Yuan Dynasty

Name: Yuan Dynasty
ISBN: 9787520522601

Li NanChina Culture and History Press · ChinaSep 2024

3.1

Word count: 295K words
Chapters: 19
ISBN: 9787520522601

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Summary

This book tells the history of China from Genghis Khan's establishment of the Mongol regime in 1206 to Zhu Yuanzhang's founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368. The Yuan dynasty was the first unified dynasty in Chinese history established by an ethnic minority. It expanded its territory beyond that of any previous dynasty. At the center, the Central Secretariat, the Privy Council, and the Censorate were set up to oversee administration, military affairs, and supervision respectively; locally, the province system was implemented, pioneering China's provincial administrative system. It maintained frequent diplomatic exchanges with other countries, and the commodity economy and overseas trade were relatively prosperous. Culturally, literary forms such as Yuan drama emerged, adding a brilliant gem to China's rich treasury of literature and art.

Editor's review

Yuan Dynasty compresses the history from Genghis Khan's establishment of the Mongol regime in 1206 to Zhu Yuanzhang's founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 into a single general-history volume, focusing not on curiosities but on the threads of institutions and civilization. The book explains that the Yuan was the first unified dynasty in Chinese history established by an ethnic minority, with a territory surpassing all previous dynasties; at the center, the Central Secretariat, the Privy Council, and the Censorate oversaw administration, military affairs, and supervision respectively, while locally the province system was implemented, pioneering China's provincial administrative system; foreign exchanges were frequent, and the commodity economy and overseas trade were relatively prosperous; culturally, literary forms such as Yuan drama emerged. This content helps readers build an overall framework of the Yuan dynasty in terms of "institutions—territory—economy—culture." It suits readers who want a quick introduction to Yuan history and to supplement their knowledge of a period in China's general history, and also serves as a supplementary reader for classroom teaching and exam review. When reading, focus on three main threads: the province system, ethnic relations, and Yuan drama, and avoid merely memorizing dates and figures.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers who want a quick grasp of the historical threads of the Yuan dynasty
Students and teachers who need to supplement their knowledge of a period in China's general history
Readers interested in the province system, ethnic relations, and Yuan drama
General history enthusiasts who enjoy institutional history and territorial changes

Not a good fit for

Professional scholars expecting in-depth monographic research or extensive textual criticism of historical sources
Readers who only want a global history of the Mongol Empire rather than a dynastic history of China
Readers who prefer detailed biographical narratives

Reading tips

First look at the table of contents to establish a timeline, then take notes along the three lines of institutions, economy, and culture.
When reading about the province system, compare it with today's provincial map to understand institutional continuity and change.
Combine the Yuan drama section with selected readings of representative works, to avoid merely memorizing literary terms.
After finishing, use a single page to recount the key nodes of the Yuan dynasty's rise and fall and its institutional legacy.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

版权信息
前言
第一编元室风云
第一章蒙古的崛起与元朝的建立
第二章权力更迭
第三章后宫风云
第四章元朝的统治与衰亡
第二编风云人物
第一章军事将领
第二章帝国政要
第三章历史纪实
第三编政治、经济与外交
第一章元朝的制度
第二章元朝的社会经济
第三章对外关系和经济文化交流
第四编科技与文化艺术
第一章元朝的科学技术
第二章宗教与思想文化
第三章文学艺术

FAQ

Is this book suitable for reading Yuan history with zero background?

Yes. It narrates Chinese history from the establishment of the Mongol regime to the fall of the Yuan dynasty in a general-history manner, covering political institutions, territory, foreign exchanges, the commodity economy, and Yuan drama. Readers with zero background can first build a framework, then delve into topics of interest.

Does the book focus on the Mongol Empire or the Yuan dynasty?

According to the introduction, this book tells the history of China from Genghis Khan's establishment of the Mongol regime in 1206 to Zhu Yuanzhang's founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368, with its focus on the institutions, territory, economy, and culture of the Yuan as a unified dynasty of China, rather than a complete global history of the Mongol Empire.

What use is the section on the province system to today's readers?

The Yuan dynasty implemented the province system locally, pioneering China's provincial administrative system. When reading, you can compare Yuan provinces with today's provincial-level divisions to understand how administrative divisions balance centralization and local governance; this is the most worthwhile part of the book's institutional thread.

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About the author

Li Nan Author · Chinese

Li Nan graduated from the Department of Chinese at Anhui Normal University in 1998 and has long worked in book editing, planning, and writing. He has taken part in compiling large reference series such as the Encyclopedia of Chinese History, the Encyclopedia of World History, and the Encyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy, and is the author of popular works including A Complete Guide to the Poetry of Dream of the Red Chamber, A Complete Guide to the Classic of Filial Piety, and the "Dynastic Storms" series, amounting to over a hundred titles spanning history, literature, economics, management, and social sciences. The library holds 78 of his works, covering categories from history and culture to military affairs, finance, politics, and medicine. These range from traditional文史 compilations such as Pre-Qin History (classical-modern bilingual edition) and Zengguang Xianwen to discussions of contemporary issues like The Global Layout of Made in China, as well as specialized works such as War Stories 032 and Research and Application of Aconite. His writing emphasizes clear organization of knowledge and readability for general readers; the breadth and volume of his output make his books accessible introductions to their respective fields. Due to limited public information, details such as his birth and death years remain unknown.