1279-
After battling for control of the Southern Song since 1268, Kublai
Khan’s army finally prevailed yesterday, when Emperor Bingdi and his
entire royal court was killed in an attack near the Southern China Sea.
The conquering of Southern China has united the country and made us part
of the world’s greatest empire: the Mongolian. The entire country will
now be led by Kublai Khan, Emperor of the Chinese and Great Khan of the
Mongols. This is a change that greatly benefits all groups.
It is best that the Song dynasty is conquered and in good
hands for a change. There was no leadership. They had a child emperor,
Emperor Gongzong, and so they were led by the Empress Dowager, his
grandmother. However, she was very unproductive and indecisive. Ever
since the Mongols seized Northern China, Southern China had been
bickering about how to respond to the Mongol presence. Nothing was ever
done. While the Mongolian troops were battling down the Yangzi River
Valley, no military action was taken to protect the people. When the
Mongols armies reached Changzhou, the Empress simply encouraged people
to fight for themselves. Hundreds of thousands of people were
slaughtered. The pile of the dead was over forty feet high and extended
over almost an acre. Finally, the capital city of Hangzhou was
surrendered. Clearly, a dynasty with this little leadership cannot do
any good for itself. A leader is supposed to guide and protect their
people, not leave them to fight for their lives against the world’s
greatest army all by themselves. The people of the Song were neglected,
and now they are privileged enough to be led by Kublai Khan. Kublai will
be a much better leader to the people of Southern China than the Song
dynasty ever was.
Since the Mongols took over Northern
China, the Yuan has flourished. The main focus has been to grow the
empire and to communicate with Europe. Kublai Khan extended the Great
Canal 135 miles north and renovated many other roads and canals. This
has allowed for lots of traveling and the exchange of ideas and goods
from foreign places. Many religions and belief systems, like Roman
Catholicism, have traveled to China. China has been able to share its
many of it’s great inventions with Europe, such as playing cards, silk,
printing techniques, porcelain production, and medical literature.
Europe has in turn given China many precious things like gold, glass
blowing, and the extremely popular crop called sorghum. By becoming part
of the Mongolian empire, Southern China, too, will make invaluable
connections with other countries and gain many new riches, just as
Northern China has.
However, some of the
Northern Chinese, who feel they should still be in power of their own
country, disagree. They say that too many people were killed in the
conquest of the Song, that this was entirely unnecessary. However, if
you feel as if so much blood should not have been shed, you should take
up your argument with the Empress Dowager who did little to nothing to
protect her people. Also, how could anyone in Southern China seriously
think that they could defeat the great Mongols? The Song should have
surrendered earlier. The slaughter of their own people was the result of
their own mistakes.
The Song was at the
end of its rope and was becoming so weak that it was bound to be
conquered. It makes more sense that China be united under the Mongols
than for half of it to be taken over by a weaker people. Southern China
will now surely be on the winning side of every war that the Mongols
wage, and will benefit greatly by being a part of this massive and
powerful empire.
Clearly it is for the
benefit of the North, the South, and the Mongols that Southern China has
at last joined the Mongolian Empire. Southern China should embrace
their new leadership and be grateful to Kublai Khan for making them part
of his great empire. We should all feel honored to be led by such a
great leader and powerful empire.
