The Rise of Emperor Renzong and the Restoration of Confucian Governance

In 1311, following the death of Emperor Wuzong (Khaishan), his younger brother Ayurbarwada ascended the throne as Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty, marking a pivotal shift in imperial policy. Unlike his predecessor, who favored military elites, Renzong was deeply influenced by Confucian scholars, particularly his mentor Li Meng. Under Li Meng’s guidance, Renzong embraced Confucian principles, believing that while the Mongols had conquered China on horseback, they must govern it through culture and administrative wisdom.

Renzong’s reign began with sweeping reforms. He dismantled the corrupt and bloated bureaucracy of Wuzong’s era, executing or exiling key officials like Tugh Temür and Sanpaonu. He abolished the extravagant construction projects that had drained the treasury, such as the unfinished capital of Zhongdu and Buddhist temples at Wutai Mountain, returning seized lands to peasants. Financially, he restored the paper currency system of Kublai Khan’s reign to curb inflation.

The Revival of the Imperial Examination System

One of Renzong’s most enduring legacies was the reinstatement of the imperial examinations in 1315, which had been largely abandoned since the Mongol conquest. For decades, Han Chinese scholars had been marginalized, while Mongol and Semu (Central Asian) nobles monopolized power through hereditary privilege. Renzong’s decree to resume the exams was met with emotional jubilation among Confucian literati, who saw it as a restoration of meritocracy.

The 1315 examinations, held in Dadu (modern Beijing), selected 56 scholars, including the prominent Zhang Qiyan. Renzong famously declared, “To achieve good governance, we must employ true Confucian scholars.” This move not only reintegrated Han elites into governance but also symbolized the Yuan Dynasty’s tentative embrace of Chinese administrative traditions.

The Shadow of Empress Dowager Targi and the Ironwood Faction

Despite his reforms, Renzong’s reign was constrained by his mother, Empress Dowager Targi (Dagi), and her trusted minister, Temüder (Ironwood). Temüder, a corrupt but politically astute Mongol official, manipulated Targi’s influence to maintain power. Though Renzong disapproved of Temüder’s abuses, filial piety compelled him to tolerate the minister’s excesses, merely demoting him rather than removing him entirely.

Temüder’s infamous “Yanyou Land Surveys” (1314–1316) exacerbated peasant suffering. Under the guise of tax reform, his officials extorted wealth by forcibly seizing land, even desecrating graves to inflate taxable acreage. The policy sparked rebellions, most notably the uprising of Cai Wujiu in Jiangxi, which was brutally suppressed.

The Brief Reign of Emperor Yingzong and the South Slope Incident

Renzong’s death in 1320 led to the succession of his son, Shidebala (Emperor Yingzong). A young, idealistic ruler, Yingzong sought to dismantle the corrupt networks of his grandmother and Temüder. With the support of the Confucian-minded Mongol minister Baiju, he purged Targi’s faction, executing key figures like Hashen and Qoshila.

However, Yingzong’s reforms provoked a violent backlash. In 1323, during a journey to Shangdu, he was assassinated in the “South Slope Incident”—a coup led by Temüder’s adoptive son, Tiesh, and disaffected nobles. This marked the first regicide in Yuan history, shattering the dynasty’s stability.

The Illegitimate Rule of Emperor Taiding and Yuan’s Decline

The conspirators installed Yesün Temür (Emperor Taiding), a grandson of Kublai Khan’s eldest son, as a puppet ruler. To legitimize his usurpation, Taiding executed the coup’s ringleaders, including Tiesh, and issued a rare vernacular edict proclaiming his “rightful” succession. Yet his reign (1323–1328) was ineffective, plagued by natural disasters and factional strife. His reliance on Muslim ministers like Dawlat Shah further alienated the Han bureaucracy.

Taiding’s death in 1328 triggered a succession crisis, as rival factions backed different heirs. His son Ragibagh was overthrown within months, and the Yuan Dynasty spiraled into instability, foreshadowing its eventual collapse in 1368.

Legacy: Confucian Reform and the Yuan’s Paradox

Emperor Renzong’s reign represented a fleeting attempt to reconcile Mongol rule with Confucian governance. His revival of the exams and fiscal reforms temporarily stabilized the Yuan, but the entrenched power of the Mongol elite and imperial family infighting undermined progress. The “South Slope Incident” exposed the fragility of Yuan politics, where violence, not law, dictated succession.

Today, Renzong’s reign is studied as a case of “cultural accommodation” in multicultural empires—a reminder that even the mightiest conquest regimes must adapt to local traditions to endure. Yet, as the Yuan’s rapid decline showed, such adaptations often came too late.