China's ancient science and technology were thousands of years ahead of the world, and we have made remarkable achievements in mathematics, astronomical calendars, machinery, navigation and other fields. However, due to various reasons, we were comprehensively overtaken by the West, especially during the Qing Dynasty, and this gap widened further.
Some people believe that the Ming and Qing dynasties led to the regression of Chinese civilization, but it may be the period of the Mongol and Yuan dynasties that really set Chinese civilization back.
In 1271, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, unified Mongolia and established the great Great Yuan Dynasty. Under his leadership, the Mongol Empire continued to expand and displayed endless ambitions.
As an important figure in the promotion of Sinicization, Kublai Khan had a deep interest in Han culture, and he used the "Dazai Qianyuan" in "Zhou Yi" as the name of the country, showing his Han cultural complex.
However, Kublai Khan's goals went far beyond the steppes, and he aspired to control the vast land of the Central Plains. From 1274 onwards, he led the Mongol cavalry to the south several times, approaching the territory of the Song Dynasty step by step.
During this period, the Yuan army conquered the Western Xia, Jin Dynasty and other countries, and countless civilians suffered great injuries and killings as a result. In 1279, the Yuan army finally captured the capital of the Song Dynasty, marking the official entry of the Mongol Empire into Han China.
In addition, Kublai Khan also tried to expand into Southeast Asia, West Asia, Europe and other places, and its scale can be said to be unheard of.
Although Kublai Khan tried to preserve the six-ministry system of the Sui and Tang dynasties, his concept of kings and vassals was very different from that of previous dynasties. In the latter part of Kublai Khan's reign, prominent Mongols became the main targets of bureaucratic selection, while most Han Chinese intellectuals were marginalized, either exiled or taught and read all their lives, with no chance of promotion to the rank of **.
The Mongols revered force and regarded Han culture as heretical. For example, they strictly forbade the Han people to own, practice martial arts, hunt, and do business, which led to the Han people being forced into slavery.
Under such a ban, the cultural traditions of the Han people were almost eliminated, and the whole society came to a standstill. Although some wise monarchs tried to reform, expand the establishment of Han Chinese, and restore the imperial examinations, their efforts all ended in failure.
Eventually, the Red Turban Army led by Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan dynasty in 1368 after 18 years of fighting, and Chinese civilization was reborn.
During the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang made positive efforts to reduce the burden on peasants, restore the imperial examination, and select capable ministers to govern the country, and the country's culture and strength developed rapidly.
At the same time, he also presided over the compilation of the "Yuan History" and sorted out a large number of documents. However, later rulers appeared incompetent, leading to the gradual decline of the Ming dynasty.
The Jurchens in the northeast grew stronger and more frequently encroached on the borders, while in the interior there were armed Han Chinese armies against the Ming Dynasty. Eventually, in 1644, Li Zicheng captured Beijing and the Ming Dynasty fell.
Subsequently, the Manchus entered the Central Plains and established the Qing Dynasty. In the early days of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor actively encircled Han scholars and instituted a policy of "Manchu and Han confluence". Under the governance of the three Ming monarchs, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, the politics were clear and the economy was prosperous, and China's society was able to develop steadily for 200 years.
During this period, China's handicraft industry, foreign affairs flourished, and literature and art flourished. Although the good times were short-lived, and the Western invasion led to the decline of the country, the collision of Chinese and Western cultures brought new vitality to Chinese civilization.
Thus, the racial oppression of the Yuan Dynasty almost destroyed the Han civilization, and the Ming Dynasty was only a transition, and the Chinese civilization was reborn in the Qing Dynasty. Every dynasty has made contributions to civilization, and we should learn the lessons of history, keep forging ahead, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Under the Yuan dynasty, the Mongols imposed a century-long harsh rule over the Han and Han Chinese, and their wars were also known for their brutality. During the reign of Kublai Khan, he caused great destruction to the people, and implemented severe political, economic and other aspects of discrimination and oppression.
The Han people were forbidden to have **, joined the army and served in Rong, and even the literati were deprived of the opportunity to be promoted in the imperial examination. This injustice made it difficult for the Han elite to serve the country through legitimate means, and the cultural education of the Han people almost stagnated.
The exploitation and oppression of the Han people in various parts of the Yuan court led to frequent uprisings and rebellions, and social unrest.
In the prosperous era of the early Ming Dynasty, the status of the Han nationality was established, the imperial examination system was restored, and under the wise leadership of Ming Taizu, the national strength and culture were restored. However, stupid and mediocre emperors ascended the throne one after another, the Ming Dynasty gradually declined, and the Jurchen people rose.
In 1644, Li Zicheng captured Beijing, the Ming Dynasty fell, and soon the Jurchens established the Qing Dynasty and unified the country.