The Fall of the Yuan Dynasty

What happened

Weakened by factional strife, corruption, floods, famine, and the arrival of the Black Death, Mongol rule in China faltered in the 14th century. In 1368 a peasant-led rebellion drove the Yuan out of Beijing and founded the native Ming dynasty. The other khanates, too, had fragmented or been absorbed into the peoples they once ruled.

Why it matters

The fall of the Yuan ended the Mongol century in China, and across Eurasia the great empire dissolved — but it had linked the continent together as never before.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Yuan Dynasty · Reputable source