Mongol conquest of China in the context of "Jami' al-tawarikh"

Neo-Confucianism (Chinese: 宋明理學; pinyin: Sòng-Míng lǐxué, often shortened to lǐxué 理學, literally "School of Principle") is the cultural revival of Confucianism as an ethical, social and religious system, which dominated Chinese philosophy from the 13th through the 19th century. Although its origin lie in the Tang dynasty, it was fully developed during the Song dynasty under the formulations of Zhu Xi (1130–1200), the tradition's central figure. Zhu, alongside Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, comprises the dominant Cheng–Zhu school, in opposition to the later Lu–Wang school led by Wang Yangming and Lu Xiangshan.

Neo-Confucianism could have been an attempt to create a more rationalist and secular form of Confucianism by rejecting mystical elements of Taoism and Buddhism that had influenced Confucianism during and after the Han dynasty. Although the neo-Confucianists were critical of Taoism and Buddhism, the two did have an influence on the philosophy, and the neo-Confucianists borrowed terms and concepts. However, unlike the Buddhists and Taoists, who saw metaphysics as a catalyst for spiritual development, religious enlightenment, and immortality, the neo-Confucianists used metaphysics as a guide for developing a rationalist ethical philosophy. After the Mongol conquest of China in the thirteenth century, Chinese scholars and officials restored and preserved neo-Confucianism as a way to safeguard the cultural heritage of China.

The Diaoyucheng (simplified Chinese: 钓鱼城; traditional Chinese: 釣魚城; pinyin: Diàoyúchéng), or Diaoyu Fortress, is a fortress located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Hechuan District, Chongqing, across the Jialing River from the city center of Hechuan. It is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty.

The Mongol conquest of the Song dynasty (or Song–Yuan War) was the final phase of the Mongol conquest of China, beginning under Ögedei Khan (r. 1229–1241) and being completed under Kublai Khan (r. 1260–1294) . It is considered the last great military achievement of the Mongol Empire; upon its completion, the Mongols ruled all of continental East Asia under the Han-style Yuan dynasty that had been founded as a division of the Mongol Empire.

Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; c. 1162 – August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes, he launched a series of military campaigns, conquering large parts of China and Central Asia.

Born between 1155 and 1167 and given the name Temüjin, he was the eldest child of Yesugei, a Mongol chieftain of the Borjigin clan, and his wife Hö'elün. When Temüjin was eight, his father died and his family was abandoned by its tribe. Reduced to near-poverty, Temüjin killed his older half-brother to secure his familial position. His charismatic personality helped to attract his first followers and to form alliances with two prominent steppe leaders named Jamukha and Toghrul; they worked together to retrieve Temüjin's newlywed wife Börte, who had been kidnapped by raiders. As his reputation grew, his relationship with Jamukha deteriorated into open warfare. Temüjin was badly defeated in c. 1187, and may have spent the following years as a subject of the Jin dynasty; upon reemerging in 1196, he swiftly began gaining power. Toghrul came to view Temüjin as a threat and launched a surprise attack on him in 1203. Temüjin regrouped and overpowered Toghrul; after defeating the Naiman tribe and executing Jamukha, he was left as the sole ruler on the Mongolian steppe.

The Dali Kingdom, also known as the Dali State (traditional Chinese: 大理國; simplified Chinese: 大理国; pinyin: Dàlǐ Guó; Bai: Dablit Guaif), was a Bai dynastic state situated in modern Yunnan province, China, from 937 to 1253. In 1253, it was conquered by the Mongols. However, descendants of its ruling house continued to administer the area as tusi chiefs under Yuan dynasty rule until the Ming conquest of Yunnan in 1382. The former capital of the Dali Kingdom remains known as Dali in modern Yunnan Province today.

The Mongol conquest of Eastern Xia was part of the conquest of China by the Mongol Empire in the early 13th century. An initial conflict broke out in 1217 when the founder of Eastern Xia, Puxian Wannu, rebelled against the Mongol Empire. However, Wannu shortly afterward submitted to Mongol overlordship. Wannu later broke from the Mongols again, and in 1233 Ögedei Khan sent his son Güyük to conquer the kingdom. Eastern Xia was destroyed and Wannu executed.