Genghis Khan's Paper Empire: How the Mongols Used Chinese Bureaucracy

Episode 48 of Fexingo History's Genghis Khan series explores how Mongol khans adopted Chinese-style bureaucracy to administer their sprawling empire. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of Khitan and Uyghur advisers like Yelü Chucai, who persuaded Ögedei Khan to tax rather than slaughter conquered populations. The episode covers the founding of the Secretariat (Zhongshu Sheng), the use of census registers, paper currency (chao), and the implementation of the civil service exam under Kublai Khan. It also examines tensions between Mongol nomadic traditions and settled Chinese governance, including the debate over converting farmland to pasture. Listeners will learn about the Department of State Affairs, the Censorate, and how the Yuan Dynasty's reliance on foreign administrators shaped its legacy. #GenghisKhan #MongolEmpire #YuanDynasty #YelüChucai #ÖgedeiKhan #KublaiKhan #ChineseBureaucracy #ZhongshuSheng #Khitan #Uyghur #PaperCurrency #CivilServiceExam #Census #Censorate #SteppePolitics #MongolHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo