Bibliography

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Map Paragraph

Map Paragraph By Nathaniel Etienne

The Yuan empire was larger than modern China. The Yuan empire owned Mongolia. The Yuan empire extended from Southern China to Northern Russia. Modern day China did not have Korea (north or south side) under it’s control unlike the Yuan empire. The Southern Song empire was 3 times smaller than the Yuan empire. The capital of the Southern Song empire was Hangzhou, the capital of the Yuan empire was Dadu. These are the differences between the maps of Southern Song empire, modern China, and Yuan empire.





-co

Inventions Paragragh

Inventions Silk

                  by: Nathaniel Etienne

Silk was a popular product during the Yuan Dynasty. Silk was traded along the silk road, a road that reached from Central China all the way to Rome. Traders and merchants far and wide would trade along this route. Silk was a big part of China’s income since it was so valued by other countries they traded with. No one outside of China knew how to make silk yet, which is the reason why it was so highly valued. If anyone exposed how it was produced they could be punished by death. This impacted the Chinese in this period because they were introduced to different things through trading silk. The Chinese showed the Romans how to make silk latter on, in return the Romans taught them how to make glass. This was also valued by other countries. Silk was critical to the Yuan empire’s economy.

Interview With Zhu Yuanzhang

Interview With Zhu Yuanzhang

        By: Nathaniel Etienne

Q: Why do you want to overthrow the Mongols?

A: I believe I can make a difference for China, because it shames me that we are under the rule of such foreign barbarians. With my Red Turban comrades, we can start a new dynasty. The Mongol army is clearly overrated. I know I am one of the few who can stop the Mongol savages. I will not rest until this is done.

Q: How was your childhood?

A: I was raised a peasant, and when I was young several of my brothers and sisters were sold away. I experienced famine and fighting as well as death and natural disasters. When I was sixteen my entire family was killed by a flood from the Yellow River. Then the reckless Mongols, the conquerors of our once great nation, laid waste to the monastery where I took refuge and was taught to read and write.

Q: Do you want to become emperor, and if so, what do you plan on doing?

A: Yes, I'm confident I will become emperor.  I plan to put an end to Mongol rule and win our country back. I expect to succeed where the Mongols have miserably failed. I intend to help the peasants prosper, to give them the chance I never had. I want the Mongols out of China for good, and if I become emperor, I intend to do that.

Q: Are you ready to take on the Mongols?

A: My army is not ready yet.  We will need a few more years to fully build our strength. We will attack while we have the upper hand. Their military is weakening, while ours is confident and growing stronger. The empire will be ours, some way or somehow.

Q: Will you live to see the day when the Yuan dynasty ends?

A: I will tell you this, the Mongol’s reign will end in my lifetime. I intend on ruling the country and as long as I have a reason to live, I will succeed.  No one will steal my rightful place on that throne. I am not failing in health nor am I failing in pride, but the emperor is. My victory is inevitable.                       

Editorial

Red Turban Army a New Rebellion                             Editorial                                         By:Nathaniel Etienne

   Zhu Yuanzhang, leader of the Red Turbans has recently killed Han Lin'er. He did this to call in a racial revolution for the Han Chinese, thay are being treated very unfairly. The Red Turban Army plans on over throwing the Mongols and starting a new dynasty. The Mongols should establish a new bureaucracy this is not totally bias and overly beneficial to the Mongols. They should spread the taxes equally among all the classes of people to keep order and balance economically, and so no one class has to carry the weight of all the other classes.
  
   To prove the point of the Han Chinese info has been gathered. The Mongols have recently been struggling military wise. All the failed campaigns and the costly defense of the empires borders caused an urgent need for military funding. To make up for their failed efforts they taxed the Han Chinese (mostly peasants) heavily. This was because they were at the bottom of the bureaucracy. As stated earlier, The Red Turban Army has called in a racial revolution for the Han Chinese. This is because of the high taxes they received. The Han Chinese have become supporters of the Red Turbans. This gives evidence that both groups are against the Mongols. The Mongols did not only tax them heavily, but treated them unfairly too. They had more severe punishments even to minor offenses. The reason being they are the lowest class. The bureaucracy was bias favoring the Mongols the most.

   The other three classes are not doing much to support the Han Chinese struggle. They are the lowest class in the bureaucracy giving them less privilege. The other three classes are also fine with the fact that they are not having their taxes increased. Also ignoring the faxed that the Han Chinese are carrying the empires weight. The are glad the Han Chinese are being taxed, also the other three classes are reassured by fact that the peasants can't do anything about it. This opinion is unfair and bias, no one group of people in the empire should be treated extremely unfairly. If the whole country is struggling everyone should have an evenly divided tax increase. To sum up the editorial the Han Chinese are being heard by a group of people that can make an impact (The Red Turban Army). They have sworn to make a difference with the death of a powerful man  (Han Lin'er) a racial revolution is being called in for the Han Chinese. This is empowering, the Mongol empire is falling apart. It is time for a change, this starts with the most rejected group of people, the Han Chinese.

News Article

The Red Turban Army a New Fighter                 By:Nathaniel Etienne                            Yuan Press                        1356 February 4th

DADU -- Zhu Yuanzhang, recently the prideful leader of the Red Turbans, has killed five men. He considered these men his rivals and eliminated them one by one. The most influential of these men was Han Lin'er. He was killed by Zhu to call for a racial revolution for the Han Chinese. This got him a lot of support. This did not help the situation though. The Yuan Empire/Mongol Empire has been in chaos lately from all the failed campaigns and the enraged peasants suffering the tax increase. The Mongols can't seem to keep it together any more. All the continuous bad luck is giving the people the impression that the Mongols have lost the Mandate of Heaven.

    There have been many prior events that led up to this. The Yellow River has constantly been flooding, not to mention all the other natural disasters. The dynasty required considerable military expenditure to maintain its large empire. Since the Han Chinese are the lowest class of the bureaucracy, they have to make up for overspending on failed campaigns and other areas. They taxed our local Han Chinese the hardest. The Red Turban Army was largely influenced by the White Lotus society.  Five years prior, in 1351, the society was planning an armed rebellion, but the plan was put on hold because of the arrest of their leader Han Shantong. His son with the help of Han Lin'er was able to become his father’s successor, and become the proud leader of the newly named Red Turban Army.

During the beginning of the Red Turban Army, there were a lot of acts of violence towards the Mongol government officials. The Army attacked a group of Mongol officials. One man has survived and is recovering from injuries from the beating he got.  His name is Yuan Tao, and he speaks out now about what he thinks of the Red Turban Army. “The attack we received from these men was brutal. The Red Turban Army is weak though, and they are over confident for thinking they can overthrow us.”

A Han Chinese peasant named Han Shin speaks out about what he thinks of the recent tax increase: “I am happy that someone has heard our prayers. We are being supported by these great men, and the death of Han Lin’er has called for a racial revolution by we downtrodden Han Chinese. We are happy to support the Red Turban Army at all costs.” This is what both sides of the empire think. Which side are you on?