The most famous of the Yuan emperors was [I 004 / Kubilai Khan], the grandson of Genghis Khan. During his reign from 1260-1294, Kubilai conquered all of China. But the [G 12 / Mongols] did not have fixed procedures for succession, which led to court intrigues that aided in the downfall of the Yuan Dynasty. There was also dissension between those who supported the traditional way of life and those who wanted to establish good relations with the Chinese they ruled.
The military-dominated Mongols were vastly different from the Chinese in the way they ruled. Biligualism was insisted upon and Mongolian bodies were established to co-exist with Chinese institutions. The currency was converted to a paper-based form of exchange and technological advancements included gunpowder. The Mongols never imposed their religious beliefs on their subjects.
After the disastrous floods of the Yellow and Huai Rivers in the 14th century, popular rebellions weakened Mongol rule. Attempts to use forced labor to repair the water control works created further discontent. With the [G 18 / Red Turban] revolts that spread from the middle Yangtze to [M 004 / Shandong province], China was fractured by anti- Mongol uprisings. Opposition was originally against the ruling class, however, this later refocused on expulsion of the Mongols which succeeded with the conquest of their capital at Dadu.
