2. METODOLOGÍA
2.1 DISEÑO E IMPLEMENTACIÓN DEL SISTEMA
2.1.3 ESTACIÓN DE RECARGA DE BICICLETAS ELÉCTRICAS
In 1271 Kublai Khan announced the beginning of his own dynasty. Called the Yuan dynasty, it covered northern China, with its capital at Beijing. In 1279 Yuan forces defeated the Sung dynasty in southern China. The Yuan ruled China until 1368.
Under Mongol rule, China prospered in many ways. Once the Mongols secured their empire, a century of war ended. The population, which had dropped to about 60 million, began to grow again.
Kublai Khan extended the length of the Grand Canal by hundreds of miles in order to supply his new capital with food from the southern farmlands. He also fostered routes linking China with India and Persia. This greatly improved trade. Probably as many as 10,000 courier stations, each stabling hundreds of horses used by relay riders, dotted Yuan China. These stations, set about 25 miles from one another, enabled mounted couriers to carry news and imperial messages
throughout the empire. The efficient Yuan system of commu- nications connected to virtually every corner of the empire and helped to maintain unity and order. Improved trade and communication encouraged China’s economic growth. At the same time, however, heavy taxes enforced by the Yuan emperors may have weakened
the economy and created many hardships for farmers and merchants. Over time, the emperors’ harsh taxes and frequent demands for tribute helped to undermine Yuan authority and to promote growing resentment toward Mongol rule.
Contact with Europeans. During Mon- gol rule, contact between China and the rest of the world increased. King Louis IX of France and the pope in Rome both sent ambassadors to China. Christian mission- aries also traveled there, as did travelers from other non-European nations.
It was during the reign of Kublai Khan that the Italian Marco Polo traveled to China. Marco Polo was a famous merchant and explorer. At about the age of seventeen
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The grandson of the great Mongol warrior Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan also proved to be a great general and ruler. He would go on to conquer China and become the first emperor of the Mongol dynasty.
Kublai Khan was known for his capable governing and his mercy toward conquered peo- ples. He stressed religious toler- ation. He was also the first ruler to use only paper money. What were some of Kublai Khan’s achievements?
Kublai Khan (1215–1294)
Marco Polo, pictured here in Mongol dress, brought news of Kublai Khan’s empire back to Europeans.
he left Venice with his father and uncle. After three years of difficult travel they arrived in China. Kublai Khan was impressed with the young Marco Polo. He employed Polo as his special representative. Polo traveled around China for 17 years and became famous. In his book The Travels of Marco Polo,he described Kublai Khan’s court to his fellow Europeans:
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When the Great Khan is holding court, the seating at ban- quets is arranged as follows. He himself sits at a much higher table than the rest . . . His principal wife sits next to him on the left. On the right, at a somewhat lower level, sit his sons in order of age . . . . They are placed so that their heads are on a level with the Great Khan’s feet. Next to them are seated the other noblemen at other tables lower down again. . . . All the wives of the Khan’s sons and grandsons and kinsmen are seated on his left at a lower level, and next to them the wives of his nobles and knights lower down still.”
Marco Polo, The Travels of Marco Polo,trans. by R.E. LathamChinese-Mongol relations. The Yuan dynasty did much that was good for China. However, there were still tensions between the Mongols and the Chinese. For one thing, they spoke different languages. More importantly, the Mongols did not treat the Chinese as equals. Only Mongols or other non-Chinese people could hold important positions in the government. Mongol law punished Chinese criminals more harshly than non-Chinese ones. Moreover, the Mongols
did not allow marriage between different groups of people. Kublai Khan died in 1294, leaving China to weak succes- sors. During the period after his death, the country experienced many problems. The Huang River flooded, destroying crops and causing famine. Rebellions sprang up. Finally, in 1368, the Yuan dynasty was overthrown.
The Mongols influenced China in several ways. They brought greater contact with Europe. They made local governments more responsible to the central government in Beijing. Later Chinese
dynasties built on these political reforms by giving more powers to the emperor.
READING CHECK: Making Generalizations What were the good and bad effects of Mongol rule in China?
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275 THE CIVILIZATIONS OF EAST ASIA
SECTION 2REVIEW
SECTION 2REVIEW
1. Identify and explain the significance: Genghis Khan Kublai Khan Batu Golden Horde Marco Polo
2. Sequencing Copy the graphic organizer below. Use it to illustrate the events that led the Mongol nomads from the plains of Central Asia to become rulers of China.
3.
a.Why did the Mongol invaders want to conquer so much land in Asia?
b. Overall, was Mongol rule good or bad for the average Chinese person? Explain your answer.
4.
Supporting a Point of ViewWrite a letter to Kublai Khan requesting that he change some policy of his government with which you disagree.
Consider:
• the impact of Mongol rule on the Chinese people • the way you think the Great Khan might expect to be
addressed
keyword: SP3 HP12
Drawing Inferences What can you infer about the society of the Yuan dynasty from the way that people were seated at Kublai Khan’s banquet?
Paper money, as well as coins like those shown here, served as currency during the reign of Kublai Khan. Eventually only paper money was used.
Mongols take Tibet, SE Asia Mongols