Download Fusion The Mongol Empire - White Plains Public Schools

The Mongol Empire
World History/Napp
“Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, assumed the title Great Khan in 1260. In
theory, the Great Khan ruled the entire Mongol Empire. In reality, the empire had split
into four khanates. Other descendants of Genghis ruled Central Asia, Persia, and Russia as
semi-independent states. So, Kublai focused instead on extending the power and range of
his own khanate, which already included Mongolia, Korea, Tibet, and northern China.
The Chinese held off Kublai’s attacks for several years. However, his armies finally
overwhelmed them in 1279. As China’s new emperor, Kublai Khan founded a new dynasty
called the Yuan Dynasty. It lasted less than a century, until 1368, when it was overthrown.
However, the Yuan era was an important period in Chinese history for several reasons.
First, Kublai Khan united China for the first time in more than 300 years. For this he is
considered one of China’s great emperors. Second, the control imposed by the Mongols
across all of Asia opened China to greater foreign contacts and trade. Finally, Kublai and
his successors tolerated Chinese culture and made few changes to the system of
government.
Unlike his Mongol ancestors, Kublai abandoned the Mongolian steppes for China. He did
not share his ancestors’ dislike of the settled life. On the contrary, he rather enjoyed living
in the luxurious manner of a Chinese emperor. He maintained a beautiful summer palace
at Shangdu, on the border between Mongolia and China. He also built a new square-walled
capital at the site of modern Beijing. Kublai built this palace to enhance his prestige, but
his new capital meant something more. Previously, the Great Khans had ruled their empire
from Mongolia. Moving the capital from Mongolia to China was a sign that Kublai
intended to make his mark as emperor of China.” ~ World History
Questions:
1- Who was Kublai Khan and how did he extend the power and range of his own khanate?
2- What dynasty did Kublai Khan establish?
3- Identify and explain the three accomplishments of Kublai Khan’s reign of China.
4- What did Kublai Khan abandon? Why did he abandon it?
5- How did Kublai Khan change China?
6- What did moving the capital indicate about Kublai Khan?
“After conquering China, Kublai Khan tried to extend his rule to Japan. In 1274 and
again in 1281, the Great Khan sent huge fleets against Japan. The Mongols forced Koreans
to build, sail, and provide provisions for the boats, a costly task that almost ruined Korea.
Both times the Japanese turned back the Mongol fleets.” ~ World History
7- What did Kublai Khan try to conquer and was he successful?
“The second fleet carried 150,000 Mongol, Chinese, and Korean warriors – the largest
seaborne invasion force in history until World War II. After 53 days, Japanese warriors
had fought the invaders to a standstill. Then, on the following day, the sky darkened and a
typhoon swept furiously across the Sea of Japan. Mongol ships were upended, swamped,
and dashed to bits against the rocky shore, despite their sailors’ attempts to escape onto the
open sea. For centuries afterward, the Japanese spoke reverently of the kamikaze, or
‘divine wind,’ that had saved Japan.” ~ World History
8- What saved the Japanese from the Mongols
Mongol Rule in China
- The Mongol rulers had
little in common with their
Chinese subjects
- The Mongols lived apart
from the Chinese and
obeyed different laws
- They kept the Chinese out
of high government offices,
although they retained
Chinese officials to serve on
the local level
- Most of the highest
government posts went to
Mongols or to foreigners
- Yet Kublai Khan restored
the Grand Canal and
extended it 135 miles north
to Beijing
- Foreign trade increased
under Kublai Khan
- Traders carried with them
such Chinese products and
inventions as printing,
gunpowder, the compass,
paper currency, and playing
cards
Marco Polo
- The most famous European
to visit China in these years
was a young Venetian
trader, Marco Polo
The End of the Yuan
- During the last years of
Kublai Khan’s reign,
weaknesses began to appear
in Mongol rule
- He traveled by caravan on
the Silk Roads with his
father and uncle, arriving at
Kublai Khan’s court around
1275
- In an attempt to further
expand his empire, Kublai
sent several expeditions into
Southeast Asia
- Polo had learned several
languages in his travels, and
Kublai Khan sent him to
various Chinese cities
- Polo served the Great
Khan well for 17 years
- In 1292, the Polos left
China
- His armies and navies
suffered many humiliating
defeats at a huge expense of
lives and equipment
- Heavy spending on fruitless
wars, on public works, and
on the luxuries of the Yuan
court burdened the treasury
and created resentment
among the overtaxed
Chinese
- Later, during a war against
Venice’s rival city, Genoa,
- This presented problems
Marco Polo was imprisoned that Kublai’s less able
successors could not resolve
- In prison he had time to
tell the full story of his
- In 1368, Chinese rebels
travels and adventures
finally overthrew the
Mongols
- To his awed listeners, he
spoke of China’s fabulous
- The rebel leader founded a
cities and mentioned the
new dynasty, the Ming
burning of “black stones”
(coal) in Chinese homes
Questions:
1- How did the Mongols govern China? Who was appointed to government posts and who
was not?
