The History of China

Temur Khan's death without an heir sparks a power vacuum within the Yuan court - two brothers will come to power together, but only one will be able to sit the throne at a time, who will succeed? Meanwhile, as money issues continue to plague the empire, the Mongol nobility get more and more fed-up with the Yuan Borjigins' continual shift toward Chinese-style reforms.Time Period Covered:1307-1323 CEMajor Historical Figures:Khaishan (Külüg Khaghan/Emperor Wuzong) [r. 1307-1311]Ayurbarwada (Buyantu Khaghan/Emperor Renzong) [r. 1311-1320]Shidebala (Gegeen Khaghan/Emperor Yingzong) [r.1320-1323]Grand Empress Dowager Targi [d. 1322]Empress Bulukhan [d. 1307]Khosila, Prince of ZhouPrince Ananda [d. 1307]Grand Councilor of the Right, Harghasun [d. 1307]Grand Councilor of the Right, Temüder [d. 1322]Grand Councilor of the Left/Right, Baiju [d.1323】 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Bela IV of Hungary has a bit of a barbarian problem. You see, he let in some Cumans, but now some different barbarians are demanding that he give them back. So Bela does the sensible thing: he kills the Mongol emissaries. Batu Khan and General Subotai are less than pleased...Time Period Covered:c. 1239-1242 CEMajor Historical Figures:Mongol Empire:Batu Khan [c. 1205-1255]General Subotai Ba'atur ("the Valiant") [c. 1175-1248]General Khadan [d. 125?]General Shiban [d. 1266]Kingdom of Greater Hungary:King Bela III [r. 1172-1196]King Andrew II [r. 1205-1235]King Bela IV [r. 1235-1265]Duke Coloman of Slavonia [d. 1241]Archbishop Ugolin of Kaolocsa [d. 1241]Duke Palatine of Hungary [d. 1241]Bishop Benedict of Oradea [d. 1241]Templar Master Rembald de Voczon [d. 1241]Archdeacon Thomas of Spalato [1200-1268]Master Roger of Torre Maggiore, Archdeacon of Varad [1205-1266]Cuman Tribes:Chieftain Khotan [d. 1140]Austria:Duke Frederick of Austria "the Quarrelsome" [d. 1245]Holy Roman Empire:Emperor Frederick II [r. 1220-1250]Conrad IV, King of Italy, Germany, the Romans, and Jerusalem [r. 1228-1254]Roman Catholic Church:Pope Gregory IX [r. 1227-1241] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olziyet Temur - the Blessed Iron Khan - takes the throne as the Yuan Dynasty's second emperor, Changzong "The Preserver." He has taken it upon himself to uphold and protect his grandfather Khubilai's glorious legacy... but granddad sure left a bit of a mess for him to try to clear up.Time Period Covered:1294-1307 CEMajor Historical Figures:Olziyet Temur Khan (Emperor Changzong of Yuan) [r. 1294-1307 CE]Empress BulukhanCrown Prince Deshou [d. 1306]Empress-Dowager KököchinGammala, Prince of JinÖljei, Grand Councilor of the Right [d. 1303]Sayyid Boyan al-Dīn, Finance MinisterKhaidu Khan of House Ögedei [d. 1301]Du'a Khan of House Chagatai Öljeitu, Ilkhan of House HülegüGeneral Bayan of the Barin, "Hundred Eyes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Khubilai is ancient, pained, and sick... but he still has more Mongol justice to mete out before he joins the Eternal Sky. Still, some campaigns will go better than others.Period Covered:ca. 1287-1294 CEMajor Historical Figures:Yuan Dynasty:Khubilai (Emperor Shizu) [r. 1260-1294]Crown Prince Olziit Temur (Emperor Chengzong) [r. 1294-1307]Prince Esen TemurPrince Temur BukhaGeneral ShibiGeneral Gao XingAdmiral Yike MusiAmbassador Meng QiPhagspa Lama, Imperial Preceptor of Tibet [1235-1280]Imperial Preceptor DharmapalarasitaKingdom of Pagan (Burma):King Narathihapate [r. 1256-1287]Kingdom of Singhasari (Java):King Kertanagara [d. 1292]Prince Raden Vijaya [r. 1293-1309]Duke Jayakatwang of Kediri [d. 1293]Mongol Khanates:Du'a Khan of the ChagatidsKhaidu Khan of the Ögedeids [d. 1301]Prince Nayan [d. 1287] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Traditional Chinese Medicine - as its name duly implies - has been a part of China for at least 2,500 years. But what does it mean? Where does it come from? How does it work? And does it have a place it modern society? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Khubilai Khan has led a pretty blessed existence as of the year 1279. But fate has a way of balancing things out in starkly brutal fashion...Time Period Covered:~1279-1287 CEMajor Historical Figures:Yuan Dynasty:Emperor KhubilaiEmpress Chabi (d. 1281)Crown Prince Zhenjin (1242-1285)Prince Toghon, Prince of Suppression of the SouthFinance Minister Ahmad Fanakati (d. 1282)Finance Minister Lu Shijing (d. 1285)Admiral Hong TauGeneral Fan WenhuGeneral XinduGeneral Nasir al-DinCommander Sodu (d. 1285)Commander Arigh KhayaJapanese Shogunate:Hojo Tokimune, Regent of the ShogunKingdom of Pagan:King NarathihapateKingdom of Champa:King Jaya Indravarman VIKingdom of Dai-Viet:Emperor Tran Than-Tong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Khubilai Khan is a man astride multiple worlds - trying to be both the Khan of the Great Mongol Nation, and the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. This will take quite a bit of accommodation, and between Mongolian shamanism, Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, and Christianity... more than a little behaving like a cultural chameleon to square those civilizational circles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jochi was tasked with subduing the Cuman tribes of the western steppes. Jochi failed. Now, under the second Great Khan Ögedei, it will fall to his successor, Batu, Khan of the Golden Horde, to finish what his father could not. He won't be going alone, though. In addition to his invincible tumens, he'll bring with him a host of imperial princes, as well as the greatest commander to ever mount a steed - Subotai the Valiant, now returns to the Western expanses to finish what he began 15 years ago...Note: this is part 1 of an extended bonus episode! Find the full episode and all other Bonus Episodes by become a patron at patreon.com/thehistoryofchinaTime Period Covered:ca. 1235-1240 CEMajor Historical Figures:Mongol Khanate:Ögedei Khaghan (1186-1241)Subotai Ba'atuur, The Last Orlok (ca. 1176-1248)General Uriyangkhadai (1201-1272)House Ogedeid:Guyuk (1206-1248)Khadan (?)Khaidu (c. 1230-1301)House Jochi (Golden Horde):Batu Khan (ca. 1205-1255)House Tolui:Möngke (1209-1259)Bujek (?)House Chagatai:Baidar(?)Buri (d. 1252)Kipchak-Cuman Confederacy:Bachman Khan (d. 1237)Khoten Khan (d. 1241)Russian Principalities:Grand Prince Yuri II of Vladimir (1188-1238)Prince Roman of Vladimir (d. 1238)Prince Michael of Chernigov (1179-1246)Dmitri, Voivode of Kiev (?)Kingdom of Hungary:King Béla IV (1206-1270) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's finally time to give holiday thanks and - of course - submit myself before the high inquisitors pelting me with questions day and night!Topics this year ranged far and wide:1. How wide-ranging was Genghis Khan's last command in Western Xia?2. How do I keep my loud mouth out of trouble with the PRC?3. How "good" were the good times of dynasties for the normies?4. Which Khan has got it goin' on?5. Were there plagues in ancient China? How were they dealt with?6. Did the Mongols trigger anti-foreign conservatism in the Ming?7. Where should we divide "Chinese" history from "non-Chinese" history?8. Just how incompetent was the Song Dynasty?9. Why does THoC be like it do?10. How did the Mongols relay orders over long distances before writing?11. How much was opium to blame versus other factors in the decline and fall of the Qing Dynasty? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While his armies have been keeping busy in every direction on both offense and defense, Emperor Khubilai had been hard at work re-organizing the mess his family made in China and reformatting it into a stable, lawful Yuan Dynasty. And Grandpa Genghis was right: it's was a *lot* more work to run an empire, than to conquer one...Period Covered:ca. 1261-1290 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices