yuan dynasty definition

The Mongol police force, the tutqaul, was given the task of ensuring roads were kept free from bandits, and western Asians, particularly Muslims, were often given roles in the financial side of government such as finance ministers and tax inspectors. The Mongols' reign in China was finally ended due to a lethal cocktail of endless infighting amongst their leaders, inept and corrupt government which overspent and overtaxed, floods and famines. In 1271, Kublai Khan imposed the name Great Yuan (Chinese: 大元; pinyin: Dà Yuán; Wade–Giles: Ta-Yüan), establishing the Yuan dynasty. Mongol suzerainty eventually also stretched throughout most of Asia and eastern Europe, though the Yuan emperors were rarely able to exercise much control over their more distant possessions. Artists such as Zhao Mengfu and the Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty (Huang Gongwang, Ni Zan, Wang Meng, and Wu Zhen) thus firmly fixed the ideal of “literati painting” (wenrenhua), which valued erudition and personal expression above elegant surface or mere representation. Zhu’s successes continued, and he defeated his two main rival rebel leaders and their armies, first Chen Youliang at the battle of Poyang Lake (1363 CE) and then Zhang Shicheng in 1367 CE. The Mongols were helped by many Song generals defecting or surrendering their armies, and the fact the imperial court was beset by infighting between the child emperor’s advisors. The four official Yuan ranks, based on perceived loyalty to the Yuan rulers, were: Being a member of one of the above four classes had repercussions for an individual's tax status, their treatment by the judicial system and their eligibility for positions in the state administration (there was a 25% capped quota for southern Chinese, for example). Kublai ensured that Mongols always gained an advantage in China by officially classing them as superior in rank to Chinese. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1. (yo͞o-än′, yü-) A Chinese dynasty (1279-1368) established by the Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan with its capital at present-day Beijing. During the Yuan, however, artists—especially those native Chinese who steadfastly refused to serve their conquerors—had to seek inspiration within themselves and their traditions. The vast size of the empire resulted in more-extensive foreign trade and foreign intercourse than at any other time before the modern period. The real power, though, remained in Mongol hands as key administrative positions in the newly created 12 semi-autonomous provinces that China and northern Korea (annexed in 1270 CE) was now divided into largely went to Mongols, especially to members of the very large Mongol imperial bodyguard. On his return home, Marco wrote of his experiences in his book The Travels of Marco Polo, first circulated c. 1298 CE. 1. Examples of Yuan Dynasty in the following topics: Painting under the Yuan Dynasty. The latter art form, which included puppet theatre as well as live actors, boomed under the Yuan because of its visual appeal and striking stories; the Mongols, unable to speak Chinese, had little time for prose and poetry. Invented just outside the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, this script was used to create unification in the systems of writing for both the Chinese and the Mongolian languages. Distrustful of the Chinese, they enlisted the services of many nationalities and employed non-Chinese aliens. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. 'Great is Qián, the Primal') in the Commentaries on the Classic of Changes section regarding the first hexagram Qián (乾). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Zhu replaced the Red Turban’s traditional policy aim of reinstating the old Song Dynasty with his own personal ambitions to rule and gained wider support by ditching the anti-Confucian policies which had alienated the Chinese educated classes. The emergence of the Mongol dynasty dates to 1206, when Genghis Khan was able to unify under his leadership all Mongols in the vast steppe lands north of China. English Definition Traditional. Although many Chinese officials continued to work as before, they were subject to random and secret inspections by Mongol-trusted censors. Another significance of the Yuan Dynasty was the outstanding achievements in the natural sciences and technology. The Mongols' own preference for shamanism showed no signs of change, although Kublai himself converted to Tibetan (Lamaist) Buddhism. The administrative centrality of the Yuan was continued by the succeeding Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties, giving those later Chinese governments a more authoritarian structure than that of previous Chinese dynasties. This rivalry sometimes broke out into violence with one emperor being assassinated and another thrown out following a coup. Kublai Khan was particularly interested in re-establishing the Chinese tribute system which had been neglected during the latter part of the Song’s reign. Dramatists—including at least a dozen prominent Sinicized Mongols—wrote romantic plays of four or five acts in vernacular, with several songs in each act. For the next six decades the Mongols continued to extend their control over the north and then turned their attention to southern China, which they completed conquering with the defeat of the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty in 1279. Revolts in the mid-14th century led to the final overthrow of the Yuan in 1368, making it the shortest-lived major dynasty of China. Ancient History Encyclopedia. There was also an emphasis on stark and simple forms (e.g., bamboo or rocks) and on