Fascination of China
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan 元 dynasty: China under foreign rule
Historical background
Alien rulers
In 1279 Khubilai Khan succeeded in defeating the "southern" Song dynasty. He then founded the Yuan dynasty, which reunited the empire. Under the Mongolian rule, society was divided into classes in order to counteract the demographic disadvantage. Due to the low social status of the Chinese, many scholars devoted themselves to literature, painting, and writing dramas. This division of the society resulted into class struggles and insurrections, which contributed to the fact that the Yuan dynasty would not last a century.
The social system
A foreign minority represented the elite
The China of the Yuan dynasty was shaped by its cosmopolitanism. Consideration of the function of the foreign population within the Mongolian Empire of the Yuan dynasty illustrates the great role they played in the task of ruling the outnumbered Chinese population. This applies both to the Mongols themselves and to the mostly Central Asian population known as semuren. The semuren played a key role in maintaining foreign rule and also made it possible for diverse society to exchange their wisdom and to coexist.
The legitimation of power
Mongolian Khans and the Buddhism
The legitimation of rule by the Mongol rulers over China and the following period is based on the relationship between Mongol rulers and Tibetan Buddhist clergy. With regard to both societies, one can assume a mutual influence. In terms of the Mongols, the relationship was about political power, while the relationship was also accompanied by cultural and religious influence on the part of Tibet and the Buddhism. By establishing the synergistic system of this relationship, the Mongols succeeded in reorientation, both historically and culturally. The Mongolian khans now assumed the role of sacred rulers. If one looks at the autochthonous system of rule and the social philosophy of the Mongols, it becomes clear that this has certain similarities with Buddhist philosophy, which means that both systems can be easily combined.