Causes of Decline
- Over-Expansion
- The empire grew too large to control; communication between far-off khanates became slow and unreliable.
- Weak Leadership
- After the deaths of strong rulers like Kublai Khan, successors struggled to keep unity and loyalty among regional leaders.
- Economic Strain
- Maintaining huge armies and rebuilding after wars drained resources. Trade income fell as local rulers kept taxes for themselves.
- Internal Rivalries
- Constant fights between different khans weakened cooperation and broke trade links.
- Disease and Climate Problems
- The Black Death (mid-14th century) and harsh winters reduced populations, farming, and trade activity.
Ming China and the End of the Yuan Dynasty
Causes of Decline: Fall of the Yuan Dynasty
- Unpopular Mongol Rule
- The Yuan Dynasty, run by foreign Mongol leaders, faced growing resentment from the Chinese people, who felt excluded from government jobs.
- Economic Problems
- Heavy taxes, poor farming conditions, and rising food prices caused poverty and anger among peasants.
- Natural Disasters
- Floods of the Yellow River and droughts led to famine, weakening the population and economy.
- Rebellion
- In the mid-1300s, the Red Turbans Rebellion, a mix of peasants and Buddhist fighters, rose up against Mongol control.
- End of the Yuan
- In 1368, rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang defeated the Mongols, drove them north, and declared himself emperor, founding the Ming Dynasty.
Rise of Seaborne Trade and Cultural Revival
- Reopening Trade
- The new Ming government focused on rebuilding the economy by improving ports and restarting trade across Asia.
- Zheng He’s Voyages
- The emperor sent the explorer Zheng He on seven massive sea expeditions across the Indian Ocean (1405–1433), reaching places like India, Arabia, and East Africa.
- Global Connections
- These voyages spread Chinese goods (silk, porcelain) and brought back foreign treasures and knowledge, making China a world power again.
- Cultural Return
- The Ming restored Confucian traditions, reintroduced civil service exams, and built new temples and palaces to celebrate Chinese identity.
- Art and Architecture
- Ming art used bright ceramics, landscape paintings, and detailed designs, symbols of national pride after foreign rule.
Definition
Black Death
- A devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that occurred in the mid-14th century, peaking in Europe between 1347 and 1350
Rise in Seaborne Trade
- Shift from Land to Sea
- As overland routes became unsafe, merchants began using Indian Ocean and Mediterranean sea routes instead.
- Technological Change
- New tools like the compass, astrolabe, and stronger ships made long-distance sea travel faster and cheaper.
- Regional Powers
- New maritime empires, like Ming China, the Ottomans, and European states, took over global trade networks.
