The Battle That Ended Mongol Dominance In China | China Conquest of Beijing | Mongol Yuan Vs Ming

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:01]By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol rulers had become cruel and greedy.

[00:00:07]They took land from farmers and forced many people, especially the Han Chinese, into slavery. [music] Fertile farmlands were turned into grazing land for animals.

[00:00:19]For example, one official named Boyan was given a huge 20,000 hectares of land.

[00:00:26]Rich landlords kept grabbing more land, leaving poor farmers with nothing.

[00:00:31]Many were forced to work as slaves just to survive.

[00:00:35]Taxes were unbearable, with the government demanding 20 times more than in earlier years of the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:00:44]At the same time, the rulers lived in luxury, collecting treasures and beautiful women to offer to the Buddha, hoping for immortality.

[00:00:54]The government ran out of money and printed too much paper currency, which caused the economy to collapse.

[00:01:00]To make things worse, the Yellow River often flooded because no one took care of it.

[00:01:06]Crops were destroyed and people went hungry.

[00:01:10]Homeless refugees filled the roads.

[00:01:13]Life was so bad that people would say, "The dead are everywhere and the living walk among ghosts."

[00:01:21]Along with the decline of politics and the hardships of everyday life for the people, the Yuan Dynasty's army was also growing weaker [music] by the day.

[00:01:32]When Kublai Khan took over Zhongyuan, the Yuan army was mostly made up of Han soldiers who had fought for the Jin Dynasty before the Mongols defeated them.

[00:01:43]These soldiers, led by Mongol or Central Asian officers, were stationed all across the empire and made up the main force of the Yuan army.

[00:01:53]Although Mongol soldiers were sent to important areas when needed, They didn't patrol the empire regularly.

[00:02:00]Most Mongol troops were stationed in the north near the capital Khanbaliq.

[00:02:06]But by the late 1200s, the Yuan army was getting weaker.

[00:02:10]By the 1340s, they often failed to stop local uprisings.

[00:02:15]For example, a small group of 36 bandits took over a Daoist temple on Mount Hua.

[00:02:21]Even after sending troops from three provinces, it took more than 3 months to stop them.

[00:02:28]The problem was finally solved when salt workers from Hangzhou, known for being tough, were brought in to defeat the bandits. This failure made people lose trust in the central government, and they started relying more on local leaders for protection.

[00:02:43]This shift of power made the Yuan rulers even weaker.

[00:02:48]At the same time, the Yuan also had other problems, like a rebellion from the Jurchen people in 1343, who resisted supplying falcons to the Mongols.

[00:02:59]Not only did the Yuan government have to deal with uprisings, but they also faced constant natural disasters.

[00:03:07]In May 1344, the Yellow River flooded again, breaking through the Baimao and Jin embankments in the north, now Henan.

[00:03:17]The areas along the river were first hit by floods, then came drought and disease, causing more than half of the people in the affected areas to die.

[00:03:27]After the river broke its banks, it destroyed the saltworks in Shandong, which seriously affected the Yuan government's income.

[00:03:36]In April 1349, Emperor Toghon Temür ordered Jia Lu, the Minister of Industry, to take charge of protecting the river.

[00:03:47]He forced 150,000 workers to dig a new 280-mile canal to reroute the Yellow River eastward and connect it to the Huai River, which would flow into the sea.

[00:04:00]The work was extremely hard, and under pressure, officials supervising the workers took advantage of the situation to steal food money meant for the workers. Many of the workers starved and froze, and the public became very angry.

[00:04:16]Around the same time, Emperor Toghon Temür decided to change the paper money policy in 1351.

[00:04:24]However, printing too much paper money caused prices to soar, leading to serious inflation.

[00:04:31]Both the government and the people couldn't afford to live.

[00:04:35]Policies like river dredging and money changes only worsened social conflicts, making the situation even more chaotic.

[00:04:44]In this situation, Han Shantong, a leader of the White Lotus Society movement in the north, along with his ally Liu Futong, decided to take advantage of the chaos and start an armed rebellion.

[00:04:59]They strongly spread religious ideas such as "Maitreya Buddha will come, and the Ming King will be born. A wise king will appear to save the world." to attract followers.

