Eastern Eurasia, 1200 – 1500 C.E.

I. Mongol Domination in Eastern Eurasia, 1200 – 1368

A. The Mongol Conquests, 1206 – 1279 1. In 1206 Temüjin became Genghis Khan,

which literally means supreme leader of the Mongols.

2. By 1215 Genghis Khan attacks the Jin capital at Beijing.

3. Genghis dies in 1227 and is succeeded by this son Ögödei who controls most of northern China by 1234.

Mongol Leaders

GENGHIS KHAN ÖGÖDEI

4. The capital of the Mongol empire was at Karakorum.

5. The Mongol Empire was united from 1206 to about 1265 – during this time the Khans of the Golden Horde, Jagadai (Central Asia), and the Il-khans (Middle East) were subordinate to the Great Khan in Mongolia.

6. Khubilai declares himself great Khan in 1265 and the descendants of Jagadai refused to accept him.

Khubilai Khan

7. As a result of the infighting between Khubilai and Jagadai’s descendants, Karakorum was destroyed. 8. In 1271, Khubilai declares himself the founder of the Yuan dynasty. 9. The ability of the Jagadai Mongols to defend themselves from the Yuan leads to their tendency to embrace Islam and the Turkic language.

B. The Yuan Empire, 1279-1368 1. Khubilai believed in all things Chinese and encouraged its unity. 2. His son was trained in Confucian schools and he made sure that Confucian conventions were always acknowledged. 3. He made sure that Beijing would be the capital in part due to its location along crucial trade routes.

Yuan Dynasty

4. While the Mongols maintained Confucian decorum, they also understood the importance of immigrant professionals. 5. The Mongols brought in Persians, Arabs, Uigurs, and Turks to emulate the direct taxation of the middle east. 6. They also relied on Muslim scholars to lead offices of calendar making and astronomy.

7. The Mongols ruled China by dividing it into provinces much larger than they had been earlier. 8. In an attempt to secure credit, the imperial government issued paper money but the population failed to trust it. 9. To avoid an economic collapse, they issued copper coins and cut off trade with Japan.

II. The Early Ming Empire, 1368-1500 A. Ming China on Mongol Foundation 1. During the 1360s, China was engulfed in a bitter Civil War between various Mongol princes. 2. A charismatic Chinese leader by the name of Zhu Yuanzhang successfully destroyed the Yuan empire establishing the Ming Dynasty. 3. He later took the name Hongwu.

Ming Dynasty

4. The transition from Yuan to Ming was mainly symbolic in an attempt to reject the Mongols. 5. The capital was moved from Beijing to Nanjing. 6. Emperor Hongwu practically cut off trade with Central Asia and the Middle East. 7. He also attempted to eradicate paper money but it proved too unhealthy for the economy.

8. In 1403, an imperial prince by the name of Yongle staged a coup d'état which allowed him to rule from 1403 – 1424. 9. Yongle moved the capital back to Beijing and improved upon the palace of Khubilai. 10. The central part of this complex became known as the Forbidden City because the general population was forbidden to go there.

Courtyard of the Forbidden City

B. Zheng He and 15th century trade 1. Yongle restored trade with the Middle East and Ming conquests in Southeast Asia spurned a need for connections via the Sea. 2. Zheng He was a trusted imperial eunuch who led expeditions from 1405 to 1433. 3. Zheng He was a superb sea captain who believed that his exploits were measurably increasing the glory of Emperor Yongle.

4. Zheng He was a Muslim who’s father and grandfather made the pilgrimage to Mecca. 5. His religious affiliation made him an effective ambassador to the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian peninsula. 6. His mission was twofold: affirm allegiances/tributary status and advertise the reversal of Hongwu’s policies.

Chinese vs. European ships