Kublai Khan and the Mongol Rule of China — Fexingo History

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore an often-overlooked chapter of Kublai Khan's expansion: the Mongol subjugation of Goryeo Korea. While previous episodes covered failed invasions of Japan, Java, and Vietnam, this one details how Korea became a vassal state and a staging ground for further campaigns. They discuss the decades-long conflict starting in 1231 under Ögedei, the role of the Goryeo...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna examine Kublai Khan's ambitious experiment with paper currency—the chao—and how it both unified the Yuan Dynasty's economy and sowed the seeds of its eventual collapse. Drawing on Marco Polo's astonished accounts and Chinese historical records like the Yuan Shi, they unpack the mechanics of fiat currency backed by silver reserves, the printing pre...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's ambitious experiment with paper money—the world's first government-backed fiat currency. They trace its origins from Song dynasty jiaozi to the Yuan's chao, examining how the Mongol emperor attempted to unify a vast empire with a single monetary system. Along the way, they delve into Marco Polo's astonished descriptions of 'c...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Kublai Khan transformed Tibetan Buddhism into the state religion of the Yuan Dynasty. They discuss the rise of Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, the Sakya lama who became imperial preceptor, the invention of the 'Phags-pa script for unifying the multilingual empire, and the political tensions between Buddhist, Confucian, and shamanic traditions. Learn about the bui...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's lesser-known military campaign: the Yuan invasion of Sakhalin Island in the late 13th century. They discuss the indigenous Ainu and Nivkh peoples, the strategic importance of Sakhalin for controlling the Sea of Okhotsk, and the fierce resistance that ultimately forced the Mongols to retreat. The episode delves into the logist...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's ambitious census of the Yuan Dynasty — how the Mongol emperor tried to count every household in China and beyond. They discuss the challenges of surveying a vast, multilingual empire, the use of household registers and the mou-pai (household placard system), the role of local officials and tax farmers, and the census's link to military conscrip...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's repeated failed invasions of Dai Viet (northern Vietnam) under the Tran dynasty. They trace the campaign from 1257 through the 1280s, focusing on the Mongol commanders Uriyangkhadai and Prince Toghan, and the brilliant Vietnamese general Tran Hung Dao. The hosts discuss the use of guerrilla tactics, the burning of Thang Long (Hanoi), the devast...

The Mongol Empire stretched from Korea to Hungary, but how did a message from Karakorum reach Kublai Khan in Dadu within days? This episode dives into the Yam — the Mongols' astonishingly efficient postal relay system that bound their vast domains together. We trace its origins under Genghis Khan, its expansion under Ögedei and Kublai, and how a network of horse stations, paiza passes, and relay r...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna revisit Kublai Khan's 1277 invasion of Burma, a lesser-known but revealing campaign that pitted Mongol cavalry against the war elephants of the Pagan Empire. Learn about the Battle of Ngasaunggyan, where the Mongols first encountered elephant warfare, and the subsequent invasion led by Prince Toghan. The episode explores how the Pagan king Narathihapate's refusal to...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's personal conversion to Tibetan Buddhism and his elevation of the Sakya lama as imperial preceptor. They discuss how the Mongol ruler balanced shamanistic traditions with Buddhist patronage, the political motives behind his support for the Phagspa lama, and the lasting impact on Yuan governance. Key figures include Drogön Chög...

This episode dives into Kublai Khan's two failed invasions of Đại Việt (modern-day northern Vietnam) between 1284 and 1288. We explore the brilliant military strategy of Trần Hưng Đạo, the legendary general who commanded the Trần Dynasty's defense. Learn how the Mongols—undefeated from China to the Middle East—were repeatedly humbled by the jungles, rivers, and guerrilla tactics of the Vietnamese....

