Yuan Dynasty

The Mongols retreated to Mongolia, where the Yuan Dynasty was formally carried on. It is now called the Northern Yuan by modern historians. According to Chinese political orthodoxy, there could be only one legitimate empire, and so the Ming and the Yuan denied each other's legitimacy. (The Ming did consider the previous Yuan which it had succeeded a legitimate dynasty, however.) Historians generally regard the Míng Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty.

The Ming army invaded Mongolia in 1380 and won a decisive victory in 1388. About 70,000 Mongols were taken prisoners^{[citation needed]}, and Karakorum (the Northern Yuan capital) was destroyed. Eight years later, the Northern Yuan throne was taken over by Yesüder, a descendant of Arigh Bugha, instad of the descendants of Kublai Khan. The following centuries saw a succession of Chinggisid rulers, many of whom were mere figureheads put on the throne by those warlords who happened to be the most powerful. Periods of conflict with the Ming empire intermingled with periods of peaceful relations with border trade. In 1402, Örüg Temür Khan (Guilichi) abolished the name Yuan Dynasty; he was however defeated by Öljei Temür Khan (Bunyashiri) in 1403.

In the 17th century, the Mongols came under the influence of the Manchu. In 1634, Ligdan Khan, last Mongol khan of the Borjigin dynasty, died on his way to Tibet. His son, Ejei Khan, surrendered to the Manchu and gave the great seal of the Yuan Emperor to its ruler, Hong Taiji. As a result, Hong Taiji established the Qing Dynasty as the successor of the Yuan Dynasty in 1636. (Some sources such as Encyclopædia Britannica give the year as 1637).

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References

^ Yuan was officially established on this year. It however didn't take control of all China until 1279.
^ Rossabi, M., Khubilai Khan, p131.
^ Zhu Guozhen (1557-1632), Yong Zhuang Xiaopin (涌幢小品) Vol.2.
^ An earlier expedition had failed in 1257/1258.