Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty, which lasted from 1279-1368 A.D., was the first of only two times that the entire area of China was ruled by foreigners, in this case, the Mongols. During the Yuan Dynasty, China was part of the Mongol Empire. Genghis Khan led the Mongols in their defeat of much of China; however, it was his grandson, Kublai Khan who became the emperor and founder of the Yuan dynasty. The Mongols were able to conquer China due to their superior military capabilities. 

The Mongols were culturally very different from the Chinese. This made ruling them very difficult. The Mongols and the Chinese spoke different languages and had a different form of dress and many different customs. These background differences proved impossible to overcome. Despite attempting to rule in a Chinese custom, the government of the Yuan Dynasty had virtually no Chinese. Mongols and other foreigners were given all government positions. The cultural gap resulted in lighter government than that of previous empires, punishments were much less severe. The Chinese nobility were better educated than the Mongol invaders and the best scholars refused to teach in government schools, rather they founded private academies. The Mongols did not succeed in censoring Chinese literature and drama or in providing intellectual or cultural leadership. 

As the Chinese nobility were not allowed to be involved in government, they were free to pursue art and literature. Poetry, while being vastly popular, was not greatly improved upon. The greatest advances in literature were in the forms of theatre and opera. The theatre was a favorite form of entertainment for the emperors and for wealthy families. Educated people began to write librettos for the operas, however they wrote under pseudonyms because playwriting was not an occupation acceptable for scholars. Most of these operas, while their names are known, have been destroyed. Some of the most famous existing ones are (in their English translations) The Story of Lute, The Story of the Orphan of Zhao, The Romance, and the Western Chamber. 

The excessive spending and trade restriction enacted during the Yuan Dynasty severely depleted China economically. Canals and palaces were built, which required the peasants to both supply more tax money and to leave their homes to build them. Campaigns were also launched against Japan which were not successful and destroyed many Chinese ships. External trade, while not forbidden was made very difficult for the Chinese. The Chinese were forbidden to learn to speak any other language. Travel outside of China for commercial reasons was made very difficult. Foreign merchants, however, were able to trade within China and were given privileges by the Yuan. They were free of taxes and were allowed to travel throughout China without restrictions. It is at this time that Marco Polo gave his description of China. It thus follows that he as a foreigner experienced a much friendlier China than the native Chinese themselves did. The Mongols took over a rich China and less than one 

hundred years later left an impoverished nation. 

At the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols were one of the strongest military forces in the world. However, the duties that came with governing their newly won lands led to them becoming lax in military training. In a short time they became so weak that popular uprisings broke out and Zhu, the leader of one of these popular uprisings, succeeded in uniting several other groups and the nobility and overthrew the Yuan. Another factor that led to the downfall of the Yuan Dynasty was the exclusive use of non-Chinese in governmental positions. This had a variety of outcomes, the first was that the nobility despised the Mongols; also, the appointed leaders did not have a sufficient knowledge of traditional sources of Chinese revenue, and the Mongols treated foreigners better than they treated the Chinese. The general impoverishment of the country also had dual effects on the removal of the Mongols. First, the peasants and nobility both were impoverished which led to the popular uprisings. Second, China was so impoverished that the Mongols did not have a very strong interest in maintaining their hold on China.

 List of Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty

Temple Names

Khan Names

Given Names

Reigns years

Era Names and Range of Years

Tàizǔ

太祖

Genghis Khan

Borjigin Temüjin

孛兒只斤鐵木真

1206–1227

did not exist

Ruìzōng

睿宗

Tolui

Borjigin Tolui

孛兒只斤拖雷

1228

did not exist

Tàizōng

太宗

Ögedei Khan

Borjigin Ögedei

孛兒只斤窩闊台

1229–1241

did not exist

Dìngzōng

定宗

Güyük Khan

Borjigin Güyük

孛兒只斤貴由

1246–1248

did not exist

Xiànzōng

憲宗

Möngke Khan

Borjigin Möngke

孛兒只斤蒙哥

1251-1259

did not exist

Shìzǔ

世祖

Kublai Khan

Borjigin Kublai

孛兒只斤忽必烈

1260-1294

Zhōngtǒng (中統) 1260-1264

Zhìyuán (至元) 1264-1294

Chéngzōng

成宗

Temür Öljeytü Khân

Borjigin Temür

孛兒只斤鐵穆耳

1294-1307

Yuánzhēn (元貞) 1295-1297

Dàdé (大德) 1297-1307

Wǔzōng

武宗

Qayshan Gülük

Borjigin Qayshan

孛兒只斤海山

1308-1311

Zhìdà (至大) 1308-1311

Rénzōng

仁宗

Ayurparibhadra

Borjigin Ayurparibhadra

孛兒只斤愛育黎拔力八達

1311-1320

Huángqìng (皇慶) 1312-1313

Yányòu (延祐) 1314-1320

Yīngzōng

英宗

Suddhipala Gege'en

Borjigin Suddhipala

孛兒只斤碩德八剌

1321–1323

Zhìzhì (至治) 1321-1323

Did not exist

Yesün-Temür

Borjigin Yesün-Temür

孛兒只斤也孫鐵木兒

1323-1328

Tàidìng (泰定) 1321-1328

Zhìhé (致和) 1328

Did not exist

Arigaba

Borjigin Arigaba

孛兒只斤阿速吉八

1328

Tiānshùn (天順) 1328

Wénzōng

文宗

Jijaghatu Toq-Temür

Borjigin Toq-Temür

孛兒只斤圖帖睦爾

1328–1329 and 1329–1332

Tiānlì (天曆) 1328-1330

Zhìshùn (至順) 1330-1332

Míngzōng

明宗

Qoshila Qutuqtu

Borjigin Qoshila

孛兒只斤和世剌

1329

Did not exist

Níngzōng

寧宗

Irinchibal

Borjigin Irinchibal

孛兒只斤懿璘質班

1332

Zhìshùn (至順) 1332

Huìzōng

惠宗

Toghan-Temür

Borjigin Toghan-Temür

孛兒只斤妥懽帖睦爾

1333-1370

Zhìshùn (至順) 1333

Yuántǒng (元統) 1333-1335

Zhìyuán (至元) 1335-1340

Zhìzhèng (至正) 1341-1368

Zhìyuán (至元) 1368-1370

Northern Yuan Dynasty (after overthrown by the Ming Dynasty in China in 1368) 1368-early 15th century

Huìzōng

惠宗

Toghan-Temür

Borjigin Toghan-Temür

孛兒只斤妥懽帖睦爾

1333-1370

Zhìshùn (至順) 1333

Yuántǒng (元統) 1333-1335

Zhìyuán (至元) 1335-1340

Zhìzhèng (至正) 1341-1368

Zhìyuán (至元) 1368-1370

Zhàozōng

昭宗

Biligtü Khan

Bóérzhījīn Àiyùshílǐdálà

孛兒只斤愛猷識里達臘

1370-1378

Xuānguāng (宣光) 1371-1378

did not exist

Usakhal Khan

Bóérzhījīn Tuōgǔsī Tiěmùér

孛兒只斤脫古思鐵木兒

1378–1387

Tiānguāng (天光) 1378-1387


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