A Popular Romance of the History of the Yuan Dynasty

Throughout Chinese history, the throne was passed down among the Han people. From time to time, ethnic minorities invaded the Central Plains, but their fortunes rose and fell, and they came and went. Though the cavalry of the Five Barbarians, the Khitans, and the Jurchens blazed with power, none could unite China.

The Mongols originated as a branch of the Shiwei during the Tang dynasty. They lived in northern China, hunting for a living and forming their own tribes. At first they submitted to the Jin and were led by its commanders. Then Genghis Khan was born, united the Mongol tribes, and built their power. The Mongol cavalry swept west into Europe, then soon turned south, destroyed the Jin, and invaded the Song. When the Southern Song fell, the vast Central Plains were swallowed up by the Mongol khan. One dynasty, one set of officials: the Mongols actually ruled China for eighty-nine years. This was an unprecedented feat!

Little did they know that the Mongols were cruel by nature and harsh in their treatment of the people. The realm was exhausted, and countless rebellions broke out. Among those who rose up was Zhu Yuanzhang, who wrested the empire from the Yuan by sheer force. Some say it was Heaven’s will; others say it was human effort. I can’t make head or tail of it myself, so I can only stick to the historical record and tell the story of the Mongol rise and fall in this Romance of the Yuan Dynasty.