Ming History Romance - Popular Histories of China (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Throughout Chinese history, the imperial line has been passed down through the Han ethnicity. Although there were times when minority groups invaded the Central Plains, they rose and fell on their own. The Xiongnu, Khitan, and Jurchen cavalry were once powerful, but they ultimately failed to unify China. The origins of the Mongols trace back to the Shiwei tribal group during the Tang Dynasty, who lived in northern China and made a living by hunting, eventually forming their own tribes. Initially, they were under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, but with the rise of Genghis Khan, they unified the Mongol tribes and grew in power. The Mongol cavalry then launched campaigns westward into Europe and soon turned south to conquer the Jin Dynasty and invade the Song Dynasty. With the fall of the Southern Song, the vast Central Plains were eventually annexed by the Mongol Khans, and for eighty-nine years, they ruled China as emperors—a truly unprecedented event in history! However, the Mongols were ruthless and harsh to the people, exhausting the nation, which led to numerous uprisings. Among them emerged Zhu Yuanzhang, who single-handedly overthrew the Yuan Dynasty. Some attributed it to destiny, while others believed it was due to human effort. I, too, am baffled, so I can only stick to the historical facts and present the rise and fall of the Mongols in a work titled Romance of the Yuan Dynasty. This book is part of the Popular Histories of China series. Written in the traditional chapter format with engaging prose and witty commentary, it vividly portrays the grand and tumultuous journey of Chinese civilization's historical evolution, narrating the rise and fall of the Yuan Dynasty. From Genghis Khan (Temüjin) unifying the Mongol tribes to Kublai Khan establishing the Yuan Dynasty as the state's name, and finally to Zhu Yuanzhang founding the Ming Dynasty, the book is written in fluent and lively style.