Ep. 170 | The Mongol Yuan Dynasty (Part 2)
In this episode, Laszlo finishes up the story of the Yuan Dynasty, which was founded in 1271. The parts of China not yet conquered were done in by 1276 and the last holdouts went by 1279. But the Great Yuan didn’t last long.
This episode takes a nice little overview of the dynasty, its slow demise, and the legacy they left.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aju | 阿术 | General and high ranking official during the Yuan. Grandson of Subotei |
| Arigh Böke | 阿里不哥 | Youngest son of Tolui, fought civil war with Kublai |
| Bayan of the Baarin | 伯颜 | Kublai’s greatest general |
| Buyantu Khan | 普颜笃汗 | Also known as the Renzong Emperor |
| Cai Jing | 蔡京 | Huizong’s main official, great calligrapher, not terribly popular in his last years |
| Changzhou | 常州 | City in Jiangsu who felt the wrath of the Khan |
| Chengde | 承德 | Better known in old history books as Jehol or Rehe, city northwest of Beijing |
| Chengzong Emperor | 成宗 | Succeeded Kublai Khan as Yuan Emperor |
| Da Yuanchao | 大元朝 | The Great Mongol Dynasty |
| Dadu | 大都 | Kublai Khan capital, also known as Khanbaliq, City of the Khan’s, located in present day Beijing |
| Dali Kingdom | 大理国 | Kingdom that lasted 937-1253. Mostly located in Yunnan |
| Daxue | 大学 | The Great Learning |
| Duanzong | 端宗 | Second to the last Southern Song emperor, died age 8 |
| Duke of Zhou | 周公 | Son of the Zhou Dynasty founder King Wen, brother to King Wu |
| Duzong emperor | 度宗 | Southern Song emperor from 1264 to 1274 |
| Emperor Gong | 恭帝 | Southern Song emperor from 1274 to 1276 |
| Emperor Shun | 顺帝 | Yuan emperor |
| Emperor Yang of the Sui | 隋炀帝 | Son of Sui Dynasty founder and final emperor of the Sui. Did some good and some bad. Had a lot of concubines |
| Empress Chabi | 察必皇后 | favorite wife of Kublai Khan |
| Empress Dowager Xie | 謝道清 | Wife of Song emperor Lizong. Mother and regent to Duzong |
| Fancheng | 樊城 | City in Hubei opposite the Han Shui from Xiangyang |
| Golden Horde | 金帐汗国 | Originally the northwest portion of the Mongol Empire. Also known as the Kipchak Khanate. Lasted till 1502 |
| Guan Daosheng | 管道昇 | Called “China’s greatest female painter”. Married to Zhao Mengfu…an amazing couple in their day |
| Guo Shoujing | 郭守敬 | Great Yuan dynasty scholar, scientist, engineer. The “Tycho Brahe of China” |
| Haiyun Chan Shi | 海运禅师 | Buddhist advisor to Kublai Khan |
| Han Jiang | 汉江 | Tributary of the Yangzi flows from Shaanxi to Hubei |
| Han Wudi | 汉武帝 | Great conquering Han Dynasty emperor |
| Hankou | 汉口 | The city that puts the Han in Wuhan |
| Hanshui | 汉水 | Another name for the Han JIang |
| Hanyang | 汉阳 | The third city of the Wuhan metropolitan area |
| Hebei | 河北 | Province in northern China |
| Hongwu Emperor | 洪武帝 | Era name chosen by Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty |
| Huaizong | 怀宗 | Last Song emperor, also known as Zhao Bing |
| Hubei ren | 湖北人 | Someone from Hubei |
| Hubilie | 忽必烈 | 1215-1294, Great Khan and founder of the Yuan Dynasty. Reigned 1271-1294 |
| Hui Hui Pao | 回回炮 | “Muslim trebuchet” |
| Huizong | 徽宗 | Last emperor of the Northern Song |
| Hülegü | 旭烈兀 | grandson of Genghis Khan, son of Tolui |
| I Ching | 易经 | The Book of Changes. People swear by it |
| Jia Sidao | 贾似道 | Southern Song chancellor |
| Jiankang | 建康 | Ancient name for Nanjing |
| Jin Dynasty | 金朝 | Jürchen Dynasty 1115-1234, founded by Aguda |
| Jingdezhen | 景德镇 | The historic porcelain capital of China |
| Kaiping | 开平 | Original name of Shangdu |
| Karakorum | 喀喇昆仑 | Mongol capital 1235-1260, originally built by Ogedai Khan |
| Khitans | 契丹 | The people who founded the Liao Dynasty 907-1125 |
| Külüg Khan | 曲律汗 | Also known as the Wuzong emperor |
| Lantau Island | 大屿山 | Hong Kong’s largest island, the international airport is located there |
