Alien Rule: The Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties - Book Report/Review Example

Each of the three dynasties gained dominance in China by utilizing the achievements of its predecessors. The Khitans’ Liao dynasty (907-1125) conquered a strip along the Northern part of China proper which was once dominated by the Chinese. The Jurchens’ Jin dynasty (1115-1234) expanded the territory to include the whole of north China, after defeating the Liao, and then came the Mongols’ Yuan dynasty that took the whole of china after defeating Jin (Ebrey164). The Yuan was able to take control of the whole of China by assembling invincible machinery led by Chinggis Khan in 1212-13 (Ebrey 169).

However, all these invasions never eroded the heritage of the Chinese people. The Mongol conquests led to wide interaction across Eurasia, leading to the rapid spread of the deadly plague. This interaction also led to the exchange of technical and scientific knowledge, with visitors such as Marco Polo spreading information about the richness and splendor of the Chinese cities, as well as the prowess of the Chinese in printing and making of gunpowder (Ebrey 171). This critically highlights the technological history of China that is currently at its peak.

These three conquest dynasties had a significant impact on the Chinese political consciousness, Chinese government institutions, and on food, dress, language, and music.