In short
In 1205, Genghis Khan unified the Mongol tribes and launched a systematic conquest of China's fractured dynasties that would consume 74 years. By 1279, Mongol forces under Kublai Khan had defeated the Jin dynasty, Western Xia, Dali, and finally the Southern Song, establishing the Yuan dynasty and reshaping the political map of Asia.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
The Mongol conquest of China was a series of major military efforts by the Mongol Empire to conquer various empires ruling over China for 74 years (1205–1279). It spanned over seventy years in the 13th century and involved the defeat of the Jin dynasty, Western Liao, Western Xia, Tibet, the Dali Kingdom, the Southern Song, and the Eastern Xia. The Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan started the conquest with small-scale raids into Western Xia in 1205 and 1207.
As it was happening
19 voices, 27105 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes
Temüjin (later called Genghis Khan) consolidates power over fractious Mongol clans at a kurultai assembly, establishing the foundation for imperial expansion.
As it was happening
19 voices, 27105 days.
Day 0 · January 1, 1205
Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes
Temüjin (later called Genghis Khan) consolidates power over fractious Mongol clans at a kurultai assembly, establishing the foundation for imperial expansion.
Day 0 · January 1, 1205
Mongol conquest of China begins
Early Mongol raids against the Jin dynasty and other Chinese states commence, setting the stage for decades of warfare.
“The Jin Dynasty grows fat and divided.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Mongol oral histories recorded by later chroniclers, Jan 1
“Nomadic Tribes Unite Under Temüjin; Threat Looms to…”
- Song Dynasty Official Records (宋朝官方記錄), Sep 15
“Jurchen Generals Mobilize Against Steppe Coalition; Cavalry…”
- Jin Dynasty Court Gazette (金朝朝報), Mar 22
“Northern Steppes in Upheaval; Western Xia Prepares…”
- Xia Dynasty Imperial Chronicles (西夏皇家記事), Jun 18
“My family fled Kaifeng with three bolts of silk.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Marco Polo's later interviews and Chinese merchant records, Mar 20
“These barbarian horsemen lack the virtue of the ancients.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Neo-Confucian texts and official correspondence, 1210s-1220s, Jun 15
“Temüjin (later called Genghis Khan) consolidates power over…”
- Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes, Jan 1
“Early Mongol raids against the Jin dynasty and other…”
- Mongol conquest of China begins, Jan 1
“Synthesized from period reporting - AR: 'Qawm Tatari…”
- Islamic Geographers and Merchants Guild (Kitab al-Masalik), Nov 10
Day 8035 · January 1, 1227
Fall of Western Xia
Genghis Khan's forces destroy the Western Xia kingdom, eliminating a major regional power and securing Mongol western flank before moving against the Jin.
“The northern capital has fallen to the Mongol horde.”
- Jin Shi Lu (Official History of the Jin Dynasty) - court records, 1227, Dec 1
“Genghis Khan's forces destroy the Western Xia kingdom,…”
- Fall of Western Xia, Jan 1
Day 10592 · January 1, 1234
Jin dynasty collapse
The Jin dynasty falls to combined Mongol and Southern Song forces after decades of Mongol military pressure; Jin ruler Aizong dies during the siege of Caizhou.
“The Jin dynasty falls to combined Mongol and Southern Song…”
- Jin dynasty collapse, Jan 1
Day 20088 · January 1, 1260
Kublai Khan proclaimed Great Khan
Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, assumes leadership and continues the systematic conquest of southern Chinese territories.
“My grandfather conquered with speed and terror.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Kublai Khan's strategic councils, 1250s-1260s, Jun 10
“Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, assumes leadership…”
- Kublai Khan proclaimed Great Khan, Jan 1
Day 23010 · January 1, 1268
Siege of Xiangyang begins
Mongol forces under Kublai Khan begin a prolonged siege of Xiangyang, a key Southern Song stronghold controlling the Yangtze River crossing.
“Mongol forces under Kublai Khan begin a prolonged siege of…”
- Siege of Xiangyang begins, Jan 1
Day 24106 · January 1, 1271
Yuan dynasty formally proclaimed
Kublai Khan formally establishes the Yuan dynasty with its capital at Khanbaliq (modern Beijing), asserting Chinese imperial legitimacy.
“Kublai Khan formally establishes the Yuan dynasty with its…”
- Yuan dynasty formally proclaimed, Jan 1
Day 24837 · January 1, 1273
Xiangyang falls to Mongols
After five years of siege, Xiangyang surrenders to Mongol forces, opening the path to Southern Song heartland and the Yangtze River valley.
“After five years of siege, Xiangyang surrenders to Mongol…”
- Xiangyang falls to Mongols, Jan 1
Day 25932 · January 1, 1276
Southern Song capital falls
Hangzhou, the Southern Song capital, falls to Mongol forces; the Song imperial court flees southward but resistance continues.