[00:05:12]They also spread a prophecy saying, "The one-eyed stone man will rise by the Yellow River."

[00:05:20]To make the prophecy seem more believable, they secretly buried a one-eyed stone statue near Huangling, now in Henan, as proof of the prophecy.

[00:05:31]They secretly built up their forces and spread their ideas in the north for years.

[00:05:37]By early May 1351, they decided the time was right to act.

[00:05:43]Han Shantong and Liu Futong gathered about 3,000 people in the Yingshang area, modern Anhui, held a formal ceremony, slaughtered a black cow and a white horse, and swore an oath before heaven and earth to prepare for the rebellion.

[00:06:00]To make the rebellion more legitimate, Liu Futong declared that Han Shantong was the eighth descendant of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, who was considered the rightful ruler of China.

[00:06:13]This message attracted many followers, turning the rebellion into a large movement against the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:06:21]Han Shantong issued a declaration and raised a battle flag that said, "The three tigers will come to the land of Yuan Dynasty and the dragon will rise to the sky on the ninth to restore the Song Dynasty." Showing their determination to overthrow the Yuan and restore the Song Dynasty. However, the rebellion was suppressed by the government after their plans were leaked and Han Shantong was killed.

[00:06:51]Liu Futong continued the rebellion, led the people in revolt after breaking through, and captured Yingzhou, >> [music] >> now Fuyang, Anhui, in a surprise attack.

[00:07:03]Since the rebels wore red head scarves, they became known as the Red Turban Army.

[00:07:09]Over time, the Red Turban Army divided into two main groups.

[00:07:14]One in the south, focused around southern Hubei, and one in the north, based in the Huai River region of Anhui.

[00:07:24]After the northern Red Turban Army captured Yingzhou, the Yuan Dynasty sent officials from the Secretariat, Hesse and Tuqi, along with the Asu Army and various Han forces to suppress the rebellion.

[00:07:38]However, the Red Turban Army defeated them.

[00:07:41]They then seized control of Bozhou, modern Anhui, Xiangcheng, and Xuzhou, modern Henan.

[00:07:49]By September, they had conquered Runing, Xuzhou, and Guangzhou, modern Henan, growing their numbers to over 100,000 people. With such a large force, the Yuan troops couldn't stop them.

[00:08:02]It seemed like [music] chaos had taken over with factions fighting and killing one another recklessly.

[00:08:09]This situation reflected the deep social divide and ethnic oppression under Yuan rule, as well as the political ideals of the oppressed farmers.

[00:08:19]Wherever the Red Turban Army went, they opened grain stores to feed the poor farmers, earning the people's support.

[00:08:28]Crowds of people joined the Red Turban Army, quickly swelling its ranks to hundreds of thousands.

[00:08:35]Inspired by their actions, farmers across the country rose up in rebellion to overthrow the oppressive rule of the Yuan dynasty. The Red Turban Army adopted the slogan Ming against dark, Ming representing the rebels and dark symbolizing the Yuan's tyranny.

[00:08:54]This rallying cry encouraged people to rise up against the feudal government.

[00:09:00]Meanwhile, in the south, a remarkable figure named Zhu Yuanzhang was beginning to rise.

[00:09:07]When Zhu was just 16 years old, his family faced a terrible tragedy.

[00:09:12]His father, mother, and eldest brother all died during an epidemic that struck after a summer plagued by locusts and drought.

[00:09:21]With no one to care for him, Zhu was sent to a local Buddhist monastery to work as a laborer.

[00:09:28]To survive, the monastery sent him to beg for food. For the next 3 years, Zhu wandered as a begging monk, traveling from place to place.

[00:09:37]During this time, he witnessed the suffering of the people and began to understand the causes of the rebellions spreading across the land.

[00:09:46]On February 16th, 1352, the Red Turban Army captured Chaozhou.

[00:09:52]In response, the Yuan forces raided Buddhist monasteries in the area, including Zhu's monastery, which became a battleground.