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's ambitious reconstruction of the Grand Canal, the 1,100-mile waterway that connected China's rice-rich south to his new capital at Dadu (modern Beijing). Discover how the Mongol emperor commissioned the engineer Guo Shoujing to reroute and rebuild the canal, enabling efficient grain transport and cementing Dadu's role as a political center. The...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's ambitious but disastrous 1282 invasion of the Kingdom of Champa in present-day central Vietnam. The Mongol-Yuan fleet, led by Prince Toghan and General Sodu, faced fierce resistance from the Cham king Jaya Indravarman VI and his skilled guerrilla tactics. The episode examines the strategic importance of Champa as a stepping s...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's elaborate imperial hunting expeditions, a practice that blended Mongol steppe traditions with Chinese imperial ritual. They discuss the massive seasonal migrations between Shangdu and Dadu, the thousands of falconers, cheetah handlers, and mounted beaters who formed the khan's hunting retinue, and the role of the hunt as mili...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's transformation of the Silk Road during the Yuan Dynasty. They discuss how the Mongol peace allowed unprecedented east-west trade, the role of merchants like the Polo family, and the vibrant cultural exchange that flourished in Dadu. Lucas explains the Pax Mongolica, the use of paper money along the trade routes, and the importation of Persian a...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's imperial hunting park, the Shanglin Yuan, a vast walled preserve built north of Dadu (modern Beijing) in the 1260s. They discuss how the park was not just a royal playground but a microcosm of Mongol rule—stocked with game from across the empire, patrolled by nomadic guards, and used for diplomatic hunts that impressed foreig...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the ambitious construction of Dadu (modern Beijing) as Kublai Khan's new capital for the Yuan Dynasty. They discuss the role of Liu Bingzhong and the Persian architect Yeheidie'erding in designing a city that blended Chinese, Mongol, and Islamic influences. The conversation covers the city's grid layout, the astronomical observatory of Guo Shoujing, the cana...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna revisit the Mongol Yuan dynasty's ambitious but disastrous naval campaign against Java in 1293. They explore the political chaos following the murder of King Kertanegara of Singhasari, the cunning diplomacy of Raden Wijaya, and the battle at the Brantas River that ultimately led to the establishment of the Majapahit Empire. Drawing on Chinese sources like the Yuan s...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the aftermath of Kublai Khan's failed invasions of Japan, focusing on the Kamakura shogunate's defensive preparations and the economic toll of the Mongol threat. They discuss the construction of the Genkō Bōrui (Mongol invasion walls) along Hakata Bay, the role of the Goryeo kingdom as a reluctant Mongol ally, and the internal political fallout in Japan, inc...

After the death of Möngke Khan in 1259, the Mongol Empire teetered on the brink of civil war as Kublai and his younger brother Ariq Böke both claimed the title of Great Khan. This episode unpacks the four-year struggle (1260–1264) that pitted Kublai's Chinese-style administration against Ariq Böke's conservative steppe loyalists. We follow the key players: Kublai's Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhong, w...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's 1293 invasion of Java—a military disaster that inadvertently led to the birth of the Majapahit Empire. They trace the conflict from Kublai's demand for tribute from King Kertanegara of Singhasari, to the Mongol fleet's arrival under Shi Bi, and the cunning of Raden Wijaya, who used the Mongols to defeat his enemies before turning on them. The c...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's invasion of Burma, a lesser-known but significant campaign that tested Mongol military might against the Pagan Kingdom. They discuss the strategic importance of the Irrawaddy River, the role of the Mongol general Nasr al-Din, and the dramatic battle of Ngasaunggyan in 1277 where Mongol cavalry faced war elephants. The conversation delves into t...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's ambitious program to reform Chinese astronomy. After conquering the Song dynasty, the Mongol emperor commissioned a network of observatories across his empire — from Dadu (modern Beijing) to the ancient city of Kashgar. They discuss the polymath Guo Shoujing, who built the famed Gaocheng Observatory in Henan and designed the 'Simplified Instrum...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's struggle to establish a unified currency system across the Yuan Dynasty. Despite the famous paper money, the 'chao', Kublai also minted bronze coins like the 'zhitong yuanbao', creating a dual-currency economy that caused inflation and confusion. The conversation covers the collapse of the Song coinage system, the adoption of...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna delve into the final chapter of Kublai Khan's attempted conquest of Japan. They explore the geopolitical aftermath of the two failed invasions, the construction of the Hakata Bay stone wall, the role of the Kamakura shogunate in repelling the Mongols, and the lasting impact on Japan's military and political structure. The discussion also touches o...