Social Economy of Yuan Dynasty

Under the wise governing the Mongolian rulers, the social economy in the Yuan Dynasty in early period developed fairly well in agriculture, handicraft industry, commerce and foreign trade.

The agriculture was the major economy of the Yuan Dynasty. Although the Mongolian people were a nomadic people who originally lived on the grassland for generations, Kublai Khan focused much attention on the agricultural production after the founding of Yuan Dynasty. The following emperors also advocated replacing the traditional animal husbandry with agriculture. As a result, no matter in the production technique, the farming area or the food output, the Yuan Dynasty surpassed the previous dynasties.

The most prosperous handicraft industry in the Yuan Dynast was the textile industry. As the cotton planting became more and more popular in the southern areas of China, the development of the textile industry was greatly stimulated and reached a fairly advanced level. A woman named Huang Daopo from Songjiang area (currently in Shanghai urban area) improved and invented the new cotton textile technology, which made Shanghai and the near regions become the earliest national cotton textile industry center.

Both the surplus goods and the convenient water transport was the prerequisite of the commercial development of the Yuan Dynasty. In the early period of Yuan, a 51-mile long grand canal, named Tonghui River by Kublai Khan, was constructed in the capital city Dadu (currently Beijing). This provided much convenience for the food transport from southern areas to the capital. Additionally, the large circulation of paper currency further prospered the domestic business affairs.

Meanwhile, rulers of the Yuan Dynasty adopted an open policy to develop the economy. On the one hand, more ports in the coastal areas were opened for goods transport; on the other hand, foreign goods were welcomed to enter the domestic market. Under this policy, great amount of spices and medical materials were imported from Arabia, Persia and India while China's silk and porcelain in large number were exported to Europe.

The unprecedented prosperity of the marine Silk Road became the most direct momentum of the domestic economical development hence was the highlight of the social economy of the Yuan Dynasty. Thanks to this, the Yuan Dynasty in that period was regarded as one of the richest countries in the world.

Architecture in Yuan Dynasty	Silk Roads of Yuan Dynasty

Significance of Yuan Dynasty

The most significant achievement of the Yuan Dynasty was the unification of the whole territory. Prior to this China had been, for more than 300 years, a country of separate states.  From the Fanzhen Separatist Regions in the later period of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) to the isolated states in the Five Dynasties and Ten States period (907 - 960): from the confrontation of the Northern Song (960 - 1127) and Liao (916 - 1125) to the rivalry between the Southern Song (1127 - 1279) and the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234), China's history has been characterized by conflict.

This situation changed with Kublai Khan's accession to the throne, when he defeated all the separatist military forces and unified them under a mighty centralized power system. Meanwhile, a close connection between the central court, the regional administrations and the border areas was set up. Thus a unified state was well consolidated by the later dynasties. Especially, the 'Xingsheng' administrative system, established by Yuan rulers to enhance the ruling of the centralized power, had profound influence on later rulers.  Even today the Chinese government still uses 'Sheng' (province) as the title of local administrative units.

Naturally, the unification of the territory enhanced the communication between different ethnic minorities, thus strengthening the national integration process. After the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, many ethnic minorities migrated to the central plain. They brought their techniques of production as well as their unique culture and art, which enriched the economic and social life of people living in the central plains. Meanwhile, a number of Han people flowed to the residential areas of the ethnic minorities. Taking the advanced agricultural and handicraft techniques with them, these Han people contributed a lot to the exploitation of the frontiers.
Another significance of the Yuan Dynasty was the outstanding achievements in the natural sciences and technology. Due to the open policy implemented by the Yuan rulers, a great many advanced science and technology innovations were introduced to China. One example of these achievements is the unprecedented progress in the fields of astronomy and mathematics, made possible by the refined knowledge gained from foreign experts.

On the other hand, the unified territory objectively promoted the development of geography, water conservation and agriculture. In a word, the technological developments of the Yuan Dynasty surpassed any other dynasties in Chinese history.
Last but not least, the much more frequent communication with foreign countries during the Yuan Dynasty was of influential significance. Because of the external expansion of the early period of the Mongolian Empire, many foreign countries from continental Europe, Asia and Africa started to turn their eyes upon this piece of oriental land. Through the comings and goings of envoys, merchants and travelers between China and many foreign countries, the western world developed a deeper understanding of the splendid Chinese civilization.

