Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty
1271-1368

The Yuan dynasty was a part of the Mongol Empire, the Yuan dynasty was known as the center of the four major divisions of the empire, and the empire lasted about 97 years. The Yuan dynasty was established in 1271 and ended in 1368 from the fall of Dadu, a name of a capitol city in China or known by today as the capital of Beijing. The first emperor of the dynasty was Kublai Khan. Which was the grandson of a great and a well known ruler, Tiemuzhen, or better known by the name of Genghis Khan, ruler of the world. After Kublai Khan had passed away, Ukhaatu Khan ascended to the throne. The Yuan empire covered eastern Asia, and stretching to the land of Russia. But sadly the Yuan dynasty was one of the shortest existing dynasty of China.

(http://www.chinavoc.com/history/yuan.htm)

Map of Yuan dynasty from 1294
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yuen_Dynasty_1294.png)

Reason For Take-Over

The Yuan dynasty was the dynasty that was established after the Song dynasty. After the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol, Mongke Khan had died, his successor Kublai Klan was now the Great Khan of the Mongol empire. It was this that sparked the fight against the Song dynasty. This war lasted for two decades, it was clear that Kublai's Khan army would conquer the Song dynasty because of how the Song dynasty has lost its control over Northern Song. From this decades of war and conflicts, China was once again united as one, but now under the rule of the Mongol empire.
(http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/features.php?searchterm=006_elm.inc&issue=006)

A Yuan boat at battle
(http://server2.uploadit.org/files/shaggyback-yuanship.jpg)

Leaders of the Civilization

Kublai Khan

During the period of Yuan dynasty there were two emperors. The first emperor of the dynasty was named Kublai Khan. Kublai was born on September 23, 1215 in Mongolia. Kublai Khan was the grandson of Tiemuzhen, or is better known by the name of Genghis Khan, ruler of the world. During his early years he was the governor of the Southern territories in the Mongol empire. He became in power from a civil war which was between his brother, Ariq Boke. This fight was about the power that both of them wanted from the death of Mongke Khan, who was their elder brother. When Ariq Boke knew about the death of their eldest brother, Mongke Khan, he then decided that he would make himself Khan, or the emperor. But it was not easy as it seems, and as soon as Kublai heard about this he quickly aborted his campaign against the Song dynasty, and then elected himself Khan. Kublai and Ariq ended up in multiple of battles. This conflict ended up with the capturing of Ariq Boke. Kublai Khan held up his brother for two years and Ariq Boke died later in prison.
(http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b3khankublai.htm)

Kublai Khan, the Emperor of the Yuan dynasty
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kublai_Khan.jpg)

Ukhaantu Khan
Ukhaantu Khan or Toghun Temur was born in 1320, he was the second emperor of China. On his early years he ruled over the Yuan dynasty. With his rule he lost China to the Ming dynasty. He lost China to the Ming dynasty because of the might that the rebels in the Southern part of China had. He ruled the Yuan dynasty from 1333-1370, and died on 1370.
(http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/drug_information_online.asp?title=Ukhaatu_Khan)

Leader From Another Civilization Outside China

Philip IV of France
Philip was the son and also a successor of Philip III which ruled France from 1285 until his death. Philip IV was the husband Joan I which was the daughter of King Henry I. Philip IV has earned the nickname of "the Fair" because he was handsome and his appearance were good. Philip IV also had some connections and contacted with the Mongol in the Middle East too, which they were trying to gather up Christian followers to fight off the Muslims in the Middle East. The reason for his death is that while he was on a hunt, he was attacked from a wild boar, and died. 1314. (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0838758.html)

King Philip IV of France
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Philippe4-1.jpg)

Accomplishments

During the Yuan dynasty there were many accomplishments which included literature, art, trade, and politic. The major accomplishments of the Yuan dynasty were mainly based on the development of literature, which includes drama, novel, music and Chinese language. The accomplishments of politics are based on trades between the East and the West. The trade between Mongols and Europe had advance into a cultural exchange of both empire. As for the accomplishments of music, Western musical instruments were brought to the dynasty and was introduced to improve the Chinese performing arts. Arts such as playing cards were bought from Europe and other Western parts of Asia. Thin glass also became popular in the time of Yuan dynasty. There were also advances in science and geography too. All in all the Yuan dynasty has achieved lots of accomplishments and their accomplishments had lots of variety. (http://www.chinavoc.com/history/yuan.htm)

A accomplishment on art, the porcelain dish
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yuan_Dynasty%2C_porcelain_dish%2C_mid_14th_century.jpg)


Reasons For Fall

Although the Yuan dynasty had many accomplishments, it was one of the shortest dynasty and when the right time comes there would be the time for the fall of this dynasty. During the last years of the Yuan dynasty, people in the civilization struggled, and ended in famine. More problems from the emperor is that the Mongols in the Middle Kingdom saw the Yuan dynasty too Chinese and that they lost the influence on China as well. The last emperor of the Yuan dynasty, Ukhaantu Khan, ruled short and did not succeed in managing the country well, and ending up with lots of enemies and rivals. The army grew weak, soon the dynasty was filled with thiefs and bandits roaming the dynasty, and the army could not do anything about this because they had no more power or influence on the people. All of Kublai's Khan successor were exiled out of Dadu by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and creator of the Ming dynasty.
(https://project1.caryacademy.org/ChineseHistory/2004/HistoryCarl/history/fall.htm)

Citations


http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/yuan/

http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Ukhaatu_Khan

http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/drug_information_online.asp?title=Ukhaatu_Khan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kublai_Khan.jpg

http://www.chinavoc.com/history/yuan.htm

http://www.kinabaloo.com/yd1.html

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/

http://www.san.beck.org/AB3-China.html#9

http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/features.php?searchterm=006_elm.inc&issue=006

http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b3khankublai.htm

https://project1.caryacademy.org/ChineseHistory/2004/HistoryCarl/history/fall.htm

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/yuan/decline.htm