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May 16, 2026 5 min

Kublai Khan's Census: Counting a Conquered Empire

from Kublai Khan and the Mongol Rule of China — Fexingo History Hosted by Fexingo

After conquering the Song Dynasty, Kublai Khan faced a monumental challenge: how to govern and tax a population of over 50 million people spread across China. The solution was an unprecedented census, the most detailed population survey in world history up to that time. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Yuan Dynasty's census system, which classified households by occupation, ethnicity, and wealth. They discuss the use of Chinese bureaucrats like Liu Bingzhong, the role of Mongolian garrison commanders, and the resistance from local elites who feared higher taxes. The census also reveals the empire's struggle to control the secret Muslim brotherhoods in the southwest and to register nomadic tribes on the steppe. How did the Mongols count people who had no fixed address? And what happened when the census itself sparked revolts? This episode uncovers a hidden chapter of Khubilai's rule, where paper and ink proved as powerful as swords. #KublaiKhan #YuanDynasty #Census #SongDynasty #LiuBingzhong #ChineseHistory #MongolEmpire #Taxation #HouseholdRegistration #Steppe #MuslimBrotherhoods #Dadu #Khanbaliq #13thCentury #Governance #EmpireBuilding #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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This episode was published on May 16, 2026.

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