Abacus appearing in mid Yuan Dynasty	Banknote in Yuan Dynasty

Religion & Culture of Yuan Dynasty

Religion

Due to encouragement from the Mongolian rulers, the religious culture of the Yuan Dynasty received an all-round development. The Mongolians' own religion, Buddhism as well as the traditional Chinese religion of Taoism simultaneously acquired their positions in the Yuan society.

There were two original religions that belonged to the Mongolian Minority, respectively called Shamanism and Totemism. The followers of Shamanism believed in the existence of Jinn. Early in the period of the Mongolian tribes, Shamans were allowed to take part in the discussion of crucial issues, such as electing leaders and affairs of war and peace. Also, the practice of Totemism had a great psychological influence upon the Mongolian people. There were two principal totems - 'wolf totem' and 'deer totem' worshiped by the Mongolians. In the Mongolians' heart, wolf was their grandfather while deer was their grandmother. Genghis Khan always ordered that wolves and deer should be freed if caught during hunting.
Since the Mongolian people were keen academics, they were pleased to integrate religions from other ethnic minorities. That is why Tibetan Buddhism became the dominant religion of the Yuan Dynasty. Ever since Tibetan Buddhism came to the Mongol area, it was greatly advocated by generations of Khans. During the reign of Emperor Chengzong of Yuan, a great many Buddhist sutras were translated from Tibetan into Mongolian, which further contributed to the development of Tibetan Buddhism in the Yuan Dynasty. Meanwhile, the traditional Chinese religion of Taoism was also free to develop in a impartial atmosphere. As a branch of Taoism, the Quan Zhen religion was established in 1167 and was well developed under the favorable policy carried out by Yuan rulers. Emperor Taizu Genghis Khan authorized the master of Quan Zhen religion to govern the national Taoist groups.

Culture
We have to say that the scientific advancement was the highlight of the cultural development in the Yuan Dynasty. It is said that achievements in science and technology reached their peak during the Yuan Dynasty. In particular, advancements made in astronomy, mathematics and medicine were the forefront among the world. However, almost all these achievements were gained with the help of foreign experts.

As for astronomy, many astronomy books from foreign countries were introduced and translated during the reign of Kublai Khan. Later, a special astronomical observatory called 'Sitiantai' was constructed and a group of astronomers from Arabia and Persia were appointed to administrate the observatory. Among them a Persian named Zhama Lading made great contributions to Astronomical observations and the establishment of a calendar. Meanwhile, a Chinese astronomer (who was also a water scientist and mathematician) invented many Astronomical Instruments and also helped to establish a precise new calendar called 'Shoushili'.

In mathematics, the Arabic numbers were introduced to China during the Yuan Dynasty, a golden period of China's mathematical development. At that time, Muslims coming to China brought a great amount of mathematical knowledge with them. Chinese mathematicians made many important discoveries during this period of enlightenment. Simultaneously, due to the medical communications between China and those Arabian countries, traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacy made great leaps forward in the Yuan Dynasty. Many kinds of Arabic pharmacies were first introduced to China and gradually became widely used. Formal hospitals were also set up by some Muslims. Additionally, a comprehensive medical book containing both Chinese and western medical treatment, called HuiHui Prescription, was edited by the Hui people.

Nevertheless, the achievements in literature and art of the Yuan Dynasty were no less than the previous dynasties. A new kind of literature form called Yuan drama was rather prosperous during that period. Together with the Tang poem and 'ci' poem in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), the Yuan drama was one of the outstanding Chinese literary heritages. A large number of influential works successively came out. The most famous being, the Wang Shifu's Romance of the Western Chamber, Guan Hanqing's Dou E Yuan and many verses by Ma Zhiyuan. Also, novels from the Yuan Dynasty had a great influence upon those of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties. With regard to art, the main contribution of the Yuan Dynasty was in music - musical instruments of the Hui people, including Urheen, Huobusi and Sheng, were vigorously promoted. The Urheen and Sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) have been widely used in Chinese opera music until the present day, becoming official members of China's national musical instrument collection.

Tibetan Buddhism	Sitiantai

Reign of Yuan Dynasty

Although founded by the Mongolian ethnic minority, the general ruling mode of the Yuan Dynasty still followed the political pattern of the previous regimes set up by Han people. Ruling for more than 30 years, Kublai Khan, or rather Emperor Shizu of Yuan was an advocator of Han's ruling system. His reign was regarded as the most prosperous period of the Yuan Dynasty. However, due to the incompetence of later emperors, the Yuan court became corrupt which led to the end of the Yuan regime.