2- How did Kublai Khan help the Chinese people?
3- Why did foreign trade increase under the Mongol rulers of China?
4- What Chinese products and goods travelled on the Silk Road besides silk?
5- Who was Marco Polo and why was he employed by Kublai Khan?
6- Why was a book written about Marco Polo’s travels?
7- What were the “black stones” in Chinese homes?
8- Why did the Yuan dynasty appear to have lost the Mandate of Heaven?
9- What dynasty replaced the Yuan dynasty?
- Explain the concept known as the Mandate of Heaven.
- Why would an emperor lose the Mandate of Heaven?
- How does the timeline above demonstrate the concept of the Mandate of Heaven?
- What is the dynastic cycle?
- How is the Mandate of Heaven connected to the dynastic cycle?
- Identify three Chinese inventions from the timeline.
- Identify the only empress of China from the timeline?
- When did Marco Polo arrive in China?
- What is the time period covered in the timeline?
P R I M A RY S O U R C E
[M]ore precious and costly wares are imported into Khan-balik [Beijing] than into any
other city in the world…All the treasures that come from India – precious stones, pearls,
and other rarities – are brought here. So too are the choicest and costliest products of
Cathay [China] itself and every other province.
~ MARCO POLO, The Travels of Marco Polo
Early in Kublai Khan’s reign, one of his Chinese advisers told him, “I have heard that one
can conquer the empire on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback.”
- What do the primary source and the quote reveal about the Yuan Dynasty?
- Why could the foreign Mongols claim the Mandate of Heaven?


Developed a tribute system
Reestablished trade along the Silk
Roads
 Created an empire from Eastern
Europe to the Pacific coast of Asia
Which group was responsible for the results
described above?
1. Huns
2. Japanese
3. Koreans
4. Mongols
One way in which Pax Romana and Pax
Mongolia are similar is that both were
characterized by
1. political stability
2. unifying religious institutions
3. representative forms of government
4. social equality for men and women
One important impact of the Mongol
expansion across Asia and Europe was the
1. increased authority of the Kievan
princes
2. rise in trade along the Silk Roads
3. introduction of Hinduism into
Chinese culture
4. maritime exploration of the Arabian
seacoast
Base your answer to this question on the
passage below and on your knowledge of
social studies.
…As early as the struggle for the steppe he
had spread the claim that Heaven had
destined him as ruler; members of Mongol
trading caravans spread stories intended to
cause panic among the local populace;
forged letters were fed to Sultan
Muhammad which strengthened his
mistrust of his Turkic units; freedom of
religion was proclaimed; those who offered
no resistance were promised that life and
property would be spared; terrible
destruction was threatened in the event of
resistance; bloody examples were designed
to spread fear and reduce the populace’s
will to resist….
~ Paul Ratchnevsky, Genghis Khan: His Life
and Legacy, Blackwell Publishing
According to this passage, which Mongol
practice contributed greatly to their
success?
1. nomadic lifestyle
2. superior horsemanship
3. psychological warfare
4. religious conversion