This article is about the specific polity Yuan Dynasty and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
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Was a dynasty in China and one of the successor states of the Mongol Empire. When the dynasty was overthrown by the Ming, the Yuan continued to exist as a separate political entity in Mongolia and northern China.
Establishment
January 1261: The Mongol Empire fragmented into four political units: the Golden Horde, the Ilkhanate, the Yuan Dynasty and the Chagatai Khanate.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Were a series of wars between the successor states of the Mongol Empire.
1.1.Toluid Civil War
Was a war of succession over the Mongol Empire fought between Kublai Khan and his younger brother, Ariq Böke, from 1260 to 1264.
August 1264: Ariq Böke surrendered to Yuan ruler Kublai Khan in Shangdu.
1.1.1.Division of the Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire fragmented into four successor states at the beginning of the Toluid Civil War.
1.2.Kaidu-Kublai war
Was a war between two successor states of the Mongol Empire, the Yuan Dynasty and the Chagatai Khanate.
January 1277: Kublai's son Nomukhan and generals occupied Almaliq in 1266-1276.
1.3.Esen Buqa-Ayurbarwada war
Was a war between two successor states of the Mongol Empire, the Yuan Dynasty and the Chagatai Khanate.
January 1316: In 1315, the territory of Issyk Kul and Talas was plundered by the forces of the Yuan Dynasty, led by the Mongol ruler Kaidu. Kaidu's winter quarters and summer residence were targeted during the raid.
February 1316: In 1316, the Chagatai Khanate plundered the Yuan winter quarters on the Issyk Kul as well as their summer residence in Talas.
Was an era of disunity in Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became the Imperial Preceptor of the three provinces of Tibet in 1253, under the Yuan dynasty.
January 1266: Mangyül Gungthang was a Tibetan kingdom established under Sakya overlordship in Southwest Tibet around 1265.
Were a series of military campaigny by the Mongols that created the largest contiguous Empire in history, the Mongol Empire, which controlled most of Eurasia.
3.1.Conquest of Song China
Was the Mongol conquest of the Chinese Song Dynasty.
January 1274: In 1273, Fancheng capitulated.
March 1276: When Bayan and Dong Wenbing camped outside Lin'an in February 1276, the Song Grand Empress Dowager Xie and Empress Dowager Quan surrendered.
3.2.Invasions of Vietnam
Were a series of military campaigny of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty against the kingdom of Đại Việt (modern-day northern Vietnam) ruled by the Trần dynasty and the kingdom of Champa (modern-day central Vietnam). Vietnam was finally made a vassal of the Mongols.
3.2.1.Mongol invasion of Vietnam in 1285
Was the second major invasion of Vietnam by the Mongols.
January 1285: Yuan troops crossed the Friendship Pass (Sino-Vietnamese border's gate).
June 1285: In the Red River Delta, the combined Yuan land forces attacked the Vietnamese forces by land and river, destroyed several Vietnamese catapults (Hu dun pao) along the Red River, successful captured Đại Việt's capital Thăng Long and drove the Vietnamese forces and the Royal family to the coast.
June 1285: In 1285, during the Mongol invasion of Vietnam, Prime Minister Quang Khải of the Trần Dynasty led a successful counterattack at Chương Dương and Vạn Kiếp against the Yuan forces commanded by Toghan. This victory forced the Yuan to retreat back to China on June 9, 1285.
3.2.2.Mongol invasion of Champa
Was the invasion of Champa (central Vietnam) by the Mongols.
February 1283: Sogetu's fleet arrived and landed in Champa's capital Vijaya in 17 February 1283, and captured the city two days later.
April 1284: Sogetu asked for reinforcements from Kublai but sailed home in March 1284.
3.2.3.Mongol invasion of Vietnam in 1287-88
Was the third major invasion of Vietnam by the Mongols.
November 1287: The Yuan Dynasty, led by Emperor Kublai Khan, successfully invaded Thăng Long (modern-day Hanoi) in 1287, looting the capital of Đại Việt. This marked a significant victory for the Yuan Dynasty in their expansion efforts.
May 1288: At the Bạch Đằng River, in April 1288, the Vietnamese prince Trần Hưng Đạo ambushed Omar's Yuan fleet in the third Battle of Bạch Đằng. The Vietnamese forces placed hidden metal-tipped wooden stakes in the riverbed and attacked the fleet once it had been impaled on the stakes. Omar himself was taken as a prisoner of war. The Yuan fleet was destroyed and the army retreated in disarray without supplies.
3.3.Mongol invasions of Sakhalin
The Mongol Empire (and its successor the Yuan dynasty) made several incursions into the island of Sakhalin off the east coast of Siberia.
November 1264: The Mongols attacked the Ainu on Sakhalin Island.
January 1266: The Ainu returned the next year to attack the Nivkh, killing some of their warriors.
