Northern Yuan: Map & History
The Northern Yuan was a dynastic state ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau.
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The Northern Yuan was a dynastic state ruled by the Mongol Borjigin clan based in the Mongolian Plateau. It existed as a rump state after the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in 1368 and lasted until its conquest by the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty in 1635, which was later renamed as the Qing dynasty. The Northern Yuan dynasty began with the retreat of the Yuan imperial court led by Toghon Temür to the Mongolian steppe. This period featured factional struggles and the often only nominal role of the Great Khan.
Modern Countries Once Part of Northern Yuan
At its mapped extent, Northern Yuan covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Northern Yuan'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.
Northern Yuan in Depth
History
The Northern Yuan dynasty was the remnant of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) founded by Kublai Khan. After eliminating the Song dynasty in 1279, the Yuan dynasty ruled all of China proper for about a century. Even prior to the Yuan dynasty, the Mongols had ruled Northern China for more than 40 years, since the time they conquered the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in 1234.
Yuan rule in China proper began to collapse in 1344 when the Yellow River flooded and changed course, causing widespread droughts, flooding, and making the Grand Canal impassable. In 1351, the Red Turban Rebellion erupted in the Huai River valley, which saw the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, a Han peasant, who eventually established the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) in southern China.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Northern Yuan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Northern Yuan Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Northern Yuan appears, with the other states of the time.
Northern Yuan Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 3,439,109 km² in 1388 CE.
Northern Yuan: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Northern Yuan exist?
Northern Yuan is dated to 1375 CE – 1439 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
How large was Northern Yuan at its peak?
At its peak in 1388 AD Northern Yuan covered about 3,439,109 km².
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