| Li Tan | 李璮 | Loyal Yuan official up in Shandong who later led a rebellion against Mongol rule in China. |
| Liangdu zhi zhan | 两都之战 | War of the Two Capitals |
| Lishui | 丽水 | City in southern Zhejiang |
| Liu Bang | 刘邦 | A.K.A. Han Gaozu, founder of the Han Dynasty |
| Liu Bei | 刘备 | Mighty hero during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period. Founder of the Shu Han State |
| Liu Bingzhong | 刘秉忠 | Advisor to Kublai Khan on all matters architectural, feng shui and other things |
| Liu Guandao | 刘贯道 | Another great Yuan dynasty painte |
| Lizong | 理宗 | Southern Song emperor 1224-1264 Not a terribly good one |
| Longquan | 龙泉 | Ancient site near Lishui where some of the best porcelain ware in China was fired |
| Lu Xiufu | 陆秀夫 | Official and Military man who served the Song dynasty till the last |
| Mengzi | 孟子 | The Mencius |
| Möngke | 蒙哥 | Eldest son of Tolui, elder brother to Kublai Khan |
| Nanjing | 南京 | Ming Dynasty capital, also known as the ancient city of Jiankang |
| Ogedai Khan | 窝阔台 or 斡歌歹 | Third son of Genghis Khan, second Khan of the Mongol Empire |
| Poyang Hu zhizhan | 鄱阳湖之战 | The Battle of Poyang Lake |
| Qiantang River | 钱塘江 | The southern terminus of the Grand Canal, flowed through Hangzhou |
| Renzong emperor | 仁宗 | Yuan Emperor 1311-1320, champion of Confucianists |
| Shandong | 山东 | Coastal province in the north, famous for a million things including Confucius |
| Shangdu | 上都 | Known popularly as Xanadu, later became Kublai’s summer palace |
| Shi Tianze | 石天泽 | One of Kublai Khan’s most loyal and successful Han Chinese generals |
| Shijiazhuang | 石家庄 | Capital of Hebei Province |
| Shizu | 世祖 | Posthumous temple name of Kublai Khan |
| Shun | 舜 | Last of the mythical Five Emperors, lived around 2200 BC |
| Si Shu | 四书 | The Four Books |
| Subotei | 速不台 | Genghis Khan’s number one guy (and Ogedai’s too!). Great Mongol general |
| Taiding Emperor | 泰定帝 | Yuan emperor 1323-1328 |
| Taizong | 太宗 | Co-founder of the Tang Dynasty, also known as Li Shimin |
| Temuder | 铁木迭儿 | Yuan grand councillar during Yingzong |
| Temür Khan | 完泽笃汗 | Son of Zhenjin, later became the Chengzong emperor |
| The Lunyu | 论语 | The Analects |
| Toghon Temür | 妥懽帖睦尔 | Mongolian name of Yuan emperor Shun |
| Tolui | 拖雷 | Fourth Son of Genghis Khan, father of Kublai Khan |
| Wu Cheng | 吴澄 | Great Yuan dynasty scholar-official and student of Zhu Xi’s philosophy |
| Wuchang | 武昌 | he city that makes up the Wu in Wuhan |
| Wuzong emperor | 武宗 | Yuan emperor 1307-1311 |
| Xiangfan | 襄樊 | The twin cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng |
| Xiangyang | 襄阳 | City in Hubei opposite the Han Shui from Fancheng |
| Yingzong emperor | 英宗 | Yuan Dynasty emperor 1320-1323 |
| Yu the Great | 大禹 | Founder of the Xia Dynasty |
| Yunnan | 云南 | Southwestern province in China |
| Zhao | 赵 | The surname of the Song dynasty ruling family |
| Zhao Bing | 赵昺 | Last emperor of the Southern Song, also known as Huaizong |
| Zhao Kuangyin | 赵匡胤 | Song dynasty founder |
| Zhao Mengfu | 赵孟頫 | Great Yuan era painter, descended from the Song royal family, married to Guan Daosheng |
| Zheng He | 郑和 | The Yongle Emperor’s loyal admiral who led seven voyages to the west that went as far as the east coast of Africa |
| Zhengding | 正定 | A place adjacent to Shijiazhuang, site of Kublai Khan’s mother’s appanage |
| Zhenjin | 真金 | Son of Kublai Khan, died before he succeeded his father as emperor |
| Zhiyuan Era | 至元 | Era during the Yuan 1264-1294 |
| Zhongtong Era | 中统 | Era during the Yuan 1260-1264 |
| Zhongyong | 中庸 | The Doctrine of the Mean |
| Zhu Xi | 朱熹 | Great Chinese philosopher, father of Neo-Confucianism |
| Zhu Yuanzhang | 朱元璋 | Ming Dynasty founder |
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The series concludes in this Part 5 episode that takes Yunnan's history up to 1975.