Terrifying plague kills millions Chinese oust Mongol rulers Ottomans carve out a new empire The sternpost rudder, a new device for steering ships, is adopted Violence in Japan threatens stability Tatar leader Timur controls much of Asia African emperor's travels bring glory to Mali

2. Chinese oust Mongol rulers After nearly 90 years of harsh rule, native Chinese drove the foreign Mongol Yuan dynasty from their lands in the mid-1300's. Under its new rulers, the Ming dynasty, China is experiencing stability, prosperity, and a renewed influence in eastern Asia. Literature and art are flourishing. Zhu Yuanzhang, the leader of the successful rebellions against the Mongols, became the first Ming emperor. View from Today