Great Mongol State: Map & History
The largest contiguous land empire in world history, uniting the entire Eurasian landmass from the Sea of Japan to the Danube River under the Pax Mongolica.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Yuan dynasty, officially the Great Yuan, was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from the Borjigin clan, and lasted from 1271 to 1368 CE. In Chinese history, the Yuan dynasty followed the Song dynasty and preceded the Ming dynasty.
Modern Countries Once Part of Great Mongol State
At its mapped extent, Great Mongol State covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Great Mongol State's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Great Mongol State in Depth
History
Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes of the steppes and became Great Khan in 1206. He and his successors expanded the Mongol empire across Asia. Under the reign of Genghis' third son, Ögedei Khan, the Mongols destroyed the weakened Jin dynasty in 1234, conquering most of northern China. Ögedei offered his nephew Kublai a position in Xingzhou, Hebei. Kublai was unable to read Chinese but had several Han teachers attached to him since his early years by his mother Sorghaghtani. He sought the counsel of Chinese Buddhist and Confucian advisers. Möngke Khan succeeded Ögedei's son, Güyük, as Great Khan in 1251. He granted his brother Kublai control over Mongol held territories in China.
Government
The Yuan government was centred on the emperor, huangdi in Chinese and khagan in Mongolian. Unlike ethnically Han dynasties, the Yuan court did not adhere to primogeniture and all of Kublai's descendants were eligible candidates for the throne. Election Kurultais (assemblies), during which genuine discussion on the succession would occur, were held until 1311. With the enthronement of Gegeen Khan in 1320, kurultais became a formality and real power over succession was held by empress-dowagers, guard units, or high officials.
The dynasty chose white as its imperial colour, which corresponds to the Metal element according to the theory of the Five Elements (wuxing). The Metal element does not directly follow the Song's dynastic element, Fire, in the creation sequence of the five elements.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Yuan dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Great Mongol State: Key Facts
| Capital | Khanbaliq |
|---|---|
| Form of government | absolute monarchy |
| Currencies | cash, Chao |
| Founded | 1271 |
| Dissolved | 1368 |
Preceded by
- Song dynasty
- Southern Song dynasty
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q7313 (CC0).
Great Mongol State Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Great Mongol State appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Founded in 1206 by Temüjin upon receiving the title Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire utilized revolutionary composite bow cavalry tactics, psychological warfare, meritocratic officer corps, and an extraordinary courier network (the Yam system) to sweep across Eurasia. Despite violent conquests, the Pax Mongolica provided unprecedented commercial security, enabling merchants like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta to cross continents unmolested.
Great Mongol State Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Temüjin is proclaimed Genghis Khan, uniting the nomadic tribes of Mongolia.
Empire divided into four great uluses among his sons under Great Khan Ögedei.
Hulagu Khan captures Baghdad, ending the Abbasid Caliphate and establishing the Ilkhanate.
Kublai Khan unifies China and reaches the empire’s maximum extent of 24.0 million km².
Ming forces capture the capital; Mongols retreat to the steppe as the Northern Yuan.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Unification of the Eurasian Silk Road with unified tolls and passports (Paiza)
- ✓Transmission of Chinese technology (printing, gunpowder, compass) to Europe
- ✓The Yam postal courier relay system inspiring modern postal communications
- ✓Radical religious tolerance policy across Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Shamanist subjects
Great Mongol State: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Great Mongol State exist?
Great Mongol State is dated to 1206 CE – 1368 CE (Unified) / 1687 CE (Successor Khanates), in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Great Mongol State?
The capital of Great Mongol State was Avarga (early), Karakorum, Khanbaliq (Beijing).
How large was Great Mongol State at its peak?
At its peak in 1279 AD Great Mongol State covered about 1,569,898 km².
Geographic Lifelines
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