THE MONGOL AND MING EMPIRESJanuary 2, 2013 World History

Who Are the Mongols? Originated in Mongolia Most famous leader is

Genghiz Khan One of the most ruthless

warriors and leaders in history

They were nomadic warriors Conquered parts of Asia

and Europe They would ravage the

land and were responsible for spreading ideas and culture throughout many parts of the world

Building the Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire was united by a number of clan chieftains

Vast military conquests expanded the Mongol Empire Many successful conquests

were led by Genghiz Khan Mongols were not

oppressive rulers Between the 1200s-1300s

was a time of Mongol Peace Known as the Pax Mongolica This led the Mongol Empire

to its greatest height

China Under the Mongols In 1279, Kublai Khan, Genghiz

Khan’s grandson, took control of China

He tried to keep Mongols and Chinese separate from one another This became impossible

over time China was said to be

incredibly wealthy and beautiful to people from the west

As the Mongol empire flourished, contact between Europe and China continued Trade and culture spread

between the two.

The Ming Dynasty A peasant leader, Zhu

Yuanzhang, led a revolt against the Mongol leader This brought the Chinese

back in power In 1368 he founded the Ming

dynasty Ming = brilliant

They fought to bring China back to its height

This was a time of great economic prosperity

During the Ming dynasty the Chinese saw a revival of arts and learning

China and the World Zheng He was one of the most

notorious Chinese explorers He commanded 7 expeditions

that went out through Asia and Europe

The main purpose of the expeditions was to promote trade and collect tribute He explored Southeast Asia,

India, and part of Europe He traded Chinese goods, spread

culture, and ideas After his death, China slowed their

overseas expansion. Half a decade after Chinese

exploration, Europe began their age of exploration, putting them on the map as a world power.