The ethnic aspect of the Yuan Empire’s liquidation

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of Chinese ethnicity through the example of the historically first dynasty named the Yuan Dynasty, where the rulers were nomadic conquerors and not of Han descent. The aim of the paper is to explore the ethnic aspect of the process of liquidating the Yuan Empire and the importance of the unity of the Chinese people. The methodology of the paper includes the use of different resources, including chronicles, historical research and sources showing the realities not only from the Chinese side, but also from the Mongol side. This approach makes it possible to consider the issue from both sides and obtain more objective conclusions. The results show that the importance of the unity of the Chinese people became evident as early as the Han era, when the concept of "Han man" became politically significant. For the first time, cultural attributes were no longer the only factor uniting people, and nationality became crucial to the unity of the state. The scope of the work includes the study of Chinese history, ethnic relations and nationality issues. The novelty of the work lies in the use of different sources and consideration of the issue from different angles, which allows for a more complete picture of historical process. The conclusions of the paper emphasise the importance of nationality as a sign for state unity and show that national problems can become a factor that can weaken and destroy even the most powerful states.