Mongol Expansion and Conquest of China

Study Notes

The Mongols developed skills crucial for nomadic life, including horsemanship and combat.
Genghis Khan unified Mongol clans, establishing a new legal code.
His conquests extended to various civilizations beyond the steppes.
After Genghis Khan, the empire was divided into khanates, with Kublai Khan controlling the eastern part focused on controlling China.
The Mongols' conquests significantly impacted the lands they conquered.
They fostered trade and cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe, introducing gunpowder technology from China.
Mongols generally tolerated different cultures and religions, even adopting some aspects of conquered societies.

Kublai Khan established his capital in Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing).
Kublai Khan ended the Song Dynasty, establishing the Yuan Dynasty in China.
The Mongols governed with their unique laws and customs, often separating themselves from the Chinese populace.
The Yuan Dynasty did not rely on the traditional Chinese civil service examinations for government positions.
China experienced a period of wealth and power under the Mongol rule (Yuan Dynasty).
Marco Polo, a Venetian traveller, spent time in Khanbaliq during Kublai Khan's rule, witnessing and recording the empire's grandeur and trade.
The Yuan Dynasty promoted maritime trade, leading to increased interactions and knowledge exchanges.
The Mongol empire facilitated interaction with other cultures and civilizations, including the introduction of European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian merchants to China and China's innovation and technology throughout Eurasia.
The Mongols employed Koreans to build naval vessels.
Quanzhou was a significant port city in that era, supported by previous Chinese dynasties, and it continued to thrive under the Yuan