calligraphy, often with long complementary inscriptions on the paintings themselves. dynasty - a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family. The new law code introduced in 1270 CE, however, had only 135 capital crimes, half of those in the code used by the Song. To facilitate the employment of these aliens, the civil service examinations were suspended for a number of years. Their first emperor was Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1279 CE) who finally defeated the Song Dynasty which had reigned in China since 960 CE. It was used in the imperial court until the end of the Yuan Dynasty. There followed widespread banditry and uprisings by an overtaxed peasantry. The Mongols had already made several major attacks on Song territory, notably during the reigns of Genghis Khan (r. 1206-1227 CE) in 1212-1215 CE and of Mongke Khan (r. 1251-1259 CE) in 1257-1260 CE. Mongol suzerainty eventually also stretched throughout most of Asia and eastern Europe , though the Yuan emperors were rarely able to exercise much control over their more distant possessions. Yuan dynasty - the imperial dynasty of China from 1279 to 1368. Nevertheless, the achievements in literature and art of this dynasty were no less than the previous dynasties. In 1268 CE Kublai Khan focussed on finally knocking out the Song Dynasty and establishing himself, as all nomadic leaders before him had dreamed of, as the emperor of China. Due to the open policy implemented by the Yuan rulers, a great many advanced science and technology innovations were introduced to China. Yuan dynasty, Wade-Giles romanization Yüan, also called Mongol dynasty, dynasty established by Mongol nomads that ruled portions and eventually all of China from the early 13th century to 1368. 5. The Yuan dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China established by Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan. The Yuan Dynasty was amazing for its size, humble beginnings, paper money, largest armadas, technology, monumental over-spending, and huge natural disasters. Octagonal Ping vase, blue-and-white porcelain, from Baoding, Yuan (Mongol) dynasty, China. Under Yuan rule the regional music drama that had gone two separate ways during the Song dynasty was intermixed as yuanqu, or “Yuan drama.” Popular song styles became freer than before, and several forms of dancing and acrobatics were added to popular entertainment. Although the Mongols had ruled territories, which included today's northern China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. The new literary genre attracted many men of letters, as well as large audiences. Click card to see definition Dynasty in China set up by the Mongols under the leadership of Kublai Khan, replaced the Song (1279-1368) -change to bureaucracy to the "best of best" get the job; tried to keep Chinese from having any political power Of special merit was the first appearance of blue-and-white ware—consisting of white porcelain with blue underglaze—which was to become so popular in later periods and among Western collectors. Please support Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation. In addition to a renewed emphasis on traditional craft arts (silver, lacquer, and other materials), there were important developments in ceramics. Beginning with Kublai, Mongol rulers made some superficial attempts to appeal to the… This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Look it up now! There was a time when it was, in fact, completely controlled by the Mongols. Chinese textiles, chinaware, lacquerware, and other items were exported. Cite This Work The success of Mongol warfare across Asia had been based on fast cavalry, but the Song countered this by deliberately adopting a strategy of more static warfare and building great fortifications at key cities and river crossings. Those painters sought in their art a return to what they viewed as more ideal times, especially the Tang and Bei (Northern) Song periods. The traditional Han ethnic people stayed at the bottom among the four-class system during the reign of the Mongols. Merchants were encouraged to use paper money, currency exchanges were better regulated, and more roads, canals (including the Grand Canal connecting southern and northern China), and use of ocean-going ships aided the transport of goods. Omissions? Related Content Yuan Dynasty. Updates? Ancient History Encyclopedia. Meanwhile, Zhu declared himself the ruler of China in January 1368 CE. The famous Italian traveler, Marco Polo, visited China during the Yuan D… The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. Making himself emperor of China, Kublai gave himself the reign name Shizu and, in 1271 CE, his new dynasty the name ‘Yuan’, meaning either ‘origin’ or ‘centre, main pivot.’ The start date of the Yuan Dynasty is variously put at 1260 CE (Mongke’s campaign), 1271 CE (first official use of the ‘Yuan’ dynasty title), 1276 CE (deathof the last Song emperor and fall of the Song capital) or 1279 CE (final extinguishing of Song resistance). Written by Mark Cartwright, published on 29 October 2019 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Various earlier traditions were continued, but there was also interest in producing new shapes, decoration, and glazes. Punishments were a particularly striking area of difference with, for example, a Mongol found guilty of murder only having to pay a fine while a southern Chinese convicted of mere theft was fined and then tattooed as a criminal. Differences in treatment included northern Chinese being taxed by household while southern Chinese had to pay according to the area of land they owned. 3. 