1279Reputable sourceWell documented
The Conquest of Song China Completed
On the timeline · around 1279 ·
What happened
After decades of hard fighting against the wealthy, populous Southern Song — including the years-long siege of the Yangtze fortress of Xiangyang — Kublai's forces finally overwhelmed the last Song resistance. In 1279 the dynasty ended in a naval catastrophe at Yamen, where a loyal official is said to have leapt into the sea clutching the boy emperor rather than surrender.
Why it matters
The fall of the Song placed the whole of China under Mongol rule for the first time in its history and completed the largest conquest of the Yuan — reuniting a China that had been divided for centuries.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Song Dynasty · Reputable source