History Accounts

Send us Fan Mail

Temur Khan died without an heir and did not designate one. A violent succession conflict resulted among the royal princes.  Eventually one of his nephews emerged from the conflict to take the throne of the Mongolian Empire and the Chinese Yuan Dynasty.  He became Emperor Wuzong (or Kulug Khan).    He made a pact with his younger brother, Ayurbarwada Buyantu, to succeed him.  He became Emperor Renzong.  Together the two brothers ruled China for thirteen years.  The two of them could not have been more different in the directions they took China.  One of the brothers was a military commander from the Asian Steppes before ascending to the throne.  The other brother grew up under Chinese tutelage and tried to further Sinicize the Yuan Government.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Kubilai Khan's death without an heir to the Khanate and the Chinese Dynasty once again caused uncertainty  over the regime, and fighting among his grandson's over the succession.  Kubilai Khan's grandson, Temur, eventually ascended to the throne.  The next thirty-nine years brought a rapid succession of nine emperors.

Temur was a capable ruler. He made peace with the other warring Mongolian Khanates within the empire.   He also left the administrative state's systems and structures in good condition.  He did little, however, over the ceaseless fiscal problems that haunted the empire and the dynasty.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The Chinese Yuan Dynasty begins.  Kubilai Khan and the Mongols reunite China for the first time in nearly four centuries.  China became the biggest prize for the Mongolian Empire.  Kubilai Khan brilliantly wove together Mongolian traditions and institutions with those of the Chinese.  Despite the severe fiscal problems he caused, and his failures trying to subjugate Japan, he was a decent Emperor.  Unfortunately, he died without leaving an heir or a designated successor.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Kubilai Khan is perhaps the most known Mongol leader after his grandfather, Genghis Khan.  He is known for the direction and building of a magnificent estate in Inner Mongolia intended to be a summer capital or palace.  The estate is also known as Xanadu in western parlance.  

Kubilai is also notable for his final conquest over the Southern Sung Dynasty in China. The eleven-year slog through China finally ended in the collapse of the Dynasty in 1279.  The campaign featured the longest known siege in Chinese history.  The five-year siege of Xiangyang, China finally broke in favor of the Mongols with the use of the trebuchet.  These weapons had originated in China many centuries before that time. It had made its way to the west and Europe, and Kubilai Khan brought it back to China, and improved and used it in the conquest of the Sung Dynasty. Kubilai Khan united China once again after the defeat of the Sung Chinese. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The Tangut and Jin Dynasties permanently fall to the Mongols.  By then, Genghis Khan's son, Ogodei, led the Mongol Empire.  The Mongol warriors and their military commanders struck fear and terror everywhere they went.   Subutai Ba' Dur stands out as one of the most ablest and successful Mongol military commanders.

Ogodie Kahn's death caused a major division over his successor among the various Mongolian princes.  The schism would eventually contribute to the demise  of the Mongol Empire.  After Ogodei Khan came Guyuk Khan and then Mongke Khan.  The latter will become more familiar later in this podcast series.    The Mongol Empire reached its zenith under Mongke Khan.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Seemingly out of nowhere the small landlocked nation on the Eastern Asian Steppes, inhabited mostly by animal shepherds and nomads, challenged established Asian kingdoms and empires.  Due primarily to the vision of one person, Genghis Khan. He would unite his people and create an empire over much of Asia.  The Mongols sudden epic rise  is only matched by their sudden epic decline. Beginning with this episode, the story is told of these nomads' rise to power and conquest over China.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

This season tells the story of the Mongolian conquest of China.  We are all familiar with Genghis Khan and his grandson, Kubilai Khan.  How many people, however, are aware the Mongols were rulers of China (Yuan Dynasty)?

I will bring to you this fascinating story. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The death of the Meiji Emperor, Mutsuhito, in 1912, officially ended the Meiji Era.  His long reign oversaw Japan overthrow the Shogunate form of government, cast off the feudal system, and fend off foreign aggressors.  Then began Japan's incredible, impressive, and quick rise to a world power with major implications in the first half of the 20th century.

Japan's relationship with Korea perfectly exemplifies the Meiji's  geo-political history and goals.  It is important to grasp that if the Meiji Restoration is to be fully understood.

A comparison is made between Japan's and China's response to foreign nation aggression toward them in the 19th century.  The comparison provides a compelling story of these two great nations.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Japan licked her wounds after the humiliation of the Triple Intervention.   She channeled her energies into a massive industrial and military expansion.  

She turned that against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904/05.  Japan declared war against Russia over the Korea and Manchuria, China issues.  Japan had an ally this time:  England.  This alliance kept the remaining European powers at bay. 

Japan quickly defeated Russia both on land and sea.  With the help of United States President Theodore Roosevelt, the two nations settled their differences.  The Treaty of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) (1905) ended the conflict.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Japan’s relationship with China had been deteriorating for some years.  One particular reason was both nations’ claims to Korea.   Russia had an interest in Manchuria that neighbored the Korean peninsula.  A religious revolt in Korea touched off a chain of events that eventually led to the first Sino-Japanese War in 1894. 

Japan overwhelmed China and the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) settled their differences.  Among many things, China was forced to cede to Japan the Liaoning peninsula in Manchuria China.  Soon after the treaty, Europe got involved (known as the Triple Intervention) and forced Japan to give back to China the Liaoning peninsula.  

Russia reasserted its interest in Manchuria.  A humiliated Japan did not look back and launched an unprecedented industrial revolution and military buildup.  Japan had no intention to permanently abandon its interests in the Korean peninsula.

Support the show