In the 13th century, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, destroyed the Southern Song (1279). The Yuan, founded in 1271, became the first Mongol dynasty to unify all of China.
Kublai and Dadu
In 1271, Kublai established “Great Yuan” as the dynastic name and built Dadu (Daidu) in present-day Beijing as the capital. To rule the Han Chinese, he established a four-class system based on ethnicity (Mongols, Semu people, Han people, and Southerners).
- A status system placing Mongols first: Han people and Southerners (former subjects of the Southern Song) were at the bottom
- The civil service examination was temporarily abolished (Mongols emphasized ability over examinations)
- Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) was protected
East–West Exchange during the Yuan Period (Pax Mongolica)
Because the Mongol Empire ruled across Eurasia, merchants, envoys, and religious figures from East and West were able to travel safely under the Pax Mongolica (Mongol peace).
・Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant, visited Dadu and dictated “The Travels of Marco Polo” after returning home. It increased European interest in China and East Asia
・Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveler, also visited Dadu
・The plague (Black Death) also spread to Europe through the Silk Road (14th century)
Both of the invasions of Japan (the Mongol invasions: 1274 and 1281) failed because of typhoons (divine winds) and resistance from the Japanese army.
Because the Mongol Empire ruled across Eurasia, merchants, envoys, and religious figures from East and West were able to travel safely under the Pax Mongolica (Mongol peace).
・Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant, visited Dadu and dictated “The Travels of Marco Polo” after returning home. It increased European interest in China and East Asia
・Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveler, also visited Dadu
・The plague (Black Death) also spread to Europe through the Silk Road (14th century)
Both of the invasions of Japan (the Mongol invasions: 1274 and 1281) failed because of typhoons (divine winds) and resistance from the Japanese army.
The Decline and Fall of the Yuan
After Kublai's death, worsening finances, floods, and epidemics combined to increase social unrest. The Red Turban Rebellion broke out in 1351, and Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from a peasant background, rose to power. In 1368, he drove the Yuan northward and founded the Ming.
Practice
- State the name of the city Kublai built as the capital of the Yuan, including its present-day name.
- State the name of the person who visited Dadu during the Yuan period and conveyed information about the East to Europe.
- State the main reasons the Mongol invasions of Japan failed both times.