Yuan Dynasty
YingZheng
following the downfall of the Tang Dynasty and again unified the whole
country, paving the way for a lasting unification through the Ming-Qing
period.
During the Yuan Dynasty, economic and cultural exchanges were frequent
among different nationalities, and the Hui nationality was formed
during this period. The Yuan had an extremely vast territory, drawing a
basic outline of present China's territory.
The Yuan regime can be roughly divided into three periods: the early,
middle and late periods. The early period began from the reign of
Kublai Khan, Yuan Emperor Shizu, until 1294. During this period rulers
adopted laws from the Han nationality and set up political, economic
and cultural systems that promoted social development.
The middle years (1307 to 1323) marked a period of decline. During this
period, social conflicts and the competition for imperial power became
intensified and included continuous uprisings all around the country.
The New Deal carried out by Emperor Yingzong was like a flash in the
pan, but it could not save the Yuan Dynasty from declining. Finally,
the New Deal failed and Emperor Yingzong died an unnatural death.
>From 1329 in the late-Yuan period, peasant uprisings accelerated the
decline of the regime. Zhu Yuanzhang joined a peasant force and later
took command to defeat other forces and rebuild the dynasty of the Han
nationality, namely the Ming Dynasty.