July 1297: When the Ainu invaded the Amur estuary in mid-1297, the Mongols caught up with them and defeated the invading Ainu near Lake Kizi.
August 1297: When the Ainu invaded the Amur estuary in mid-1297, the Mongols caught up with them and defeated the invading Ainu near Lake Kizi.
January 1298: Perhaps reflecting the diminishing Mongol influence in the area, two Nivkh who had been centurions in the Mongol military defected to the Ainu in 1296, and the next year an Ainu force under the chieftain Waying crossed the strait on Nivkh boats and raided settlements on the continent.
February 1298: End of Ainu raid on the Asian coast.
January 1306: The Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan, made a raid on the Asian coast in front of the Strait of Tartary in 1305. The raid evaded the Mongol army, who were attempting to expand their territory in the region.
February 1306: The Ainu were recorded to have made one more raid on the continent in 1305, which evaded the Mongol army.
January 1309: In 1308, the Ainu chieftains Waying and Yushannu, leaders of the indigenous Ainu people, communicated through the Nivkh, a neighboring ethnic group, that they desired to surrender to the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled over the southern part of Sakhalin Island at that time.
3.4.Mongol Invasion of Japan
Were two unsuccesful campaigns by Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty in 1274 and 1281 to conquer the Japanese archipelago .
3.4.1.First Mongol Invasion of Japan
Was the first Mongol invasion of the Japanese Archipelago.
November 1274: The Yuan invasion force set off from Korea on 2 November. Two days later they began landing on Tsushima Island.
November 1274: The Yuan Dynasty secured control of Tsushima Island.
November 1274: The Yuan fleet departed Tsushima on 13 November and attacked Iki Island. Kagetaka, the governor of Iki, gave a spirited defence with 100 samurai and the local armed populace before falling.
November 1274: In 1274, the Mongolian army, led by Kublai Khan, attacked the base of the Sashi Clan on Hirato Island, Taka Island, and Nokono Island. This was part of the Yuan Dynasty's efforts to expand their territory in Japan.
November 1274: The Yuan fleet crossed the sea and landed in Hakata Bay.
November 1274: The Yuan troops withdrew and took refuge on their ships after only one day of fighting with the Japanese. A typhoon that night, said to be divinely conjured wind, threatened their ships, persuading them to leave Japan and return to Korea.
3.4.2.Second Mongol Invasion of Japan
Was the first Mongol invasion of the Japanese Archipelago.
June 1281: The Eastern Route army set sail first from Korea on 22 May and attacked Tsushima Island on 9 June.
June 1281: Iki Island conquered by Yuan Dynasty.
June 1281: In 1281, during the Mongol invasions of Japan, the Eastern Route army led by Kublai Khan split their forces and attacked Hakata Bay and Nagato Province. The invasion force, unable to land, occupied the islands of Shiga and Noko, furthering their campaign against Japan.
June 1281: The Mongolian army was again defeated by the fierce Japanese attacks on the Islands of Shiga and Noko.
July 1281: In 1281, Ryōzōji Iekiyo, a powerful Japanese warrior, successfully repelled the Mongolian army from Iki Island. The Mongolian army retreated to Hirado Island.
July 1281: In 1281, Ryōzōji Iekiyo, a Japanese samurai, successfully defended Iki Island against the Mongolian army during the Mongol invasions of Japan. This victory forced the Mongolian army to retreat to Hirado Island, marking a significant turning point in the conflict.
August 1281: In 1281, during the Mongol invasions of Japan, the Japanese army, led by samurai generals like Kusunoki Masashige and Sasaki Takatsuna, took advantage of the disarray in the Mongol forces and launched a successful attack on the 100,000 soldiers left without commanders. This decisive move ultimately led to the repulsion of the Mongol forces from Japan.
3.5.Mongol invasions of Burma
Were two major military campaigns of the Mongols in Burma.
3.5.1.First Mongol invasion of Burma
Were a series of military conflicts between Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty, a division of the Mongol Empire, and the Pagan Empire took place between 1277 and 1287.
December 1283: In 1283, the Burmese city of Ngasaunggyan was besieged by the Yuan Dynasty forces led by Kublai Khan. The Burmese defenders, led by King Narathihapate, held out for over two months before the fort finally fell to the Yuan forces. This event marked a significant victory for the Yuan Dynasty in their expansion into Southeast Asia.
December 1283: Kaungsin, a fortress in modern-day Myanmar, fell to the Yuan Dynasty in 1283.
February 1284: Yuan conquest of Tagaung.
May 1284: The Chinese found the heat of the searing Irrawaddy valley excessive, and evacuated Tagaung, allowing the Burmese to return to the city.
December 1284: The Mongol army, led by Kublai Khan, renewed their offensive and retook Tagaung in 1284. Tagaung was a city in Myanmar that was previously under the control of the Yuan Dynasty. This victory was part of the Mongol Empire's expansion into Southeast Asia.
