Welcome to Yuan Dynasty

Map

(This map shows the empire of Yuan Dynasty(Mongols). Yuan Dynasty conquered from 1279- 1368 A.D.)

Technology/Economy

There were famous technologies invented during the Yuan period. There are mainly four great inventions during the Song to Yuan Dynasty. The four inventions are papermaking, printing, compass, and lastly, the gunpowder. Although some of these inventions were invented during the earlier dynasties, these inventions greatly improved and were further developed under Yuan Dynasty period. Also these inventions were introduced to foreign countries and it made great cntributions to world civilization.
Mongols run the economy basically by exploiting taxes and trade. They were aware that taxing and trading were much more profitable for them than raiding. For the north, they used the two tax system which was poll-tax combined with the triple tax in grain, material and corvee labour was in use. But in the south, the double tax system which was pleasants must pay taxes two times a year with a real-estate plus profit taxes. During Kublai's reign, things improved a lot. He made groups of fifty households to expand land for agriculture and resulted in encourage the silk production. He also started using more paper currency but to make sure its value, he also used golds and silver. With the new construction of roads and improved canals supported the trade , and so the system economic activity.

(Right- Genghis Khan on 1,000 Mongolian tugrug , official currency of Mongolia )

Religion/Philosophy

The Yuan Dynasty didn't really supported or encourage any religions. Although Mongols practiced shamanism, the Yuan Dynasty opened up and welcomed any religions and philosphies. But some religions and philosophies were popular among the mongols and they were specially protected by the state. Musilims were friendly with the Mongols and muslims were allowed to access government positions, which chinese prohibited to, and Lamaism were specially reserved in the Mongol Empire. Buddism, Confucianism, Taoism were all accepted in the Yuan Dynasty. This greatly influenced the society because people were feeled welcome and each religions had a special place in the Mongol Empire. The people were allowed to spread their relgions and set up missions. Religions and Philosphies had a tremendous impact in the Yuan Dynasty and this did not only affected the society but affected the whole world. The Yuan period was one of the most fundamental cultural diffusion between China and the rest of the world.

(Left- Example of Pags-pa script based on the Tibetian Brahmi alphabet)


Government

Yuan Dynasty was absolute military occupation of China than a real civil government. There were practically no chinese in the government. The government positions were all occupied by Mongols and other foreigners only. The government basically took control the system of taxation and they also made the paper money as the national currency. The Mongols adopted Chinese political structures and political theories like the confucianism. All government officials must take a test on Confucianism's philosophy. Secretariat, Censorate, and the Burea of Military are the three central government offices. Secretariat, secretary, has two counselors, the Censorate has two head censors which they maintain the disciplinary surveillance over the whole officialdom, and the Bureau of Military took care of the military affairs. The central branches of Secretariat, the Censorate, and the Burea of Military governed each province or state.
(Left- Marco Polo visit to the government court of Kublai Kahn)

Leaders/Contemporaries


Genghis Khan(Universal Leader):
-Born around 1162-1167 A.D. in Central Mongolia
-Founder of Mongol Empire
-Mongol Military Leader
-Known as one of the greatest military innovators in human history
-Gathered the Mongols and organized into a military force
-Defeated and conquered far larger armies and lands.
-Led his armies against China and defeated them
-Died in1127 A.D. during a battle, while conquering China
(Left- Portrait of Genghis Khan)

Kublai Khan(Great Khan):
-Born in 1215 A.D.
-Grandson of Genghis Khan
-Mongol Military Leader
-First Emperor of Yuan Dynasty
-Improved military force, agriculture, trade, government
-Died in1294 A.D.

(Right- Portrait of Kublai Khan)

Marco Polo:
-Born in 1254 A.D. in Venice
-Venetian trader and explorer
-One of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China
-Wrote a book The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo
-Died in 1324 A.D.