Reign of Kublai Khan
As the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan initially adopted the political system of Han people. First, he set up the department 'Zhongshu Sheng' to administrate the national affairs; the department 'Shumi Yuan' was established to govern the national military affairs; the ministry 'Yushi Tai' functioned as the supervision department. Besides, a new administrative unit called 'Xingsheng' (equal to current provinces of China). This was under the direct charge of the central court created by Kublai Khan. Meanwhile, a new efficient information transferring system called the 'Yizhan' System was firstly set up in his reign to strengthen the imperial ruling. In this way, a centralized political system was founded, guaranteeing the stability of the whole nation.

In economy, Kublai Khan focused much attention on the development of agriculture and water conservancy construction. In the process of Mongolian's conquest, the agriculture of the northern areas of China was seriously damaged. In the early period of Kublai Khan's reign, the agricultural production gradually recovered and the cultivation areas were greatly increased. Certain achievements were also made in water conservancy and special departments of water treatment were set up. The Yellow River was treated for three times while two new canals were constructed in its capital Dadu (currently Beijing) and Shandong Province for irrigation.

What is more, in Kublai Khan's reign, the control and exploitation towards the border areas were greatly promoted, which enhanced the cultural and economical ties between people in ethnic minorities in border areas and inland regions. At that time, there were a total of eleven 'Xingsheng's making up the whole nation, including the newly unified Yunnan, Tibet, Taiwan and Penghu areas. Still in the frontier areas such as the northwest Xinjiang and the northeast Heilongjiang regions were developed well under the powerful governing of the central court. The unified nation promoted people's inter-regional movement thus the communication between different ethnic minorities and regions were increasingly enhanced. All this consolidated the development of the Yuan Dynasty as a unified multi-ethnic country.

Reign of Later Emperors
None of the late emperors of Yuan were as competent and as ambitious as Kublai Khan, hence the Yuan Dynasty began to decline. After Kublai Khan died, Emperor Chengzong ascended the throne. Because he was a conservative and weak-minded emperor, the society of the Yuan Dynasty failed to progress in his reign. Emperor Chengzong was succeeded by Emperor Wuzhong who was more incompetent in dealing with the state affairs. Unfortunately, years of famine broke out in Wuzong's reign which sped up the decline of the Yuan Dynasty. Until the reign of Emperor Renzong, a series of renovation policies were carried out including laying off some redundant officials and reemploying the once-interrupted imperial examination. However, good things did not last. Some powerful ministers dominated the court, which interrupted the renovation. There were also several emperors after Emperor Renzong trying to improve the court order, but all were in vain. Starting from Emperor Taiding, the power struggle within the ruling class became more and more intense, let alone the severe ethnic contradiction caused by the 'Four Class System'. Since then, the Yuan Dynasty could not stop its step to decline.

Drawing in Yuan Dynasty	FuCunShanJu Drawing by Wang Gongwang (1269--1354)

Decline & Fall of Yuan Dynasty

Decline

Generally, there were two major factors that led to the decline of the Yuan Dynasty: one was the class conflict caused by the heavy taxation, the other one was the ethnic contradiction resulting from the 'Four Class System'.
The Yuan court actually first began to decline during the reign of Emperor Renzong, when peasant uprisings emerged in southern China. However, despite the warning of the uprisings, corruption of the Yuan court officials continued. Also, power struggles within the ruling class became more and more serious. For instance in the short period from the beginning of Emperor Wuzong's reign in 1308 to the start of Emperor Huizong's reign in 1333, there were eight emperors. During this period, the corruption became severe as subordinate officials were commonly appointed on the basis of bribery rather than merit; the land was gradually concentrated in the hands of Mongolian aristocrats and a select group of powerful Han landlords; a fiscal crisis in the Yuan court also broke out due to the luxurious lifestyles of the ruling class. Even worse, the Mongolian army became corrupt and gradually disintegrated.
During the reign of the last emperor, the real power of the Yuan regime fell into the hands of Cheng Xiang (prime minister) named Bo Yan, who was born of a Mongolian noble family. He was rather hostile to the Han people and introduced a series of policies unfavorable to the Han. This magnified the seriousness of the ethic contradiction. Misfortunes never come singly. The Yellow River burst its banks three times in the late Yuan Dynasty. As a result, serious natural disasters broke out and the masses were forced to live in dire poverty. Under such circumstances, groups of farmers left the land and successively launched armed uprisings. Although many peasants' uprisings were successfully suppressed by the Yuan army, the corrupt regime of the Yuan Dynasty was constantly impacted by this surging wave and teetered on the verge of collapse.

