The Mongol Empire

Life Pax Mongolica: period of peace and protection for traders throughout Eurasia Northern China was attacked by a nomadic people from the north called the Mongols The Mongols were divided into separate clans led by a khan, or chief

Gengis Khan Under Ghengis Khan, meaning universal ruler, the Mongols became united and created an empire The army was highly skilled and could attack quickly using brutal tactics like burning entire villages and killing the inhabitants Under Ghengis Khan, the Mongols conquered much of northern and central Asia

Kublai Khan After his death, the empire was divided into four khanates, or regions. Under Kublai Khan, the Mongols attempted to control all of China and Korea At one point, the Mongol empire stretched from East Europe to Korea Kublai Khan started the Yuan Dynasty in China and declared himself emperor of China He heavily taxed the Chinese and did not let them serve in higher government positions He encouraged trade and opened China to visitors including Marco Polo.

Sui, Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties

Sui Dynasty After the Han Dynasty collapsed, Chinese military leaders split China into several rival kingdoms They were finally reunited by Wendi, who restored order, created a unified law code, and reformed the government His greatest achievement was the Grand Canal which connected northern and southern China.

Tang Dynasty When Wendi was assassinated, a general in his army seized control and established the Tang Dynasty. Capital in Chang’an They improved the government by requiring Civil Service Exam in which people has to pass a written exam in order to work for the government Tang rulers also created a flexible law code that became a model for Japan and Korea The Tang expanded the empire increasing their exposure to other peoples which increased trade along the Silk Roads

Song Dynasty After the Tang Dynasty, China was not reunified until the Song Dynasty Under Song rule Chinese civilization became the most advanced in the world. The Song created a capital at Kaifeng, resorted centralized government control, reformed the civil service exam The new exam tested prospects on Confucianism The Song were never able to regain the territories in the North or West

Ming Dynasty Following the Mongol Dynasty’s collapse, the Ming Dynasty was founded Emperor Hongwu worked to rebuild and unify China He passed reduced taxes and passed reforms to improve trade He also revived traditional Chinese culture His successor, Yonglo, encouraged exploration and foreign leaders to visit China Following the explorations the Ming’s closed their doors to all foreigners fearing the influence they had on Chinese culture Added to the Great Wall of China

Chinese Cultural Achievements Woodblock Printing- allowed for faster copying of texts by carving the texts out of wood and then covering it with ink to stamp onto a piece of paper Movable Type- made printing much faster by creating individual letters that could be combined to make words Paper Money- was used in order to improved trade because it was lighter and easier to use than coins Gunpowder- was invented for fireworks and signals rather than weapons Magnetic Compass- allowed for further sea travel

The Mongol Empire

Life Pax Mongolica: period of peace and protection for traders throughout Eurasia Northern China was attacked by a nomadic people from the north called the Mongols The Mongols were divided into separate clans led by a khan, or chief

Gengis Khan Under Ghengis Khan, meaning universal ruler, the Mongols became united and created an empire The army was highly skilled and could attack quickly using brutal tactics like burning entire villages and killing the inhabitants Under Ghengis Khan, the Mongols conquered much of northern and central Asia

Kublai Khan After his death, the empire was divided into four khanates, or regions. Under Kublai Khan, the Mongols attempted to control all of China and Korea At one point, the Mongol empire stretched from East Europe to Korea Kublai Khan started the Yuan Dynasty in China and declared himself emperor of China He heavily taxed the Chinese and did not let them serve in higher government positions He encouraged trade and opened China to visitors including Marco Polo.

Sui, Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties

Sui Dynasty After the Han Dynasty collapsed, Chinese military leaders split China into several rival kingdoms They were finally reunited by Wendi, who restored order, created a unified law code, and reformed the government His greatest achievement was the Grand Canal which connected northern and southern China.

Tang Dynasty When Wendi was assassinated, a general in his army seized control and established the Tang Dynasty. Capital in Chang’an They improved the government by requiring Civil Service Exam in which people has to pass a written exam in order to work for the government Tang rulers also created a flexible law code that became a model for Japan and Korea The Tang expanded the empire increasing their exposure to other peoples which increased trade along the Silk Roads

Song Dynasty After the Tang Dynasty, China was not reunified until the Song Dynasty Under Song rule Chinese civilization became the most advanced in the world. The Song created a capital at Kaifeng, resorted centralized government control, reformed the civil service exam The new exam tested prospects on Confucianism The Song were never able to regain the territories in the North or West

Ming Dynasty Following the Mongol Dynasty’s collapse, the Ming Dynasty was founded Emperor Hongwu worked to rebuild and unify China He passed reduced taxes and passed reforms to improve trade He also revived traditional Chinese culture His successor, Yonglo, encouraged exploration and foreign leaders to visit China Following the explorations the Ming’s closed their doors to all foreigners fearing the influence they had on Chinese culture Added to the Great Wall of China

Chinese Cultural Achievements Woodblock Printing- allowed for faster copying of texts by carving the texts out of wood and then covering it with ink to stamp onto a piece of paper Movable Type- made printing much faster by creating individual letters that could be combined to make words Paper Money- was used in order to improved trade because it was lighter and easier to use than coins Gunpowder- was invented for fireworks and signals rather than weapons Magnetic Compass- allowed for further sea travel