[00:10:02]That same month, the monastery was burned down. Unable to stand by and watch the chaos caused by the Yuan forces, Zhu decided to act. On April 15th, Zhu joined the Red Turban Army led by Guo Zixing.

[00:10:18]But Zhu didn't come alone. He rallied over 700 men to join the cause, organizing them under 24 trusted friends.

[00:10:27]Among these were future generals like Xu Da and Lan Yu, who would play pivotal roles in his rise.

[00:10:35]This loyal group became famously known as the Fengyang Mafia.

[00:10:40]At the start of 1355, three prominent leaders of the Red Turban Rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang, Guo Zixing, and Zhang Shicheng, recognized a pressing challenge.

[00:10:53]The lands north of the Yangtze River, devastated by years of war, were no longer viable for sustaining or expanding their forces.

[00:11:03]Together, they set their sights on the prosperous and relatively untouched regions south of the Yangtze River, where wealth and resources offered better opportunities. Their journey south brought them to Hezhou, a strategically vital city along the Yangtze River. However, tensions quickly arose between Zhu Yuanzhang and Guo Zixing regarding who would control the city. The two leaders, once allies, found themselves at odds. Zhu, known for his strategic cunning, even aligned himself with one of Guo's former enemies to strengthen his position.

[00:11:41]Just as the conflict seemed poised to erupt into open confrontation, fate intervened. Guo Zixing suddenly passed away.

[00:11:50]His death reshaped the leadership dynamics of the Red Turban Army, paving the way for significant changes in the rebellion's direction.

[00:11:59]One significant change was the action taken by Liu Futong.

[00:12:03]He brought Han Liner, the son of the late Han Shantong, to Bozhou, in present-day Anhui province.

[00:12:11]Liu Futong declared Han Liner as the young Ming king, proclaimed the new dynasty as the Great Song, and established the era name Longfeng.

[00:12:23]This declaration symbolized their goal of restoring the Han dynasty and defeating the Yuan rulers.

[00:12:29]At the same time, Liu Futong reorganized the army and established the Northern Red Army, an important branch of the Red Turban forces.

[00:12:39]He also appointed himself as Pingzhang, a high-ranking position in the rebel council, becoming the prime minister and gaining full control of the army's operations.

[00:12:50]After Guo Zixing's unexpected death, Han Liner worked to stabilize the leadership within the Red Turban Army.

[00:12:58]He named Guo's eldest son as his father's successor, tasking him with leading the forces previously under Guo's command.

[00:13:07]To support this new structure, Guo's brother-in-law was appointed as the first deputy commander, while Zhu Yuanzhang was made the second deputy commander.

[00:13:17]Zhu's leadership potential continued to shine as the Red Turban forces faced their next major challenge.

[00:13:24]The rebels were determined to move southward into the fertile and wealthy regions beyond the Yangtze River.

[00:13:31]These areas, untouched by the devastation of war, were crucial for rebuilding their forces and securing resources.

[00:13:40]However, the Yangtze River presented a formidable obstacle.

[00:13:44]Its vast width and strong currents made crossing a daunting task, and without control over the southern banks, the rebels faced significant risks.

[00:13:55]An opportunity came in July 1355 when a group of rebels from the Huizhou area joined the Red Turban Army, bringing boats with them.

[00:14:06]This allowed the rebels to quickly organize a fleet and successfully cross the Yangtze River that same month.

[00:14:13]After crossing the Yangtze River, Zhu Yuanzhang wasted no time in making his mark.

[00:14:19]He swiftly defeated Chen Esen, a local Yuan commander, and absorbed the remaining forces into his army.

[00:14:26]Zhu's momentum continued as he pursued control of key territories.

[00:14:31]By March 1356, he returned to Jiqing, a strategic city, where the Yuan's newly appointed commander, Chen Esen's nephew, saw no hope of victory.

[00:14:43]Facing Zhu's growing power, the commander surrendered, bringing 36,000 soldiers under Zhu's command.

[00:14:51]The decisive surrender solidified Zhu's dominance in the region.

[00:14:56]In April 1356, Zhu captured Jiqing and took firm control of the city.

[00:15:03]Recognizing its importance as a political and military hub, he renamed the city Yingtian, meaning responding to God.