Fall
The Yuan Dynasty was eventually destroyed by the peasants' uprising. In 1351, the 'Hongjinjun (army with red head-scarves) Uprising', led by a man named Liu Futong, broke out in Yingzhou (in current Anhui Province). Fierce battles took place progressively between the Hongjinjun military force and the Yuan army.
Simultaneously, a group of the Hongjinjun military forces led by a man named Zhu Yuanzhang won a series of victories in battle, and his military forces gradually became stronger. In the management of military affairs, Zhu Yuanzhang set strict military discipline and was good at delegating duties to different human resources. Soon after, in 1356, his military forces captured Jiankang (currently Nanjing which later became their military base. With increasing military strength and more talented people joining him, Zhu's army succeeded in defeating the separatist military forces in the northern areas of China. In 1367, Zhu Yuanzhang officially launched a deadly attack on the Yuan regime which was riddled with corruption and intrigue. Within a year, Zhu's army captured Dadu (currently Beijing), the capital of Yuan. Soon after, a new dynasty - the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) displaced the Yuan Dynasty.

Four Class System
The 'Four Class System' was a legal caste system in the Yuan Dynasty. After the founding of the Yuan regime, Kublai Khan, the first emperor in the Yuan Dynasty, set up this system to consolidate the ruling status of the Mongolian Ethnic Minority, which had a small number with great disparity to the majority Han people.

Specifically, the four classes of people by the descending order were Mongolian people, Semu people, Han people (in the northern areas of China) and Southerners (people of the former Northern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279)). According to the Yuan rulers' mind, the grading sequence was based on the sequencing of Mongolian's conquest of these people. Some historical scholars said that it was a kind of psychological indication that the earlier they submitted to Mongolian people, the higher social status they would be.

Unfairly, the 'Four Class System' stipulated that four classes of people received different treatment in political, legal and military affairs. First, the real power was mainly grasped in the hands of the Mongolian people and Semu people while few of the court officials were Han people or any other ethnic minorities from the third and the fourth classes. Second, although all classes of people were allowed to attend the imperial examination, people of the third and fourth classes had to participate in more test subjects and exam questions that for them were more difficult, compared with the first and second class. Third, the fourth class people received unequal legal treatment. On committing the same crime, different punishments were handed down to different classes of people. Fourth, the Mongolian people adopted a tight control towards the Han people and Southerners. These two classes were forbidden to possess any weapon or raise any dogs or eagles.
Generally, the 'Four Class System' was a national policy of political oppression and ethnic division. Originally, it was established by Yuan's ruling class to guarantee the dominance of the Mongolian minority but it eventually became the catalyst that sped up the decline of the Yuan regime.

Note: details about four class
They refer to specific group of people: the Mongolians is the first class, Semuren (ethnic groups except Mongolian, Han and Nanren) is the second class, the Hans is the third and Nanren ('nanren' is actually pinyin, it refers to the Han people of previous Southern Song Dynasty).

Hongjin Army	Zhu yuanzhang

Contact with the Outside World in Yuan Dynasty

On learning of the religion and culture of the Yuan Dynasty, you will find that the cultural and commercial communications between China and Arabia and Persia had been very intensive and widespread. Precisely because of the communication with these countries, China's contact with some European countries also gradually began.

In an age without any advanced means of communication, the only way to make contact with distant foreign countries was through envoys or individual travelers. That is, those envoys and travelers could be regarded as important links between different countries. Among these, the most famous was the great European traveler, Marco Polo.

