The great empires in history, whether it was the Han and Tang dynasties in the east or the Alexander empire in the west, had very high glory. But when it comes to straddling the two continents of Asia and Europe, it may be the Mongol Empire. The Mongol Empire in the 13th century, founded by Genghis Khan, was once a vast territory that stretched from the Sea of Japan in the east to Eastern Europe in the west, and its sphere of influence was unprecedented. But such a vast empire does not seem to have lasted long, and why the Yuan dynasty's control of the four khanates was rapidly eroded in just a few decades raises questions. Is it because of internal struggles, the struggle for leadership, or other deep-seated reasons? The historical reasons behind this are worth exploring.
And the rise of the Yuan Dynasty could not be Kublai Khan, the historical leader, not only completed the unification of the Mongol Empire to the Central Plains, but also laid the foundation for the transition from Mongolia to the Yuan Dynasty. After the death of Möngke Khan, a power struggle erupted as an heir was not clearly designated. The battle between Kublai Khan and his brother Ali Buge can be described as a brotherly rebellion, reaching a white-hot point.
Kublai Khan, known as the "longest and virtuous" Khan, was actually somewhat at a disadvantage in the battle for the throne of Khan. The reason is that, according to Mongolian tradition, the election of the leader was carried out through the Kuriltai Assembly, and Kublai Khan's opponent, Ali Buge, was widely supported by the kings of the Western Province precisely because he was young and stayed in the capital. The battle lasted for four years, and in the end, Kublai Khan, with his economic and military superiority in Han China, defeated Ali Buge and secured the throne of the Great Khan.
Kublai Khan's ascension to the throne did not mean that the affairs of the four khanates could be handled smoothly. The control of the Yuan dynasty soon began to falter after Kublai Khan's death, and the four khanates went their separate ways. Especially in the last years of the Yuan dynasty, these khanates not only failed to give the Yuan dynasty sufficient support, but instead sought greater autonomy in their respective fields.
Although Kublai Khan succeeded in unifying much of the Mongol Empire, he overemphasized the Han system during his reign, which somewhat weakened the influence of Mongol traditions. The question of Kublai Khan's legitimacy has never been completely resolved. Although he eventually won, the victory came at the cost of deep-seated rifts and discontent, especially among the kings of the West who supported Ali Bukor.
The Yuan dynasty's center of rule gradually tilted toward the Han lands, causing other khanates to feel neglected and marginalized. When Kublai Khan tried to blend the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Mongol Empire with the settled Han culture, it inevitably led to a clash of cultures and identities. This conflict was not only reflected in the relations between the Yuan dynasty and the four khanates, but also profoundly affected the stability of the ruling power within the khanates.
Further, the rapid expansion of the Mongol Empire, while bringing with it enormous territory and resources, was also accompanied by enormous administrative challenges. Each of the four khanates had large territories and complex ethnic structures, and it was a daunting task to effectively control these regions from a centralized authority. Over time, the local leaders of the khanates sought more autonomy and gradually developed their own systems of government.
Against this backdrop, the centralization of the Yuan dynasty began to seem inadequate. In the last years of the Yuan Dynasty, the authority and effectiveness of the central government declined sharply due to years of war and the corruption of the power of the eunuchs within the country, which further weakened the control of the four khanates. The leaders of the four khanates increasingly saw themselves as rulers independent of the Yuan dynasty, accelerating the process of division.
Each khanate developed its own mode of governance based on its geographical and cultural characteristics, and the central Yuan dynasty was no longer able to exert influence over it.
The loss of control of the four khanates by the Yuan Dynasty did not happen overnight, but was the result of a long-term effect of a variety of factors. From Kublai Khan's struggle for power, to the tendency to autonomy within the khanate, to the internal problems of the Yuan dynasty itself, all these factors intertwined and gradually weakened the Yuan dynasty's dominance. The rise and fall of every empire is a microcosm of the changing times. For the Yuan Dynasty, all this may be the arrangement of fate and the inevitability of historical development.
.