The Yuan Dynasty's History Is Too Harrowing to Read

The Yuan dynasty lasted from 1271, when Kublai Khan founded it, to 1368, when Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming, captured the Yuan capital of Dadu and the last Yuan emperor, Toghon Temur, fled north. That makes a total of ninety-seven years. If counted from 1206, when Temujin, later known as Genghis Khan, founded the Mongol Empire, the span was only 162 years. Compared with the Tang and Song dynasties that came before it and the Ming and Qing that followed, the Yuan was undoubtedly short-lived. Yet despite its brief rule, this was a rich and turbulent period, a bold stroke across the vast canvas of history. As a dynasty that bridged eras in Chinese history, the Yuan had a profound impact on the history of China and the wider world. It was neither a shooting star that vanished in an instant nor a tiny kingdom that briefly blossomed. Its grandeur and might were like those of a Mongolian lion, commanding awe without even a growl. As the stars shifted and all things changed, what caused this empire, once a power among the nations of the world, to collapse so suddenly, after ruling for less than a century?