So, pictured here is Kublai Khan, the Khan of Khans in the Mongolian Empire. An empire which, at its peak, became the largest one the earth had ever known.
Kublai was the first Mongol emperor to unite China under the Than dynasty, and grandson of the Great Chinggiss (Genghis) Khan.
If Marco Polo's tales of his great travels are true, Marco rose to a level of importance in the royal court of Kublai, and upon his return to Venice told stories of the silk road, persia, the steppe, China, and recounted stories of the vast armies of the Khan, (the most powerful man on earth at the time) sweeping through southern China and destroying the Song Dynasty.
There was much infighting between the traditional nomad Khanates and the great house of Kublai, and many historians believe that kublai's influence was mostly limited to inner Mongolia, and north/south china.
His empire extended from Mongolia to korea, the sea of Japan to the baltic, and included many Slavic, (poland, east germany, rus, hungary, the crimeab khanate, etc) Persian lands, Arab lands, the Caucasus mountains, and southeast Asia and Burma, though India remained unconquered.
I feel there is little discussion in the west of the brief period of Asiatic (Chinese, Mongol, Persian-Arab Islamic) supremacy here in the west.
Any one have some light that they can shed upon the periods often known as the Islamic Golden Age, The Mongol empire, and the age of Chinese sea faring exploration?
Why were these cultures only so briefly dominant? Why did they fall into dissarray and relative poverty only to be conquered later by European colonizers?
I know the Arabs and Persians mostly just translated and built upon older scientific books and manuscripts from rome, greece, egypt, etc, but why was that not enough? What stopped the far east's supremacy?
I hope some lurkers with useful knowledge find this thread and are open to enlightening me with more information.
>>81138677
>His empire extended from Mongolia to korea, the sea of Japan to the baltic, and included many Slavic, (poland,
Not "Than" dynasty, it's Yuan. My bad
>>81138793
Thank you for the .gif, friend. Puts things into perspective. Still, my question remains, what caused the end of the Asiatic's supremacy of culture, military might, exploration, and trade? Why did it suddenly disappear to be replaced with European supremacy and colonization?
Was it a more gradual decline into Chinese isolationist policy that gave Europe the respite it needed from mongol conquest to begin the renaissance and become the enlightened, powerful Europa?
>>81139697
Khan's death.
>>81139993
Even though the Mongols couldn't keep their empire, surely the Chinese with their fleet of sea-faring ships and good level of technology could have continued sea-borne exploration, trade, and conquest?
The Mongolian Empire grew too big to support itself. Just imagine how long it took for a message to be delivered from on end to the other.
>>81141996
The Ming-clan focused on isolationism. Bad move, as I'm guessing the world would've been a lot more sinocentric, rather than eurocentric had it not been for that policy.
>An empire which, at its peak, became the largest one the earth had ever known.
Uh, Excuse me?
Besides the majority of that was worthless plains.
>>81142969
More than 1/4th of the entire human population lived in those "worthles plains".
>>81138677
Is Marco Polo on Kikeflix historically accurate?
What stopped the far east supremacy was the dissolution of power for they needed something that could not be faulted ie. a religion like islam, you can fault a man but cannot fault a "god" you can conquer by the sword but if you do not conquer the mind via indoctrination the sphere of influence is dissolved into such things as tribalism or nationalism or pride, language for you must unite your underlings under one banner to retain power IMO
Kublai Khan decreed a stately pleasure dome in Xanadu. It was to be built next the sacred river Alph.
>>81144791
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
>>81143608
Not really, but entertaining. haven't seen season 2 though.
>>81143608
It is barely accurate with artistic liberties taken at all times. Myths are taken as fact and the combat is very much crouching tiger hidden dragon.
That all being said, it's a well written, well made, and all around good, worth-while show IMO. running an errand, be back to thread in tenish minutes, sorry lads
