Transcript 12.3 The Mongol Empire

Warm-up #9
1) Describe the nomadic way of life on the
Asian steppe.
2) Why do you think that the Mongols were
able to conquer so much territory?
Mongol Rule and the Yuan
Dynasty
• Card sort – put the cards in the order that
you think the events took place.
• I’ll tell you if they are in the correct order.
• Once we are done, we’ll record these
events in the timeline handout.
3
12.3 The Mongol Empire
As Emperor of China, Kublai Khan
encourages foreign trade.
Kublai Khan Become Emperor
• A New Emperor
– Kublai Khan, grandson
of Genghis, becomes
great khan in 1260.
– Kublai conquers China
by 1279.
• Beginning a New Dynasty
– Kublai established the Yuan Dynasty (12791368), a period of peace and prosperity.
– Kublai adopts Chinese ways, and builds
capital at Beijing.
• Failure to Conquer Japan
– In 1274 and 1281, Kublai tries but fails to
conquer Japan.
– The Massive second invasion was destroyed
by a typhoon.
Mongol Rule in China
• The Mongols and the Chinese
– Mongols live separately from Chinese and
follow own laws.
– Mongols keep top government posts, and put
Chinese in local positions.
– Kublai extends Grand Canal to Beijing, and
builds a highway.
By 1260, Mongol Empire split into
khanates of four regions.
Khanate of the Great Khan
(Mongolia & China)
Khanate of the Golden Horde
(Russia)
Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia)
Ilkhanate (Persia)
• Foreign Trade
– Trade increases under Kublai, sending
Chinese products to other lands.
– Kublai invites merchants from other lands to
China.
• Marco Polo at the Mongol Court
– Venetian trader, Marco Polo, visits
China in 1275.
– Polo returns to Venice in 1292; tells
stories of what he saw in China.
• Fabulous cities, fantastic wealth
• Burning “black stones (coal) to heat
Chinese homes
• Kublai Khan’s government and trade
in Beijing
– These stories were gathered in a
book, but most readers doubt its
truth.
The End of Mongol Rule
• Declining Power
– Failed expeditions to Southeast Asia show
weakness of Yuan Dynasty.
– High taxes cause resentment.
• Yuan Dynasty Overthrown
– Kublai dies in 1294; successors are weak.
– In 1300s, rebellions break out, leading to
formation of Ming Dynasty.
• Decline of the Mongol Empire
– Mongol rule collapses in Persia in the 1330s;
in Central Asia in the 1370s.
– By the end of the 1300s, only Mongol rule in
Russia remains, the Golden Horde.
Timeline of China’s Dynasties, 500-1500
Homework
Mongol Rule Map --follow directions on the
map.