervisorates managed legal tribute ships while private trade remained strictly prohibited.
  3. 1522–1567Coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian · Southeast coastDuring the Jiajing era the maritime ban tightened; smuggling and wokou collusion triggered large-scale wokou troubles, and while strengthening coastal defense the court maintained the ban until the Longqing era opened Yuegang to partial private overseas trade.

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