HIST 270: Chapter 12 Reading Guide

Ebrey, A History of China — Chapter 12: China Under Mongol Rule (1215–1368)

Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. It is designed to be completed while you read — directing you to specific passages, keeping you engaged, and holding you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.

Chinese history can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide will help you identify and understand the most important events and processes, so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material your professor wants you to know — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.

Step 1: Find the sentence using the page and opening words provided. Type it verbatim into the first box.
Step 2: Answer the question in your own words. No outside research needed or permitted.
⚡ Auto-Save Enabled: Your answers are automatically saved to this browser as you type. If you close this page and return later on the same device and browser, your answers will still be here. This guide is not submitted — use it to prepare for your chapter quiz. Use Export Answers to save a backup text copy, or Print to PDF to keep a personal record.

Review Question 1

On Page 198, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Although the Mongols..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Evolution of Mongol Conquest Strategies: Contrast the early Mongol military tactics in North China under Chinggis Khan with the evolving administrative approach of his successors. How did the Mongols transition from nomadic conquerors to sedentary rulers?

Review Question 2

On Page 199, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Yelü Qucai offered..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Economic Administration and Yelü Qucai: How did the Khitan advisor Yelü Qucai influence Mongol economic policies in North China, and what alternative revenue-generating methods ultimately competed with his vision?

Review Question 3

On Page 201, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In 1271, he..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Khubilai Khan’s Sinicization and State-Building: Analyze Khubilai Khan’s strategic adaptations to Chinese political traditions. How did he utilize Chinese advisors and cultural concepts to legitimize his rule and conquer the Southern Song?

Review Question 4

On Page 201, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The Mongols' force..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Naval Warfare and the Siege of Xiangyang: What role did technological innovations, multiethnic forces, and naval supremacy play in the Mongol defeat of the Southern Song Dynasty?

Review Question 5

On Page 203, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Besides these occupational..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Social and Ethnic Hierarchies in the Yuan Dynasty: Analyze the rigid social stratification established by the Mongols. How did the four-grade ethnic classification system and hereditary occupational categories serve Mongol interests while subjugating the Chinese?

Review Question 6

On Page 206, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Because the Mongols..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Disenfranchisement of the Educated Elite: How did the Mongol conquest disrupt the traditional roles and political dominance of the Chinese educated elite, and what alternative paths did these scholars pursue?

Review Question 7

On Page 206, find the sentence beginning with the words: "There were quotas..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Re-institution of the Civil Service Exams: Evaluate the Mongols' re-institution of the civil service examinations in 1315. How did the examination's strict quota systems reflect the broader political and social hierarchies of the Yuan Dynasty?

Review Question 8

On Page 205, find the sentence beginning with the words: "In Yuan times..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Cultural Synthesis: Blue-and-White Porcelain: Using the development of blue-and-white porcelain as a case study, explain how the Mongol Empire's vast Eurasian networks influenced Chinese material culture and international trade.

Review Question 9

On Page 208, find the sentence beginning with the words: "With the diminished..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Golden Age of Yuan Drama: What political and social factors contributed to the flourishing of dramatic arts during the Yuan Dynasty, and how did literati playwrights utilize this medium?

Review Question 10

On Page 208, find the sentence beginning with the words: "All of them..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Literati Painting as Political Expression: How did the art of painting evolve among the southern literati during the Mongol era, and how was it used to cope with political disenfranchisement?

Review Question 11

On Page 206, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The Mongols had..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Decline of the Yuan Dynasty: What combination of economic mismanagement, political instability, and environmental crises contributed to the ultimate collapse of the Mongol administration in China?