**Ming China’s lesson about #Bitcoin & Decentralisation**
An important principle of #Bitcoin is decentralisation, a concept equally critical in geopolitics.
A look at historical China reveals an interesting perspective, suggesting that it could have colonised the world before Europe did.
Century of Humiliation
Flashback to 1513: A Portuguese vessel, captained by Jorge Alvarez, breaks the silence of China’s coastline - starting a prolonged period of foreign influence over China.
This marked the start of what would snowball into China’s “Century of Humiliation” in which it lost Opium Wars to a superior Britain and was partially conquered by the unlikely Japanese.
History might have taken a different turn had China embraced the idea of decentralisation, a key principle of #Bitcoin’s philosophy.
Ming Dynasty’s Grand Expeditions
To understand why, we need to travel even further back to 1405. China, under the Ming dynasty, was a beacon of prosperity, innovation, and culture.
Zheng He led a series of expeditions from 1405 to 1433, leading hundreds of ships and thousands of men to places like the Strait of Malacca, Sri Lanka, the Red Sea, and Zanzibar.
Abrupt Halt: The Impact of Centralisation
Stretching further and further these expeditions had the potential to take the Chinese around Africa and all the way to Europe.
Yet, they came to an abrupt halt before that.The reason? Centralisation!
Decision-making was fully centralised in the emperor and his bureaucracy. And the emperor banned construction of all sea-going ships to conserve resources for the defence against the Mongols.
A reasonable decision at the time, but one with enormous unintended consequences.
The Cost of Centralisation
This “reasonable” decision had history-changing implications. For China and the world…
China’s centralised bureaucracy took an inward turn, causing the country to miss a wave of opportunities (and likely technological advancements). This misstep would eventually lead to "humiliation" by a long list of nations.
The Vulnerability of Centralised Systems
This story underscores the vulnerability of centralised systems. The emperor made what seemed like the best decision at the time, not knowing it would cause China to miss the opportunity to change history.
The complexity of the world makes the outcomes of decisions impossible to predict. No one person or entity can make the right decisions at all times and such concentrated decision-making power can actually hurt a country’s future.
Decentralisation is the Solution
Nations are better served (over the long-term) by a decentralised system where decisions are made by different persons or entities who work together in a framework of understanding.
Decentralised systems are anti-fragile and find it much easier to adjust to an ever changing world. Providing much-needed stability in the long run.
This is one of the reasons #Bitcoin will outlive most nations and nations that want to survive and prosper should not only adopt #Bitcoin but also its core principle of decentralisation.
