Transcript The Mongols Conquer China - White Plains Public Schools

The Mongols Conquer China
In this lesson, students will be able to
define the following terms:
Kublai Khan
Yuan Dynasty
Silk Road
Fall of Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
E. Napp
Kublai Khan, a grandson of Chinggis Khan,
conquered China.
E. Napp
Kublai Khan
• In 1279, Kublai Khan, a grandson of
Chinggis Khan, conquered China.
• He adopted the Chinese name of “Yuan”
for his dynasty.
• Kublai Khan built a new capital city
(Beijing).
E. Napp
Kublai Khan conquered China but
adopted many Chinese ways.
E. Napp
Trade
• Under Kublai Khan, trade between China
and the West increased.
• The Mongols took control of the Central
Asian trade routes.
• The Mongol rulers protected merchants
and travelers along the trade routes.
E. Napp
The Silk Road was an important trading
route. During the Yuan dynasty, trade
along the Silk Road increased.
E. Napp
Mongol Government
• While the Mongols adopted many Chinese
ways, they did not allow the Chinese to
become high government officials.
• Chinese men could not participate in the
government.
• However, the Chinese were allowed to
maintain their cultural traditions.
E. Napp
The Chinese were
not permitted
to become
high government
officials during
the Yuan dynasty.
The Mongols firmly
controlled the
government.
E. Napp
The Mongols built a new capital city.
Today, this city is called Beijing. For
many years, Westerners called it Peking.
E. Napp
The Fall of the Yuan Dynasty
• The Mongol Dynasty fell in 1368.
• The Chinese believed that the Mongols
had lost the Mandate of Heaven due to
massive famines.
• A Chinese peasant led a rebellion against
the Mongols and a new Chinese dynasty
was founded.
E. Napp
The Ming dynasty was founded by a
Chinese peasant.
E. Napp
Ethnocentrism and Isolationism
• The Ming emperors were ethnocentric.
They felt that other cultures were inferior.
• Gradually, the Ming emperors began to
isolate China from other cultures.
• Isolation led to China falling behind other
cultures.
E. Napp
Isolationism
prevents cultural
diffusion. New
technologies and
inventions are
not shared. This
can harm a nation.
E. Napp
Questions for Reflection:
• Who was Kublai Khan and how did he
affect Chinese history?
• How and why did the Mongols adopt many
Chinese ways?
• What was the Silk Road and why did trade
increase during Mongol rule of China?
• Why did the Yuan dynasty fall and why did
the Mings isolate China?
E. Napp