Mongol and Ming Empires
Mr. Koch
World History A
Forest Lake High School
Mongols
(early 1200s)
• Nomadic group
– largely lived on horseback
• Clans united by strong, harsh
leader
– Genghis Khan (“World Emperor”)
– led extremely skilled, fierce army
– Spread empire across northern
Asia to eastern Europe
– Adopted use of cannons to attack
walled cities in China
Mongols
• Often allowed
considerable freedom to
conquered if paid tribute
• Established stability,
peace, and order during
rule (1200s & 1300s)
• “Pax Mongolica”
Mongols
• Genghis’ grandson –
Kublai Khan – finally
conquered China in 1279
– Became known as Yuan
Dynasty
– Tried to avoid assimilation
– Only Mongols hold top
positions or serve in
military
Ming Dynasty
• In era after Kublai Khan’s
death, peasant leader
organizes rebellion
– Many Chinese hated Mongol
rule
• Viewed as “barbarians”
• Tried to revive ways of
previous Chinese empires
– Confucianism, civil service
exams, economy, arts
Ming Dynasty
• 1405 -1433
Zheng He travels
around the world
with large fleet
– After his death,
China “turns
inward” and
largely ends
exploratory
voyages