Chapter 12.3

Question 1

After fending off the Mongols for several years when did the Chinese finally fall to the Mongol conquest of Kublai?

Answer 1

1279

Question 2

What was the name of the new dynasty formed by Kublai Khan?

Answer 2

The Yuan

Question 3

When was the Yuan dynasty overthrown?

Answer 3

1368

Question 4

Why was the Yuan dynasty important to the Chinese empire even though it lasted a short amount of time?

Answer 4

• Kublai Khan united China for the first time in more than 300 years
• Kublai Khan’s Mongol rule opened up China to foreign trade and relations
• Little was changed to the Chinese government

Question 5

What made Kublai so special while he was the emperor of China?

Answer 5

Unlike his predecessors he left the Asian Steppes and lived in China, he enjoyed the settled life more than the nomadic life. He was also the first foreign emperor of China ever.

Question 6

Where did Kublai build his palaces?

Answer 6

He built a square walled palace in the new capital Beijing and a capital on the border of Mongolia and China in Shangdu.

Question 7

When did Kublai become Great Khan?

Answer 7

1260

Question 8

What caused the failure to conquer Japan?

Answer 8

After forcing the Koreans to build sailboats and set up provisions for the invasion force of 150,000 soldiers, the Japanese defended the attacks for 53 days until a massive typhoon forced the Mongols to retreat. This even is described as “Kamikaze or Divine wind.”

Question 9

What occurred due to the Chinese having little in common with the Mongols?

Answer 9

The Chinese and Mongols lived apart from eachother and followed different laws

Question 10

What did Kublai due to promote trade?

Answer 10

• Restored the grand canal and expanded it 135 miles to Beijing
• Built a paved highway that went 1,100 miles from Hangzhou to Bejing
• Invited European merchants to China
• The Mongol peace promoted trade across the Silk Road

Question 11

What did Marco Polo do?

Answer 11

• Arrived in China by caravan coming from the Silk Road with his uncle and father
• Served Kublai khan as an ambassador
• Was captured during a battle between Venice and rival city Genoa
• In prison the stories he told were turned into a book that was a wild success in Europe, this book inspired many people to visit China in disbelief of how great is sounded

Question 12

What caused the fall of the Mongol empire?

Answer 12

• Overspending by Kublai Khan on fruitless wars and on himself
• Humiliating defeats in the Middle East that cost many lives and equipment
• Overtaxation due to much lost money
• 4 Khans in an 8 year period could not fix the troubles Kublai left the Mongol empire when he died
• Rebellion broke out due to famine, flood, disease and government corruption and the Yuan dynasty was overthrown
• By the end of the Yuan dynasty the Mongol rule on most of Asia had began to disintegrate