[00:15:12]The name reflected Zhu's lofty ambitions of divine support and his vision of establishing a new dynasty to replace the crumbling Yuan Empire. Following his great successes in May, Zhu Yuanzhang was appointed by Han Liner as the head of Jiangnan province, one of the five provinces under the Song regime.

[00:15:32]This gave Zhu clear authority over the region, and he began building his administration.

[00:15:38]By this time, he commanded a large and disciplined army of approximately 100,000 soldiers.

[00:15:45]His forces were well-organized and divided into divisions, demonstrating Zhu's focus on maintaining order and efficiency.

[00:15:54]Eight divisions were stationed in Nanjing, then known as Tian, Zhu Yuanzhang's new base of operations.

[00:16:02]While each county under his control was assigned one division to ensure security and stability throughout the region.

[00:16:10]However, his ambitions faced a significant challenge from one of his former allies, Zhang Shicheng.

[00:16:17]He, an influential figure in his own right, had no intention of supporting Zhu Yuanzhang's leadership. Instead, he sought to carve out an autonomous territory for himself.

[00:16:30]Zhang Shicheng captured Suzhou, a city renowned for its prosperity, and declared it his capital.

[00:16:37]Under Zhang Shicheng's control, Suzhou flourished and became the wealthiest of all the rival territories.

[00:16:45]Suzhou's wealth stemmed from its fertile lands, abundant grain supplies, and dominance in salt production, a vital resource for both daily life and military logistics.

[00:16:58]Zhang Shicheng used these advantages to strengthen his position, making Suzhou the centerpiece of his ambitions. His territory emerged, even surpassing the Yuan Dynasty's northern strongholds or Zhu Yuanzhang power in economic strength.

[00:17:15]After losing several battles, Zhang Shicheng offered to pay tribute to Zhu Yuanzhang in exchange for autonomy.

[00:17:23]However, Zhu rejected this proposal.

[00:17:27]In response to Zhu's refusal, Zhang Shicheng turned to the Yuan Dynasty for support.

[00:17:33]He formed an alliance with the Yuan rulers, agreeing to transport grain via sea to their capital, Dadu, modern-day Beijing.

[00:17:43]This move not only strengthened his relationship with the Yuan, but also ensured his control over the prosperous Jiangnan region.

[00:17:51]What Zhang didn't anticipate, however, was that Dadu itself was under serious threat from a large-scale campaign led by Liu Futong.

[00:18:02]In 1357, Liu Futong launched a major offensive toward the north, aiming to put direct pressure on the heart of the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:18:11]He divided his forces into three main groups to create a pincer movement. The eastern group attacked the Yuan capital, Dadu, through Shandong and Hebei, two regions crucial for food and military resources.

[00:18:26]The central group crossed Shanxi and Hebei, targeting Shangdu, the Yuan summer capital.

[00:18:33]They destroyed many palaces and caused significant damage to symbols of Yuan power.

[00:18:39]This group also ventured deep into Inner Mongolia, burning the Mongol treasures stored in strategic locations.

[00:18:48]Meanwhile, the western group attacked the Guanzhong region, a key center for food and administration in the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:18:56]They quickly captured important city like Xi'an, opening the path opening the path to the western provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Ningxia.

[00:19:06]The series of victories by the Red Turban Movement caused a severe crisis within the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:19:12]Government officials scattered. The Imperial Army became weak and widespread chaos took over.

[00:19:20]In May 1358, Liu Futong captured Bianliang, modern Kaifeng, a wealthy and strategic city, >> [music] >> and made it the capital of his new Song Dynasty.

[00:19:32]This marked the peak of the Red Turban movement with territories under their control stretching from Chilu in the east, Hanzhong in the west, Mingguang in the south, and Yuyuan in the north.

[00:19:45]As the Red Turban Army grew in strength, it caused widespread panic within the Yuan Dynasty, similar to ants scattering in all directions when their nest is disturbed. Alarmed by the movement's success, the Yuan government gathered all remaining military forces, including the Hubei Army, in an effort to suppress the uprisings.

