Transcript The Government of Kublai Khan - New Paltz Central School District

The Government of
Kublai Khan
“It is easier to conquer from the back of a horse
than to rule from one”
– a Chinese official to Kublai Khan
(how the Mongols answered these questions)
I. What shall be our relationship
with the Chinese?
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Lived separately from the Chinese
Separate law codes
Separate language
Practiced Tibetan Buddhism
Mongol Society and Privileges
• Four classes:
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Mongols
"Color-eyed"
Han
Southerners
most privileges in society
Central Asians,
Chinese in northern China, Manchus,
Southern Song and other ethnic groups -least trusted – least privileges
II. How shall we govern?
• At first Kublai Khan acts as conqueror collecting
random tribute - later settles and governs as an
authentic emperor
– Mongols and Foreigners filled the top levels of
government.
– Han and Southern Chinese excluded from high
government positions (deciding government policy
and running government)
– Han and Southern Chinese officials used in lower
level positions (carrying out government policy)
• Result – the Mongols needed interpreters so
that the high levels of government could
communicate with the lower levels of
government
III. What should we do about the
land?
• One Federal Tax system on the land to the
Central Government (Instead of to local
lords)
• Improvements to agriculture (irrigation)
• repaired Grand Canal- 135 miles
• 1000 + mile highways
• public granaries to stave off famine
(starvation)
The
Grand
Canal
IV. Where shall we have our
political center?
• Building, Infrastructure and Settlement:
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Moved capital from Himalaya region (Dadu or Ta Tu)
New capital in Beijing
hospitals
orphanages
• Result of Settlement: Some Mongols revolt in
protest of moving the capital and settling down in
China. Kublai Khan defeats them
• As years go by the Khanate of China loses
control of the Mongols on the Steppes
Cultural and Product Exchange
• Products traveling west along the Silk
Route (protected by the Pax Mongolia)
– Chinese prints
– Gunpowder / early guns
– Compass
– paper money
– playing cards
– silk
– porcelain
Traveling East to China
• Merchants from India, Persia, Central Asia, Italy
• Marco Polo 1275 – 1292 – trader / government
official?
• Kublai Khan hosted missionaries and religious
scholars and some Mongols adopted a mix of
Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam
• Science and Technology from the West was
brought to China
Decline of the Yuan Dynasty
• Kublai dies in 1294
• Weaker rulers and over taxation angers
Chinese
• Failed attempt to conquer Japan
• Overthrown by Chinese peasants in 1368
–-> Ming Dynasty claims the Mandate of
Heaven
• Pax Mongolia breaks up as the Khanates
decline one by one