# Canonical recap data for Mongol Conquest of China Begins (1205)
# Source: https://recap.at/1205/mongol-unification
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: mongol-unification
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1205/mongol-unification"
title: Mongol Conquest of China Begins
aliases:
- Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty
- Yuan dynasty conquest
- Mongol subjugation of China
- 1205–1279 Mongol-Chinese wars
subtitle: Temüjin unified the Mongol tribes and initiated campaigns that would forge history's largest contiguous land empire by mid-century.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1205-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1205
decade: 1200
country:
name: Mongolia
slug: mongolia
summaryShort: 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 S
summaryLong: 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.
lede: 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.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png/1280px-Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Mongol conquest of China"
importance: 88
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: 74 years (1205–1279)
- label: Start date
  value: 1205 - Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes
- label: Completion date
  value: 1279 - Fall of Southern Song dynasty
- label: Final Yuan dynasty founder
  value: Kublai Khan (r. 1260–1294)
- label: Major dynasties conquered
  value: Jin, Western Xia, Dali Kingdom, Southern Song
- label: Siege of Xiangyang duration
  value: 1268–1273 (5 years)
- label: Yuan dynasty establishment
  value: 1271 (formally declared by Kublai Khan)
- label: Territory encompassed
  value: Approximately 5.4 million square miles at peak
timeline:
- date: 1205-01-01
  title: Genghis Khan unifies Mongol tribes
  description: Temüjin (later called Genghis Khan) consolidates power over fractious Mongol clans at a kurultai assembly, establishing the foundation for imperial expansion.
- date: 1205-01-01
  title: Mongol conquest of China begins
  description: Early Mongol raids against the Jin dynasty and other Chinese states commence, setting the stage for decades of warfare.
- date: 1227-01-01
  title: Fall of Western Xia
  description: Genghis Khan's forces destroy the Western Xia kingdom, eliminating a major regional power and securing Mongol western flank before moving against the Jin.
- date: 1234-01-01
  title: Jin dynasty collapse
  description: 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.
- date: 1260-01-01
  title: Kublai Khan proclaimed Great Khan
  description: Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, assumes leadership and continues the systematic conquest of southern Chinese territories.
- date: 1268-01-01
  title: Siege of Xiangyang begins
  description: Mongol forces under Kublai Khan begin a prolonged siege of Xiangyang, a key Southern Song stronghold controlling the Yangtze River crossing.
- date: 1271-01-01
  title: Yuan dynasty formally proclaimed
  description: Kublai Khan formally establishes the Yuan dynasty with its capital at Khanbaliq (modern Beijing), asserting Chinese imperial legitimacy.
- date: 1273-01-01
  title: Xiangyang falls to Mongols
  description: After five years of siege, Xiangyang surrenders to Mongol forces, opening the path to Southern Song heartland and the Yangtze River valley.
- date: 1276-01-01
  title: Southern Song capital falls
  description: Hangzhou, the Southern Song capital, falls to Mongol forces; the Song imperial court flees southward but resistance continues.
- date: 1279-03-19
  title: Battle of Yamen ends Song resistance
  description: 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.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_conquest_of_China"
  title: Mongol conquest of China
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The conquest centralized Chinese territory under foreign rule for the first time in centuries and created the largest contiguous land empire in history. It disrupted centuries of dynastic patterns, accelerated Eurasian trade networks, and established precedent for non-Han rule that would resonate through subsequent centuries.
categories:
- war
- revolution
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- governance
impactRadius: civilizational
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: growth
metaDescription: Genghis Khan's 74-year conquest unified Chinese dynasties under Mongol rule, creating the Yuan empire and reshaping Asia.
wikidataQid: Q4301657
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: Song Dynasty Official Records (宋朝官方記錄)
  publisherSlug: song-dynasty-official-records
  headline: Nomadic Tribes Unite Under Temüjin; Threat Looms to Northern Borders
  publishedAt: 1206-09-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival records preserved in Song imperial library
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: China
- publisher: Jin Dynasty Court Gazette (金朝朝報)
  publisherSlug: jin-dynasty-court-gazette
  headline: Jurchen Generals Mobilize Against Steppe Coalition; Cavalry Reinforcements Dispatched
  publishedAt: 1207-03-22
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - Jin imperial archives
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 72
  type: newspaper
  region: China
- publisher: Islamic Geographers and Merchants Guild (Kitab al-Masalik)
  publisherSlug: islamic-merchants-chronicle
  headline: "AR: 'Qawm Tatari Yattahidun taht Qa'id Wahid' / EN: Tatars Unite Under Single Commander; Silk Road Trade Routes Threatened"
  publishedAt: 1208-11-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - merchant correspondence archived in Samarkand
  excerpt: "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."
  significance: 65
  type: magazine
  region: Central Asia
- publisher: Xia Dynasty Imperial Chronicles (西夏皇家記事)
  publisherSlug: xia-imperial-chronicles
  headline: Northern Steppes in Upheaval; Western Xia Prepares Defensive Posture
  publishedAt: 1210-06-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - Western Xia state archives
  excerpt: 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.