[00:20:08]However, the Yuan forces were plagued by poor organization and a weakened morale, leading to disastrous failures in their counterattacks.

[00:20:17]Numerous battles resulted in heavy losses, not only in manpower, but also in critical supplies and weapons.

[00:20:25]In desperation, the Yuan rulers had to gather all the reactionary forces from across the empire to fight against the Red Turbans.

[00:20:35]Despite these challenges, the Red Turban Army fought with remarkable courage.

[00:20:40]However, they faced significant obstacles. The army was divided into three distinct groups, which lacked proper coordination, making it difficult to carry out large-scale operations effectively.

[00:20:54]Additionally, without strong defensive positions or a unified leadership, the territories they managed to capture were often lost to Yuan counterattacks.

[00:21:04]Their lack of a coherent long-term strategy further weakened their position.

[00:21:10]The Red Turban movement, despite initial victories, started to lose momentum as their northern campaigns faltered one by one.

[00:21:19]In response to the growing threat posed by the Red Turbans, the Yuan Dynasty focused on organizing a powerful counterattack.

[00:21:28]They mobilized two large armies under the leadership of Chag Han Timur, one of their key commanders, to retake the territory controlled by the Red Turbans.

[00:21:40]The Yuan forces tightened their siege around the areas held by the Red Turban movement, especially targeting the newly established Han Song Dynasty, an entity set up by the Red Turbans. By August 1359, the Yuan forces had managed to capture Bianliang, modern-day Kaifeng, the strategic capital of the Han Song regime.

[00:22:04]This victory marked a major setback for the Red Turbans.

[00:22:08]Forced to flee in the face of overwhelming Yuan forces, Liu Futong, the leader of the Red Turbans, had no choice but to escort the puppet emperor, Han Liner, out of Bianliang and retreat to Anfeng, present-day Anhui province.

[00:22:26]At this point, Liu Futong's army had been significantly weakened, and only a few hundred soldiers remained by his side.

[00:22:35]The situation for the Red Turban movement became worse.

[00:22:38]In 1362, Zhang Shicheng took advantage of the weak defenses at Anfeng and attacked.

[00:22:46]In this battle, Liu Futong, the leader of the Red Turbans, was killed.

[00:22:52]This was a big shock to the movement.

[00:22:54]Han Liner, the puppet emperor, was moved to Chuzhou, which is west of Nanjing, across the Yangtze River.

[00:23:03]Without a strong leader and with their military weakened, >> [music] >> the Red Turbans in the Central Plains were quickly defeated by local warlords and the Yuan army.

[00:23:13]It seemed like the rebellion was almost over, but then something unexpected happened in the summer of 1362.

[00:23:21]Chaghan Temür, the leader of the Yuan forces, was assassinated.

[00:23:26]This made the Yuan dynasty lose control in the region, >> [music] >> and the threat of an attack on Nanjing was no longer there.

[00:23:34]This change allowed Zhu Yuanzhang, the leader of the Red Turbans, to refuse an offer from the Yuan government.

[00:23:42]The Yuan had offered to make him the governor of Jiangxi province, but Zhu refused, [music] which helped him stay independent and solidify his position.

[00:23:51]At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang began to change his approach.

[00:23:56]The Red Turban movement had been influenced by the Buddhist teachings of the White Lotus Sect.

[00:24:02]However, Zhu didn't support this idea fully.

[00:24:06]Instead of relying on this religious group, he chose to work with [music] Confucian scholars. These scholars represented traditional values and were seen as legitimate in Chinese society.

[00:24:19]This was a big change for Yuanzhang, as it marked his shift from being a religious leader to a political leader who wanted to gain the respect of the people [music] and the government.

[00:24:31]Zhu Yuanzhang's change to Confucianism was very smart. He started to recruit more Confucian scholars to help him, which gave him more support.

[00:24:40]Zhu also focused on taking over areas that had been part of the old Han Song dynasty.

[00:24:47]This helped him grow stronger because it gave him more people and resources, which were important for competing against other leaders.

[00:24:55]But with this growth, new challenges also came.

[00:24:59]Zhu Yuanzhang realized that to expand his army with former Han soldiers, he needed to reorganize his forces.

