From
the north came a great force. Since 1234, most
of Northern
China was controlled by the Mongols. It was
but a small portion of the vast empire created
by the conquests of Genghis Khan. The Mongol
Empire stretched as far west as the Black Sea.
But to the south, the Song dynasty had
continued to hold the Mongols at bay in a very
long stalemate. In 1253 Kublilai Khan,
grandson of Genghis Khan, completed the
southern expansion with the defeat of the
Southern Song Kingdom. For nearly 100 years
China would be ruled by the outsiders. During
their reign the Mongolian Emperors maintained
strong ties to the homeland and continued many
of their cultural customs. In fact, they were
all buried in Mongolia. The most notable
contribution to the Chinese society by the
Mongol rule was the development of the Postal
Service. Something that was in practice in
Mongolia for many years. The dynasty was
certainly doomed from the beginning. The
Mongols made no attempt to adopt the ways of
the people they governed in any of their
lands. Thus it was only a matter of time
before the people would join together and
drive them from their home. 1368 was the time,
and Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu) was the
man. A peasant turned rebel, he quickly gained
popularity throughout the oppressed population
and with this...power. He successfully drove
the Mongols from the soils of China, and
founded the Ming Dynasty.
China would be ruled by the outsiders. During
their reign the Mongolian Emperors maintained
strong ties to the homeland and continued many
of their cultural customs. In fact, they were
all buried in Mongolia. The most notable
contribution to the Chinese society by the
Mongol rule was the development of the Postal
Service. Something that was in practice in
Mongolia for many years. The dynasty was
certainly doomed from the beginning. The
Mongols made no attempt to adopt the ways of
the people they governed in any of their
lands. Thus it was only a matter of time
before the people would join together and
drive them from their home. 1368 was the time,
and Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu) was the
man. A peasant turned rebel, he quickly gained
popularity throughout the oppressed population
and with this...power. He successfully drove
the Mongols from the soils of China, and
founded the Ming Dynasty.