“Hangzhou, the Southern Song capital, falls to Mongol…”
- Southern Song capital falls, Jan 1
Day 27105 · March 19, 1279
Battle of Yamen ends Song resistance
The final decisive naval battle off Yamen eliminates Southern Song naval power and the last organized resistance; young Emperor Zhao Bing dies in the defeat, ending Song dynasty rule and completing Mongol unification of China.
“The final decisive naval battle off Yamen eliminates…”
- Battle of Yamen ends Song resistance, Mar 19
Afterward
What followed
- 1234 - Jin Dynasty collapse. The Jin Dynasty fell to combined Mongol and Song Chinese forces, ending three centuries of Jurchen rule in northern China. This opened the path for Mongol dominance across all of China.
- 1271 - Kublai Khan establishes Yuan Dynasty. Kublai Khan formally proclaimed the Yuan Dynasty, creating the first foreign-ruled Chinese imperial state. He relocated the capital to Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) and adopted Chinese administrative systems.
- 1279 - Southern Song Dynasty falls. The Battle of Yamen ended Song Dynasty resistance, completing the Mongol conquest of all China. The last Song emperor drowned during the naval battle, marking the final unification under Mongol rule.
- 1280 - Mongol occupation and administrative transformation. The Mongols implemented a dual administrative system blending Mongol and Chinese governance structures. They divided the population into four classes with Mongols at the top, fundamentally altering Chinese society.
- 1295 - Silk Road trade expansion. Mongol control of vast territories enabled unprecedented safe passage along trade routes. Marco Polo's travels exemplified the ease of merchant movement under Pax Mongolica between 1271-1295.
The numbers.
5 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Duration
0 years (1205–1279)
Start date
0 - Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes
Completion date
0 - Fall of Southern Song dynasty
Siege of Xiangyang duration
0–1273 (5 years)
Yuan dynasty establishment
0 (formally declared by Kublai Khan)
The visual record.
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: Song Dynasty Official Records (宋朝官方記錄), Jin Dynasty Court Gazette (金朝朝報), Islamic Geographers and Merchants Guild (Kitab al-Masalik).
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
4 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
Song Dynasty Official Records (宋朝官方記錄)
Newspaper · China · Sep 15, 1206
"Nomadic Tribes Unite Under Temüjin; Threat Looms to Northern Borders"
Synthesized from period reporting - The fragmented Mongol and Tatar tribes of the northern steppes have consolidated under a single leader now styled 'Genghis Khan,' consolidating power in a manner not witnessed for generations. Court advisors warn that unified steppe forces pose unprecedented risk to Jin dynasty buffer zones.
- Mar 22, 1207
Jin Dynasty Court Gazette (金朝朝報)
Newspaper · China
"Jurchen Generals Mobilize Against Steppe Coalition; Cavalry Reinforcements Dispatched"
Synthesized from period reporting - In response to intelligence of consolidated Mongol forces under the warlord Temüjin, the Jin military command has ordered three cavalry legions northward to fortify frontier garrisons and preempt incursions into Manchuria and northern territories.
- Jun 18, 1210
Xia Dynasty Imperial Chronicles (西夏皇家記事)
Newspaper · China
"Northern Steppes in Upheaval; Western Xia Prepares Defensive Posture"
Synthesized from period reporting - Intelligence from frontier scouts confirms the emergence of a powerful unified Mongol state on the northern steppes. Military officials recommend increased garrison strength along exposed western borders to deter potential aggression from this newly consolidated threat.
- Nov 10, 1208
Islamic Geographers and Merchants Guild (Kitab al-Masalik)
Magazine · Central Asia
"AR: 'Qawm Tatari Yattahidun taht Qa'id Wahid' / EN: Tatars Unite Under Single Commander; Silk Road Trade Routes Threatened"
Synthesized from period reporting - AR: 'Qawm Tatari Yattahidun taht Qa'id Wahid' / EN: 'The Tatar peoples unite under a single commander' - Caravans report consolidation of steppe tribes into formidable military confederation, raising alarm among Central Asian trading posts regarding passage security along established routes eastward.
At the cinema, on the charts.
The world it landed in
What was on the radio, the screen, and everyone's mind.
Same week, elsewhere
The 13th century in China was dominated by military conquest, administrative reorganization, and the gradual integration of Mongol and Chinese cultural practices. In Europe, this period saw the Crusades and the rise of Gothic architecture. No recorded popular music, film, or television existed in either region during 1205-1279.
Then and now.
3 measurements then and now - the deltas the event left behind.
Then & now
The world the event landed in vs. the one it left behind.
Territory under Mongol control
Fragmented khanates across Asia
1205
Mongolia spans 1.56 million km²
2024
Modern Mongolia is a fraction of the Mongol Empire's peak extent in the 13th century
Population of Mongolia
Estimated 1-2 million nomadic peoples
1205
3.4 million
2024
Primary military technology
Composite bows, cavalry, siege weapons adapted from conquered peoples
1205
Modern mechanized and digital warfare systems
2024
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Mongol conquest of China
en.wikipedia.org