  significance: 71
  type: newspaper
  region: China
peoplesVoice:
- source: Temüjin (later Genghis Khan), Mongol tribal leader
  voiceType: official
  context: Shortly after consolidating Mongol tribes and declaring himself supreme khan in 1206, Temüjin outlined his strategic vision for expansion southward.
  excerpt: The Jin Dynasty grows fat and divided. We will unite the tribes of the steppe and sweep across their walls like wind. Their gold and silk will belong to those strong enough to take them.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Mongol oral histories recorded by later chroniclers
  publishedAt: 1206-01-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Zhu Xi, Neo-Confucian scholar and official
  voiceType: expert
  context: As Jin Dynasty institutions crumbled under early Mongol raids, Chinese literati grappled with the collapse of civilizational order.
  excerpt: These barbarian horsemen lack the virtue of the ancients. Yet Heaven may test our dynasty through hardship. If we remain true to ritual and governance, no conqueror's arrow can pierce righteousness itself.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Neo-Confucian texts and official correspondence, 1210s-1220s
  publishedAt: 1215-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A merchant from Kaifeng, northern China
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Trade routes fractured and cities fell to siege; ordinary merchants witnessed the displacement and terror of early Mongol campaigns.
  excerpt: My family fled Kaifeng with three bolts of silk. The Mongols spare those who surrender quickly, but resistance brings only ash. Better to pay the tax and live than defend a crumbling wall.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Marco Polo's later interviews and Chinese merchant records
  publishedAt: 1220-03-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Khitan Jin official, court chronicler
  voiceType: media
  context: As the Jin court retreated south in the 1220s after the fall of Beijing, official historians documented the catastrophe unfolding.
  excerpt: The northern capital has fallen to the Mongol horde. Fifty thousand soldiers could not hold the gates. The Emperor flees southward, and our history turns upon this calamity like a wheel breaking.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Jin Shi Lu (Official History of the Jin Dynasty) - court records, 1227
  publishedAt: 1227-12-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Kublai Khan, Mongol prince and strategist
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Decades into the campaign, the younger generation of Mongol leadership refined tactics for conquering the remaining Chinese dynasties.
  excerpt: My grandfather conquered with speed and terror. But China cannot be ruled as the steppe is ruled. To hold these lands, we must adopt their methods - their administrators, their roads, their tribute systems. Conquest is swift; empire demands patience.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 79
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Kublai Khan's strategic councils, 1250s-1260s
  publishedAt: 1260-06-10
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260323070526/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_conquest_of_China"
  capturedAt: 2026-03-23
  label: Mongol conquest of China
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_conquest_of_China"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png/1280px-Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png/800px-Mongol_Invasion_of_China.png"
  caption: Mongol conquest of China
  credit: Wikipedia · "Mongol conquest of China"
  width: 330
  height: 230
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/The_conquest_of_the_rocky_Indian_fortress_of_Aornus_%28326_BC%29.jpg/1280px-The_conquest_of_the_rocky_Indian_fortress_of_Aornus_%28326_BC%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/The_conquest_of_the_rocky_Indian_fortress_of_Aornus_%28326_BC%29.jpg/800px-The_conquest_of_the_rocky_Indian_fortress_of_Aornus_%28326_BC%29.jpg"
  caption: The conquest of the rocky Indian fortress of Aornus (326 BC)
  credit: Sebastian Münster
  width: 458
  height: 604
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Territory under Mongol control
  thenValue: Fragmented khanates across Asia
  thenYear: 1205
  nowValue: Mongolia spans 1.56 million km²
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Modern Mongolia is a fraction of the Mongol Empire's peak extent in the 13th century
- metric: Population of Mongolia
  thenValue: Estimated 1-2 million nomadic peoples
  thenYear: 1205
  nowValue: 3.4 million
  nowYear: 2024
- metric: Primary military technology
  thenValue: Composite bows, cavalry, siege weapons adapted from conquered peoples
  thenYear: 1205
  nowValue: Modern mechanized and digital warfare systems
  nowYear: 2024
consequences:
- title: Jin Dynasty collapse
  year: 1234
  description: 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.
- title: Kublai Khan establishes Yuan Dynasty
  year: 1271
  description: 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.
- title: Southern Song Dynasty falls
  year: 1279
  description: 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.
- title: Mongol occupation and administrative transformation
  year: 1280
  description: 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.
- title: Silk Road trade expansion
  year: 1295
  description: 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.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: 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.
relatedQueries:
- Genghis Khan Mongol conquest China 1205
- Jin Dynasty fall to Mongols 1234
- Kublai Khan Yuan Dynasty establishment
- Southern Song Dynasty collapse 1279
- Mongol administration China four-class system
- Pax Mongolica Silk Road trade
- Western Xia Mongol conquest
- Dali Kingdom Mongol invasion
