Question

What was the plan of Yuan Dabu oriented around?

Answer 1

The plan of Yuan Dabu, under Kublai Khan's rule, focused on establishing a new social hierarchy based on ethnicity to govern the diverse and expansive territories of the Yuan dynasty.

Step-by-step explanation:

The plan of Yuan Dabu was oriented around the structuring and governing of a vast empire that included China during the Yuan dynasty. Kublai Khan's most drastic change was to the social structure, replacing the Confucian system of class distinctions with one based on ethnicity.

At the top were Mongols, followed by other non-Chinese people like Europeans and former steppe inhabitants. The bottom two classes were comprised of Chinese people: those of Han ethnicity and the remaining Song Chinese in the south.

Kublai's Yuan dynasty differentiated itself from previous Chinese dynasties with these sweeping changes, hoping to manage the complexities of ruling an expansive and diverse empire.

Answer 2

The plan of Yuan Dabu revolved around establishing and governing a vast empire with China at its center. Challenges included managing a diverse population, enforcing new regulations, and balancing military and civil demands, all while leaving a significant architectural and administrative legacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The plan of Yuan Dabu was centered around the establishment and governance of a vast empire that included China as its core. After Kublai Khan's forces emerged victorious against the Song dynasty, the Mandate of Heaven was proclaimed to have shifted to him, leading to the proclamation of the Yuan dynasty. This period saw significant administrative, cultural, and structural changes, including the creation of a class system based on ethnicity with Mongols at the top. However, these changes also presented numerous challenges such as the continual skirmishes along borders, enforcement of new regulations, and the demands of a burgeoning peasant population.

Ruling the vast lands of the Yuan empire required the consolidation of power and a balance between military might and civil administration. The massive project of governing such a diverse and expansive territory was made even more complex with the Mongols' adaptation to a more settled lifestyle and engagement with the longstanding bureaucratic traditions of China.

Kublai Khan's legacy includes the significant imprint left on the empire's capital and infrastructure, as seen in his establishment of the capital near the old Jin capital of Zhongdu, and the various ambitious projects such as the building of the Forbidden City by his successor, the Yongle Emperor. These ambitious projects not only served political and administrative purposes but also symbolized the grandeur and might of the Yuan Empire. Despite the efforts and achievements, the Yuan dynasty ultimately faced decline due to internal struggles and external pressures.