(Left- Portrait of Marco Polo)




Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta:
-Born in 1304 A.D. in Morocco
-Moroccan Sunni Islamic Scholar
-Jurisprudent from the Maliki Madhhab (a school of Sunni Islamic Law)
-Sometimes a judge
-Best known as an extensive traveler or explorer
-Traveled to China
-Died in 1369A.D.

(Right- IbnBattuta on a camel)

Social Changes

Since the Mongols were ethnically very diverse from the Chinese, it was difficult for the Mongols to rule. Not only the Mongols and the Chinese had different languages but their form of clothes and customs were very different. The Mongols banned Chinese languages and forced them to speak only in Mongolian. "Zhi Sun dresses" were very famous during the Yuan Dynasty. Not only they were worn by government officials but they could be worn by any classes. It could be made out of different types materials. Men wore robes with overlapping collars and narrow sleeves, and Women wore leather coats and hats as their national attire. Marten and sheepskin clothes were very popular. Instead of trying to rule in a Chinese custom, the Yuan government ruled in their own custom and these background differences proved impossible to overcome. Basically, there were virtually no Chinese in the Yuan government.
(Left- Monglian robe with overlapping collars and narrow sleeves)


Other

-The Mongols enforced a four class system on China
-Divided the population into four separate ethnic groups(Highest to Lowest class):
1. Mongols
2. Westerns and Central Asians- Semu Ren
3. Northen Chinese- Han Ren
4. People who had been ruled by Southern Song that were brought into the Yuan- Nan Ren

(Right- Mongols riding horses going for battle)

Timeline

1279-------------Kublai Khan conquered Beijing and found Yuan Dynasty
1294-------------Kublai Khan died and the Mongol Empire separated in khanates: Sarai in the west (descendants of Batu, the "Golden Horde"), Beijing in the east (the Yuan), Sultaniyeh in Persia (the Ilkhan Sultanate, descendants of Hulegu) and the Chaghatai Khanate in the center
1304-------------Mongols under Ali Beg invade India but are defeated by the Delhi sultanate
1335-------------Abu Said dies and the Ilkhan khanate ends
1365-------------The Turks defeats the Chaghatai khanate
1368-------------Yuan Dynasty crushed by rebels and nobles and Ming Dynasty is founded

Summarize
The Yuan Dynasty was founded in 1279 but was overthrown in 1368 A.D. Papermaking, printing, compass, and gunpowder are the greatest inventions, and the economy ran mostly by trading and taxing during the Yuan Dynasty. Although the Mongols practiced shamanism, all kinds of religions and philosophies were accepted. There wasn't a real civil government during the Yuan period, instead everything was run by military. Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan are both great leaders among the Mongol; Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta were both travelers to China. The Mongols had totally different dressings, language, and customs from the China. In the Yuan Dynasty, four class system was ensured and Mongols came first, then Semu Ren, Han Ren, and Nan Ren.

Work Cited

1. Hooker, Richard. "The Mongolian Empire: The Yuan." Ancient China.
 1996. 8 Feb. 2007.
 <http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/YUAN.HTM>.

2. Scaruffi, Piero. "A time-line of the Mongols." Piero Scaruffi.
 1999. 8 Feb. 2007.
 <http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/mongols.html>.

3. "Chinese History - Yuan Dynasty."
 CHINAKNOWLEDGE - a universal guide for China studies.
 2000. 8 Feb. 2007.
 <http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Yuan/yuan.html>.

4. "Five Thousands Years of Culture from Heaven: Chinese Dress
 through the Ages." Clear Harmony. 
 29 Jan. 2003. 8 Feb. 2007. <http://www.clearharmony.net/
 articles/200301/9895.html>.

5. "Yuan Dynasty." Travel China Guide. 26 Dec. 2006. 8 Feb.
 <http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/yuan/index
 .htm>.

6. "Yuan Dynasty." Wikipedia. 8 Feb. 2007. 9 Feb. 2007.
               <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_Dynasty>.

THANK YOU!!!