In 1266, Marco Polo came to China and met with Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan. Later, Kublai Khan dispatched envoys to follow Marco Polo back to Italy to deliver a letter to the Pope. In 1275, Marco Polo returned to Yuan's capital in response to Emperor Shizu's letter. From that time, Marco Polo remained in China for a further 17 years. During this period he was appointed for a time as an official in charge of Yangzhou, and was also sent by the Yuan rulers on diplomatic missions to a number of countries. In 1291, he returned to his hometown Venice. Later, his experience in China was compiled into a book entitled ‘Travels of Marco Polo'. This book described in detail the prosperity of the Yuan Dynasty. This was an eye-opener for many westerners.
Following Marco Polo, increasingly more and more European visitors came to China, and conversely more Chinese traveled to Europe. In 1294, an Italian missionary, John of Montecorvino, came to China. During his stay, three churches were built in the capital Dadu (now Beijing) and the Christian New Testament was translated into Mongolian. During the reign of Emperor Shundi of Yuan, an official mission dispatched to Rome was warmly welcomed by the Pope. In a later period, an Arabian traveler named Yiben Battuta came to China and subsequently wrote a travelogue that later became an important resource about the relations between China and Arabian countries.

Meanwhile, a Chinese traveler named Wang Dayuan twice successively traversed the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It is said that he was the first Chinese to have visited Morocco and Tanzania. His travelogue, Daoyi Zhilue, described Arabian society in almost all respects and this book was thus listed as an indispensable source of information on the Arabian areas in the Middle Ages.

Marco Polo	Marco Polo describing what he saw in china

Mongol Conquest of Yuan Dynasty

The mighty Mongolian Empire was founded by Tiemuzhen, who initially unified all tribes of the Mongolian minority and was honored as Genghis Khan (meaning the ruler of the world). Since then, the Genghis Khan led his invincible army to start a large-scale offensive into the outside World.

The first military target was Xixia which was located in the middle and western areas of China and in 1205, 1207 and 1209, the Mongolian army launched three massive invasions. Under such military threat, the helpless Xixia was forced to pay tributes to the Mongol and sue for peace. In 1211, attacks were made on the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234) and four years later, the Mongolian army captured one of the major cities of Jin, Zhongdu (currently Beijing). After that, most areas in the north of the Yellow River fell under Mongol control. Following the last wish of Genghis Khan on his deathbed, Xixia was defeated in 1227. Wo Kuotai, third son of Genghis Khan, ascended the throne seven years later and defeated the Jin Dynasty.

From then on, the Mongolian army continued to march westward and Mongol troops even advanced into the European continent. As the military strength of the Mongols became stronger and stronger, the territory of the great Mongolian Empire became larger and larger. Gradually, grandsons of Genghis Khan established four grand khanates respectively in Eastern Europe, North Asia, Central Asia, the Arab region and the vast Central Plain regions of China. Among them, Kublai Khan, one of Genghis Khan's grandsons, unified the vast land of the northern areas of China and founded a new dynasty in 1271- the Yuan Dynasty, with Yuandadu (currently Beijing) as its capital.

In the hope of unifying the southern areas of China, Kublai Khan launched a fierce attack against the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279) in 1276. With weak military strength and treacherous court officials, the Song court lost its capital city Lin'an (currently Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province) soon after the Yuan troops' attack.  By 1279 the Yuan army had eradicated the last troops of the Southern Song and when the last emperor of Song committed suicide by jumping into the sea, the militant Mongolian minority had finally achieved their goal of conquering the whole of China.

The Mongols at the battle of the Kalka	Battle on the Lake Peipus

Useful links:

Genghis Khan and the Great Mongol Empire

Yuan Dynasty

Statue of Genghis Khan

Since the late period of the 12th century, an ethnic minority group called Mongolian had grown up in the northern areas of China. In 1204, one of the leaders of the Mongolian tribes, Tiemuzhen, unified all the internal tribes. Two years later, Tiemuzhen was honored as Genghis Khan (meaning - the ruler of the world) and soon established the Mongolian Empire. Successively, it captured Xixia and the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234), after which the combative Mongolian army sent its military forces into Central Asia and Europe.
 
In 1260, the grandson of Tiemuzhen, Kublai Khan, ascended the throne. In 1271, he formally established the Yuan Dynasty by changing the state title into Yuan, with Yuandadu (currently Beijing) as the capital. (The new dynasty was not territorially the former Mongolian Empire as three parts had broken away before the new dynasty was founded.)

Map of Yuan Dynasty

In 1276, not long after the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan led his army, capturing the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279) and thus he unified the entire China. At that time, the territory of the Yuan Dynasty stretched to Mongolia and Siberia in the north, the South Sea in the south, Yunnan Province and Tibet in the southwest, eastern part of Xinjiang Province in the northwest and the Stanovoi Range in the northeast. The total area of the country was over 4.6 million square miles.