January 1285: In 1285, the Yuan Dynasty forces, led by Kublai Khan's general, defeated a Burmese stand south of Tagaung, near Hanlin. This victory solidified the Yuan Dynasty's control over the region and expanded their territory further into Burma.
July 1287: The king of the pagan kingdom wanted to submit fully to the Yuan Empire but the kingdom collapsed and the mongols were only able to integrate the occupied northern part in their empire. On 1 July 1287, the king was captured en route and assassinated.
3.5.2.Second Mongol invasion of Burma
Was a Mongol invasion of the Myinsaing Kingdom, in Burma.
January 1301: In 1301, the Yuan Dynasty invaded Myinsaing after declaring Kumara Kassapa as the rightful king of Burma. The Mongol Emperor sent an army from Yunnan, which reached Myinsaing on 25 January 1301.
April 1301: Thihathu, Yazathingyan, and Athinkhaya were the rulers of Myinsaing Kingdom. The Mongol government at Yunnan had sent the besiegers to invade Myinsaing, but they were bribed by the brothers and eventually withdrew on 6 April 1301. After the failed invasion, the Mongol government executed their commanders and did not attempt any further invasions.
3.6.Invasion of Java
The Yuan dynasty under Kublai Khan attempted in 1292 to invade Java, an island in modern Indonesia.
March 1293: The Mongolian troops gathered in Kali Mas.
March 1293: The army led by Kublai Khan arrived at Daha on 19 March 1293. The battle was fought against the Kediri forces, led by Jayakatwang. Despite attacking three times, the Kediri forces were defeated and forced to flee by the Yuan Dynasty army.
April 1293: A number of Mongol ships were attacked and destroyed by the Javanese fleet commanded by rakryan mantri Aria Adikara. The Yuan forces had to withdraw in confusion, as the monsoon winds to carry them home would soon end, leaving them to wait in a hostile island for six months. After all of the troops had boarded the ships on the coast, they battled the Javanese fleet. After repelling it, they sailed back on 24 April to Quanzhou.
January 1266: Mangyül Gungthang is the name of a Tibetan kingdom established under Sakya overlordship in Southwest Tibet around 1265.
January 1274: After strengthening his government in northern China, Kublai pursued an expansionist policy in line with the tradition of Mongol and Chinese imperialism. He renewed a massive drive against the Song dynasty to the south. Kublai besieged Xiangyang between 1268 and 1273, the last obstacle in his way to capture the rich Yangzi River basin.
April 1275: Bayan's Mongol forces crossed the Yangtze at Hankou and in March met Jia Sidao in battle at Dingjiaozhou, annihilating his force using artillery equipment, conquering the Hanshui region.
January 1276: The Tusi chieftains and local tribe leaders and kingdoms in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan submitted to Yuan rule and were allowed to keep their titles.
January 1283: In 1282, Yuan forces occupied Mu'ege.
January 1284: Heavy resistance fighting and diseases forced the Mongols to withdraw from the Chiefdom of Mu'ege.
December 1297: In 1297, after the fall of the Pagan Kingdom, the territory outside the city of Pagan was left without effective state control. The Myinsaing Kingdom, led by King Thihathu, gained control of the region and established their authority.
January 1301: Mainlanders from Fujian and Zhejiang started migrating to the islands during the Yuan Dynasty.
January 1301: By the 13th century, the Dimasa kingdom extended along the southern banks of Brahmaputra River, from Dikhow river to Kallang River and included the valley of Dhansiri and present-day Dima Hasao district.
January 1316: The Yuan army devastated the Issyk-Kul region.
February 1316: The Yuan leaves the Issyk-Kul region.
January 1351: Despites the opposition of the Yuan dynasty, Mong Mao conquered several surrounding states.
January 1355: The Phagmodrupas were a dynastic regime that held sway over Tibet or parts thereof from 1354 to the early 17th century. It was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen of the Lang (Wylie: rlangs) family at the end of the Yuan dynasty.
January 1357: In 1356, Goryeo briefly conquered Liaoyang.
February 1357: Goryeo leaves Liaoyang after a brief occupation.
January 1369: In 1351, the Red Turban Rebellion erupted in the Huai River valley, which saw the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, a Han Chinese peasant, who established the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Toghon Temür (r. 1333-1370), the last ruler of the Yuan, fled north to Shangdu.
January 1369: The Dughlat Qamar-ud-din Khan Dughlat rebelled and killed Ilyas Khoja of Moghulistan in 1368, taking the throne for himself. Ilyas Khoja's brother Khizr Khoja fled to Turpan where he set up his own independent realm.
Disestablishment
January 1371: Yingchang was seized by the Ming shortly after the death of Northern Yuan ruler Toghon Temür (r. 1333-1370).
Selected Sources
Kopalyan, N. (2017): World Political Systems after Polarity, Taylor & Francis, p. 164
Yuan Dynasty
