Yuan Dynasty(approx. 1280-1368)

Mongol Empire & Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan DynastyCapital:

Languages:

Religions:

Dadu (Beijing)

Chinese, Mongolian

Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion, Tengriism, Christianity, Islam

The Yuan DynastyGovernment:

Currency:

Today part of:

Monarchy

Paper Currency (Chao), Chinese cash

Burma, China, India, North Korea, South Korea, Laos Mongolia, Russia, Hong Kong, Macao, Vietnam

Mongol Conquest of ChinaTiemuzhen/Genghis Khan (1162-1227)

Founder and emperor of theMongol Empire.

Placed in the imperial records as theofficial founder of Yuan Dynasty by hisgrandson, Kublai Khan.

Assigned Ögedei Khan as his successor. Split his empire into khanates. Conquered many lands across

Asia and Europe:North China in the East.Turkey in the West.Russia in the North.Europe was saved from the Mongol invasion when

Genghis Khan died after defeating the Western Xia in 1227.

Founding of Yuan Dynasty

Kublai Khan (1260-1294) Known as the Great Khan. True founder and emperor of the

Yuan Dynasty. First Mongol (non-Chinese) emperor

of China. Genghis Khan's grandson. Defeated his younger brother Ariq Böke

in a succession war. Invasions of Japan, in 1274 and 1281,

were failures. Invasion of Java in 1293 was also a failure. Transferred the Mongol capital from Karakorum to

Peking.

Under the Rule ofKublai Khan

Introduced the Mongol customs in China and at the same time the Mongols assimilated themselves to the Chinese culture.

Established a government with institutions resembling the ones in earlier Chinese dynasties and made reforms to maintain his centralized rule.

Centralized the government of China and made himself an absolute monarch.

Made Dadu, which is present-day Beijing, the capital of Yuan.

Made Shangdu the summer capital. Improved the agriculture of China, extending

the Grand Canal, highways, and public granaries. The agricultural techniques used were superior to those of the previous dynasties and food output increased.

Linked China to the east and west which brought in further influx of various religious and cultural influences.

Supported the Silk Road trade network, allowing the contacts between Chinese technologies and the western ones.

Promoted science and restored the schools, invited scholars, scientists, and artists to his court.

Promoted religion and tolerated all foreign religions and welcomed their missionaries. Christianity Islam Buddhism

Carried on diplomatic relations with the Vatican and the Western nations.

Issued paper banknotes (made from mulberry bark paper) known as Chao. The use of paper currency stimulated the development of commerce.

Marco Polo described his rule as benevolent: relieving the populace of taxes in times of hardships; building hospitals and orphanages; distributing food among the abjectly poor.

Marco Polo A Venetian traveler. A good friend of Kublai Khan. Worked as an envoy for Kublai Khan. Messenger to the Western world. Told the story of his travels in a book

entitled The Travels of Marco Polo. Catapulted the historical epoch called

the "Age of Discovery and Exploration".

Arrival of Marco Polo and his father

and uncle at the court of Kublai Khan at Peking.

Contributions to China & to the World

Paper money

Magnetic compass

Blue & white porcelain

Guns Hand cannon

Gunpowder

Landscape painting Four Great Painters:

Huang GongwangNi ZanWu ZhenWang Meng

TheatreOperaMusic

Decimal numbers

Thank you!

Yuan Dynasty: China's HistoryPumar, Korinna Kim S.