Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in 13th-century China. He was the first Mongol to rule over China when he conquered the Song Dynasty of southern China in 1279.

What were the major achievements of the Song Dynasty?

• #1 The Pre-Modern Economic Revolution in China occurred during the Song era.
• #2 It was the first government in the world to issue banknotes.
• #3 The civil service examination system was given unprecedented importance.
• #4 The first permanent standing Chinese navy was established.
• #5 First use of compass for navigation.

10 Major Achievements of the Ming Dynasty of China

• #1 Majority of the existing Great Wall of China was built in the Ming era.
• #2 Seven epic voyages were led by the great Chinese admiral Zheng He.
• #3 Ming period saw great development in printing.
• #4 The most comprehensive book on traditional Chinese medicine was written.

More and more Song land fell into Mongol hands, and the government moved further south. It took refuge in Guangzhou and eventually fled the mainland by boat to offshore islands. Finally, in March 1279, the Mongol navy engaged the Song fleet and defeated it.

Genghis Khan (1162 – 1227), the founder of the Mongol Empire, was the only one who breached the Great Wall of China in its 2,700-year-history.

Explanation: However, the Song dynasty was difficult to conquer because of the strategic location of Xiangyang, which became a vital position for Kublai to capture and hold. The city guarded the waterways of South China because the Han River was a major tributary into the Yangtze River.

The Chinese disliked the Mongol rule because they were foreigners. The Chinese believed that they were rude and uncivilized.

Role of Chinese-designed gunpowder weapons The Mongols also utilized siege crossbows and traction trebuchets. The Song forces used fire arrows and fire lances in addition to their own thundercrash bombs. The Song forces also used paddle ships.

Gunpowder may have been used during the Mongol invasions of Europe. “Fire catapults”, “pao”, and “naphtha-shooters” are mentioned in some sources. However, according to Timothy May, “there is no concrete evidence that the Mongols used gunpowder weapons on a regular basis outside of China.”

The first recorded use of traction trebuchets was in ancient China. They were probably used by the Mohists as early as 4th century BC, descriptions of which can be found in the Mojing (compiled in the 4th century BC).

They had crossbow catapults such that when one trigger was released, as many as 12 connected triggers would all go off simultaneously. They used large bolts like strings of pearls, and the range was very great. The Jin people were thoroughly frightened by these machines.

We know Chinese catapults were common by the 2nd century AD. But they could’ve been around long before — even while that old man watered his garden 600 years before. The catapult stayed in China until the 1200s. The Romans built a great armory of siege engines, but they never used catapults!

Catapults have no legal limit on power, can take almost any form and can be legally bought from any retailer including online stores by persons over 18 years of age. Legally you are only committing an offensive if your intent is to use the catapult as an offensive weapon.

The 3 Main Types of Catapults are:

• Ballista: The Ballista is a missile weapon that launches a large projectile at a distant target.
• Mangonel:
• The Mangonel is the most iconic type of catapult and is what most people think of when they think of a catapult.
• The Trebuchet was designed for max power and distance.

Many different types of catapults were invented and used. Three of the most common were the ballista, the mangonel, and the trebuchet.

45-degree angle

The 3 main types of Catapults were Ballista, Mangonel, and Trebuchet.

Trebuchet