1279 CE was the first time that China had been unified since the 9th century CE. Last modified October 29, 2019. The counterpart in the Mongolian language was Dai Ön Ulus, also rendered as Ikh Yuan Üls or Yekhe Yuan Ulus. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Kublai was succeeded by his grandson Temur Oljeitu as Khan and emperor of China (r. 1295-1308 CE) who, continuing with the same institutions and many of the same officials appointed by his father, enjoyed a peaceful and successful reign. Finally, on 19 March 1279 CE a great naval battle was won at Yaishan near modern-day Macao; the Mongol conquest of China was complete. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2020) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Wiktionary (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: yuan (Noun) The basic unit of money in China. "Yuan Dynasty." Further, despite the obvious discrimination, southerners kept their classical Chinese culture very much alive through private meetings and the arts, often producing paintings, poetry and plays which conveyed within them subtle protests against the Yuan regime. Merchants, not being producers but ‘exchangers,’ had been discriminated against under the Song, and these, too, now benefitted from more favourable tax measures, low-cost loans and the end of sumptuary regulations. Etymology: From 元. Yuan (ProperNoun) The imperial dynasty of China from 1279 to 1368. Later,…. Yuan dynasty, Wade-Giles romanization Yüan, also called Mongol dynasty, dynasty established by Mongol nomads that ruled portions and eventually all of China from the early 13th century to 1368. The social structure between the Yuan and the Chinese was always contentious, based on an 'us and them' mentality, that played a large role in the brevity of the Yuan Dynasty. Yuan definition is - the basic monetary unit of the People's Republic of China. "Yuan Dynasty." Kublai's empire was the first to use paper money as the main currency. A number of books were ordered by the Emperor using the script and there were several cultural events sponsored by the Emperor that emphasized poetry and painting during this period of time. Kublai abolished the civil service examinations which would have favoured Chinese officials with their Confucian education (they were reinstated in 1313 CE but Mongols still received advantages). The Song royals were taken prisoner to Kublai’s new capital at Beijing (Daidu). Zhu was left the most powerful leader in China, and, after taking Beijing, the last Yuan emperor of a unified China, Toghon Temur (r. 1333-1368 CE), fled to Mongolia and the old, now largely abandoned capital Karakorum. The effect of these policies was to create a boom in crafts and trade, especially of silk and fine porcelain, the latter product now being supervised by a specific government agency, paving the way for the later Ming potters to gain worldwide fame of their own. Yuan Dynasty Bank Note & Plateby PHGCOM (CC BY-SA). Yuan definition: The yuan is the unit of money that is used in the People's Republic of China. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Yuan China was disintegrating from within. The Yuan rulers had not helped themselves by squabbling over power, creating an overblown bureaucracy, and wasting revenue and land resources on a few favoured princes and generals. Together with the Tang poem and 'ci' poem in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), this drama was one of the outstanding Chinese literary heritages. the imperial dynasty of China (1279-1368) established by Kubilai Khan; During this dynasty, the Silk Road became safer for travelers because it was monitered by patrols. he Yuan dynasty was the khanate ruled by the successors of Möngke Khan after the division of the Mongol Empire. Please help us create teaching materials on Mesopotamia (including several complete lessons with worksheets, activities, answers, essay questions, and more), which will be free to download for teachers all over the world. Between c. 1275 and 1292 CE Marco served Kublai Khan, seemingly in the capacity of a roving ambassador/reporter on the more remote parts of the Mongol Empire. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan dynasty bore the Mandate of Heaven. There were other measures of segregation, too, such as forbidding Chinese to take Mongol names, wear Mongol clothes or learn the Mongol language. Like Japan, Southeast Asia was attacked in various land and naval campaigns but they also proved an elusive prize with invasions of Vietnam (1281 and 1286 CE), Burma (1277 and 1287 CE), and Java (1292 CE) achieving only limited success but at least gaining regular tribute from the Pagan kingdom in Burma and the Champa and Dai Viet kingdoms of Vietnam. Nevertheless, the Mongols as a group, by forging an empire from the Black Sea to the Korean peninsula (even if it was now split into large khanates ruled by Genghis Khan’s descendants) had managed to expose China to a wider world. Of more concrete benefit to the Mongols and Chinese than world fame, the Yuan did promote international trade, too. Mark is a history writer based in Italy. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Yuan_Dynasty/. Unlike other rulers of China, the Mongols were never totally Sinicized, which proved to be an important factor in their downfall. Under the new literary genre attracted many men of letters, as well as large audiences change, although himself. Many nationalities and employed non-Chinese aliens and employed non-Chinese aliens have suggestions to improve this article was recently! It was, in fact, completely controlled by the Yuan Empire was the first foreign-led dynasty in the dynasties... 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