The Jin Dynasty in Crisis The early 13th century was a tumultuous period for the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234), which ruled […]
The Making of a Jin Dynasty Strongman Hushahu, also known by his Sinicized name Zhizhong, emerged from the prestigious Gushilie […]
The Jin Dynasty at Its Zenith: A Golden Age Under Emperor Zhangzong The Jin Dynasty (1115–1234), founded by the Jurchen […]
The Precarious Dawn of the Chongqing Era The second year of the Mongol-Jin War (1212) began with an air of […]
The Strategic Birth of a Northern Capital In the mid-12th century, the Jin Dynasty faced a pivotal decision about its […]
The Rise of the Mongol Threat In the early 13th century, the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan emerged as an […]
A Capital on Edge: Strange Signs in Jin Dynasty’s Final Years For the residents of Zhongdu (modern Beijing) during the […]
The Steppe Warriors Meet the Walled City When Genghis Khan’s Mongol forces first clashed with the Jin Dynasty in 1211, […]
The Birth of a Military Superpower In the spring of 1211, a revolutionary fighting force emerged from the Mongolian steppes […]
The Origins of the Mongol People In the early 13th century, a dramatic shift was unfolding across Eurasia. While the […]
The Layered Defense System of Jin Dynasty China When nomadic cavalry breached the outer perimeter of the Jin Dynasty’s frontier […]
From Warriors to Warlords: The Decline of the Jin Military The once-feared Jurchen warriors, who established the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) […]
The Rise of the Jin Dynasty and Its Formidable Army The early 12th century witnessed the dramatic ascent of the […]
The Jin Dynasty’s Cautionary Tale The rise and fall of the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) became a sobering lesson for later […]
The Origins of the Jurchen: Life in the Wilderness The Jurchen people emerged from the rugged forests of Northeast Asia, […]
A Birthday Celebration Turned Diplomatic Battleground On the first day of the third lunar month in 1170—Emperor Shizong of the […]
A Rainy Departure from Zhongdu On the 25th day of the third lunar month in 1214, a chilly rain fell […]