Read more
List of contents
Introduction: Views of Mongol Rule in China 1. China before the Mongol Conquests 2. The Submission of the Uighurs of Gaochang and the Mongol Campaigns against Xi Liao and Xi Xia 3. The Conquest of the Jin Empire 4. Mongol Rule in North China 5. The Campaign against Dali 6. Early Relations with Song – Alliances and Warfare 7. The Conquest of Tibet 8. The Final Overthrow of Song 9. Campaigns in Yunnan and South-East Asia 10. Internal Dissent and Rebellion – Arigh Boke, Nayan, Khaidu 11. Korea and Japan 12. Mongol Administration under Khubilai Khan and Later 13. The Collapse of Mongol Rule in China 14. The Legacy of the Yuan Dynasty
About the author
Stephen G. Haw has travelled extensively in Central Asia and China over a period of some 25 years. He is the author of The Lilies of China (1986), China: a cultural history (1990), A Traveller’s History of China, Broad-leaved Evergreens (2000) and Marco Polo’s China, as well as contributions to other books and a large number of periodical articles. He has a strong interest in natural history, especially botany, and has made a particular study of the flora of China.
Summary
The Mongol conquests of China in the thirteenth century have typically been seen as a disaster for the subject Chinese peoples, placing them under the yoke of an invader insensitive to Chinese cultural values, distrustful of Chinese influences and inept in government.
This book assesses the Mongol achievements in China and re-considers their significance, arguing that the Mongols did not merely cause harm but also brought many benefits, not least bringing together nearly the whole of what was later referred to as ‘China’ and devising a system of government that, more or less successfully, held it together. It provides an account of the turbulent period immediately preceding the Mongol conquest of China, presenting evidence that strongly suggests the first use of gunpowder weapons in China. It goes on to examine the manner in which China was brought under Mongol rule, with particular focus on some of the major campaigns including the submission of the Uighur, the conquest of the Jin and Song empires, the campaigns in Dali, Yunnan and Korea, and the occupation of Tibet. Investigates the impact of Mongol rule, including the important lessons learned from ruling northern China and the later dynasties established by great Mongol rulers such as Khubilai Khan. Finally, it examines the reasons behind the collapse of the Mongol empire in China and the legacy left by Mongol rule.