[00:25:07]As a result, he created a system called the Wei Suo in 1364, which involved forming an elite guard of 5,600 soldiers.

[00:25:19]These guards were divided into five battalions, with each battalion consisting of 1,120 soldiers.

[00:25:27]Each battalion was further divided into 10 companies.

[00:25:32]Once Yuanzhang had organized his army, he declared himself the King of Wu, Wu Wang, in February 1364, a title that Zhang Shicheng had previously used. With this title, he now had the power to focus more of his military strength on fighting Zhang Shicheng.

[00:25:52]He began by cutting off any support Zhang might receive from the Yuan rulers in the north.

[00:25:58]To do this, Zhu occupied the territories north of the Yangtze River in the Wu region of Zhejiang.

[00:26:05]By the end of December 1366, Zhu's forces had surrounded Zhang Shicheng's capital, Suzhou.

[00:26:13]The battle between the two Kings of Wu came to an end on October 1st, 1367, when Suzhou finally fell to Zhu Yuanzhang's army after a 10-month siege.

[00:26:25]At the same time, Han Lin'er, the puppet emperor, drowned in the Yangtze River.

[00:26:30]This marked the official end of Zhang Shicheng's power, and Zhu Yuanzhang's Kingdom of Wu declared its independence and continued to unify all of China.

[00:26:42]In the fall of 1367, Zhu Yuanzhang's army launched an attack on the important coastal region of the Puong Quoc Tran, located in Southeast China.

[00:26:54]By December of the same year, they successfully gained control over the entire coastline.

[00:27:00]Meanwhile, >> [music] >> in November 1367, another army from the Wu state began marching southward and quickly took control of the coastal provinces, starting with Fujian in February 1368.

[00:27:15]They then moved on to Guangdong.

[00:27:18]With reinforcements from General Yang Jing's forces from Hunan, Zhu Yuanzhang's army also captured Guangxi.

[00:27:26]At the same time as the southern campaign, Zhu Yuanzhang organized a major operation in the north.

[00:27:33]He sent a force of 250,000 soldiers to march into the North China Plain, a key area in China.

[00:27:42]By March 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang's combined army on land and sea had successfully taken Shandong, a crucial northern province.

[00:27:52]After that, in May 1368, the army advanced into Henan, marking an important step in controlling the northern territories.

[00:28:01]Once these victories were achieved, he paused for a while to recover and focus on strengthening the infrastructure.

[00:28:09]During this period, he held a meeting with his generals in the city of Kaifeng, which had been captured, to discuss and confirm plans for the next phase of their campaign.

[00:28:19]Eventually, the Ming army decided to continue their march towards Dadu, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.

[00:28:28]By early September, Zhu Yuanzhang's forces had defeated the Mongol army outside the city and captured Dadu.

[00:28:36]When the city fell, the Yuan Emperor Toghon Temür was forced to flee north to Shangdu, now Beijing.

[00:28:45]After this victory, Zhu Yuanzhang got the title Hongwu Emperor and renamed Dadu to Beiping, meaning peace the north, as a symbol of their triumph and new control. But his campaign was not over yet. To complete his goal of unifying China, he continued to march into areas that the Yuan had not fully controlled. Provinces like Shanxi, Henan, and Sichuan gradually fell to the Ming forces after long and intense campaigns.

[00:29:17]These attacks were not only to defeat the remaining Yuan troops, but also to strengthen his power and ensure stability in the newly gained territory.

[00:29:28]A key moment came in 1371 when the Ming forces successfully took Sichuan. At the same time, they also defeated the remaining Mongol forces.

[00:29:39]This helped Zhu Yuanzhang stabilize the western and northern borders.

[00:29:44]After securing control over all of China, Zhu Yuanzhang focused on building a strong government, reviving the economy, and developing the culture.

[00:29:55]This laid the foundation for a long period of prosperity for the Ming Dynasty.

[00:30:00]Finally, under Zhu Yuanzhang's leadership, the unification of China ended a time of chaos and brought about a new era of stability and growth.

[00:30:11]This era lasted for over 200 years under the Ming Dynasty.