China:From the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty

• Read your paragraphs

• Underline the main ideas

• Create a brief skit that will demonstrate the important points to the rest of the class

• You have 15 minutes-go!

The Influence of the Mongols in

Asia:Ming Dynasty China

andThe Mughal Empire

Yuan Dynasty Rule in China• Origins: The Yuan rulers were Mongols; they were the first

foreigners to rule China and were lead by Kublai Khan

• Accomplishments: – Created an extensive transportation and communication system, including

postal service– Kept power away from the Chinese by creating a hierarchy that valued

foreigners and passing restrictive laws– Hosted Marco Polo on his travels through Asia

• Fall: Chinese resentment grew as the Yuan rulers worsened; a Chinese rebellion ended Mongol rule in 1368

The Ming• Origins: Overthrew the Mongol dynasty in 1368

– Established a new “Mandate of Heaven”• The idea that bad rulers lost heaven’s favor and were replaced

• An Era of Greatness: Major Accomplishments– Grand Canal connecting North and South is built– Food production is increased– Nationwide school system established– Great Wall is strengthened– Capital is moved to Beijing and the Forbidden City is built– Voyages of exploration take place

Voyages of Zheng He• Zheng He (Jung Huh)

– Muslim admiral in Chinese court– Led seven exploratory missions in early 1400s– Visited Southeast Asia, India, and east coast of Africa– Voyages stopped amid fears that such trading was not needed

and beliefs that China was superior to everyone else

The Fall of the Ming: 1644

• The quality of the emperors declined over time– All power was concentrated with the emperor, so if he was

bad, then that influenced everything else• Rebellions broke out due to over-taxation

– The emperor used the money to live in luxury and supply the army, who was fighting…

• Aggressive neighbors: The Manchu – This group was from the North and would eventually win the

war with the Ming– They ruled China until the 1900s

The Mughals: Origins

• Muslim descendents of the Mongols– Brought Islam to India

• The Mughal (or Moghul) Empire spread from Southwest Asia into India

• At its height it covered almost the entire Indian sub-continent

The MughalsWe should already know:• They conquered others

using superior military technology

• Sometimes they tolerated the Hindu population, sometimes they persecuted them

• They were great traders

Famous Rulers• Akbar

– Established religious tolerance– Married Hindu princesses– Ruled during a time of great stability and trade

• Shah Jahan– Expanded Mughal territory– Built the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal• Created as a tomb

for Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal

Fall of the Mughals

• By the 1700s, Hindu groups had started rebelling

• Also, the Europeans (especially the British) had started seeking influence, land, and goods

• By 1757, the British controlled much of the former Mughal Empire

Pair work

• Choose a partner to work with• Write an acrostic poem about one of the empires

we learned more about today, Ming China or the Mughals

• Add an illustration