As a mighty state, the Yuan Dynasty enjoyed economic development and prospered in the fields of science and literature. The economy of the Yuan Dynasty was mainly based on agriculture. The agricultural techniques used were superior to those of previous dynasties and food output increased. Additionally, the use of paper currency stimulated the development of commerce. Meanwhile, trade with foreign countries was greatly 

Nadam Fair on Gegentala Grassland, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

encouraged following an open policy adopted by the Yuan rulers. In the area of science, astronomy, mathematics and medicine reached a very high level. In literature, the Yuan drama, along with the Tang poem and 'ci' poem of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), was considered another heritage of Chinese literature. During the glorious period of the Yuan Dynasty, diplomatic activities with foreign countries were quite frequent with many foreign envoys, merchants and travelers traversing the sea to come to China. Among them, the famous Italian merchant Marco Polo was a successful cultural transmitter who wrote the historic travel notes, The Travels of Marco Polo, informing the West about China.

In the late Yuan Dynasty, the internal contradictions of the ruling class, serious natural disasters, and unreasonable grading system together aroused the indignation of the people. In 1367, the rebel army led by Zhu Yuanzhang captured the Yuan capital, ending the ever mighty Yuan Dynasty.

Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty

Order	Name	Notes	Period of Reign
1	Taizu (Borjigin Temujin)	Also known as Genghis Khan the great military leader; Temujin founded the great Mongolian Empire, with his territory stretching across the entire Eurasian Continent.	1206 - 1227
2	Ruizong (Borjigin Tolui)	The fourth son of Temujin, he governed the empire for two years after Temujin died	1227 - 1229
3	Taizong (Borjigin Ögedei)	The third son of Temujin; during his reign, he formed an alliance with the Southern Song to fight against Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234).	1229 - 1241
4	Empress Zhaoci (Töregene Khâtûn)	After the death of Taizong, a grandson of Temujin was due to succeed the throne, but the empress Zhaoci usurped the throne.	1241 - 1246
5	Dingzong (Borjigin Güyük)	The eldest son of Taizong	1246 - 1248
6	Empress Qinshu (Oghul Ghaymish)	Empress of Dingzong; she ruled for three years after the death of Dingzong .	1248 - 1251
7	Xianzong (Borjigin Möngke)	During his reign, the Yuan army began to fight against the Southern Song (1127 - 1279). In 1259, he died while on march.	1251 - 1259
Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty
8	Yuan Shizu (Borjigin Kublai)	Grandson of Genghis Khan, and founder of the Yuan Dynasty. He moved the capital of the Yuan Dynasty to Beijing and settled there. In 1279, he defeated the Southern Song Dynasty (960 - 1279).	1260 - 1294
9	Yuan Chengzong (Borjigin Temür)	Grandson of Kublai Khan; a conventional emperor	1295 - 1307
10	Yuan Wuzong (Borjigin Qayshan)	Nephew of Chengzong	1308 - 1311
11	Yuan Renzong (Borjigin Ayurparibhadra)	Younger brother of Wuzong; he ascended the throne after Wuzong died	1312 - 1320
12	Yuan Yingzong (Borjigin Suddhipala)	Son of Renzong; he was killed by political enemies in a coup.	1321 - 1323
13	Taiding Di (Borjigin Yesün-Temür)	Grandson of Kublai Khan; an unremarkable emperor	1324 - 1328
14	Tianshun Di (Borjigin Arigaba)	The youngest son of Taiding Di; he was placed on the throne following a coup, but ruled for only a month.	1328
15	Yuan Wenzong (Borjigin Toq-Temür)	The second son of Wuzong; he died of illness in 1332.	1328 - 1332
16	Yuan Mingzong (Borjigin Qoshila)	The eldest son of Wuzhong; He was poisoned by Wenzong and reigned for only eight months.	1329
17	Yuan Ningzong (Borjigin Irinchibal)	The second son of Mingzong; after ruling for less than two months, he died of illness.	1332
18	Yuan Huizong (Borjigin Toghan-Temür)	The eldest son of Mingzong; during his reign, the Hongjinjun Uprising broke out and subsequently the capital was captured by Zhu Yuanzhang.	1333 - 1368

Useful links:

Genghis Khan and the Great Mongol Empire