Yuan dynasty
Mongol-led dynasty that ruled all of China proper.
The Yuan dynasty, officially the Great Yuan, was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. In Chinese history, the Yuan dynasty followed the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty. It was the first dynasty founded by a non-Han ethnicity that ruled all of China proper.
- founder
- Kublai Khan (Emperor Shizu)
- capital
- Dadu (modern-day Beijing)
- official_language
- Chinese and Mongolian (written with ʼPhags-pa script)
- preceded_by
- Song dynasty
- succeeded_by
- Ming dynasty
Lore & Background
His realm controlled most of modern-day China and surrounding areas, including modern-day Mongolia, and was isolated from the other Mongol-led khanates. Kublai placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on the imperial records as the official founder of the dynasty, according him the temple name Taizu. In the edict titled Proclamation of the Dynastic Name, Kublai announced the name Great Yuan and claimed succession from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Tang dynasty.
Reader's Guide
The Yuan dynasty marks a pivotal era in Chinese history as the first non-Han dynasty to rule all of China proper. Its establishment by Kublai Khan formalized Mongol rule over China, integrating Chinese bureaucratic traditions with Mongol governance. The dynasty's name, Great Yuan, derived from the I Ching, and its dual-language inscriptions reflected the coexistence of Chinese and Mongolian cultures. Although the Yuan emperors claimed supremacy over the other Mongol khanates, in practice those khanates were independent. The Yuan dynasty's legacy includes its role in unifying China under Mongol rule and its influence on subsequent dynasties, particularly the Ming and Qing.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Great Yuan' was taken from a phrase in the I Ching: 'great indeed is the primal unity'.
- Kublai Khan placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on the imperial records as the official founder of the Yuan dynasty.
- The Yuan dynasty was the first dynasty founded by a non-Han ethnicity to rule all of China proper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the Yuan dynasty's capital and what languages did it use?
The seat of government was Dadu, the location of present-day Beijing. Both Chinese and Mongolian functioned as official languages, with Mongolian additionally recorded in the ʼPhags-pa script.
Why is the Yuan dynasty considered important in Chinese history?
It represented the first instance of a non-Han ethnic group unifying and administering all of China under one imperial banner. It also occupied the transitional slot between the Song and Ming dynasties, inheriting the title of Chinese successor state after the Mongol Empire split into separate khanates.
More in Dynasties And Kingdoms 1-19
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