| Time Period | Reign of the Great Kublai Khan |
| Geographical Region | Modern day China, India, Bhutan, North Korea, Laos, India, South Korea, Russia, Mongolia, and Myanmar |
| List of Symbols |
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This plaques conveys the people, buildings and nations that were involved during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD). At the center of all this sitting on his throne on the right is Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan. He was the 5th Great Khan of the Mongol Empire who reigned from 1260-1294 AD. The purpose of this plaque is to showcase the power of Kublai as the emperor of Yuan by having him sit on his throne while everyone else stand or kneel. Above him is the map outline of the Mongol Empire at the time. During his reign, the Mongol Empire was able to gather people of many different races and religions.
Behind Kublai are just four out of the many different types of people that were affiliated with the Yuan Dynasty. There’s no significance to the placement of these four. At the middle right is a Muslim Man whose facial feature are indistinguishable which means he could be from the Middle East, or any part of Asia. Regardless of where he is from, the Yuan Dynasty is centered very close to the middle of the Islamic Golden Age. This refers to the period in history dated from the 8th century to the 13th. It was during this time period that the Islamic world at that time had many significant science, cultural and economic breath throughs, which one the eyes of many around the world. Muslims and other groups affiliated with the Yuan Dynasty utilized the silk road that passed through most of Asia. Which is why next to the Muslim man is the Kaaba (the box) and moon/star which serves as a religious holy place and symbol. The telescope/observatory is to show one of the many scientific breakthroughs that was achieved at the time.
The individual above the muslim is a Tibetan Buddhist. This individual is supposed to represent Priest Drogon Chogyul Phaga who was the first Imperial Preceptor of Kublai Khan’s Yuan dynasty. He was the director of the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs. Beside him, to the right, is a religious symbol in Buddhism. Below the Muslim is a Korean, particularly the King at the time Chungnyeo of Goryeo. Who instigated Kublai Khan to invade Japan. As a prince he was proposed to marry the daughter of Kublai Khan. The kings of Goryeo would, during this time period, marry members of Mongol royalty. Next to him is the map outline of Korea.
On to the left center, beside Kublai Khan, and kneeling is Marco Polo. At the bottom left corner is the Pope Gregory X. He received a letter from Kublai Khan and asked him for the dispatch of a hundred missionaries. They eventually, through the help of Polo’s travels, planned a military cooperation between the Mongols and the Europeans. These came to halt with the death of Gregory X in the year 1276 AD.
Above the Pope is a Japanese warriors on a ship. This is to showcase their success in halting the Mongol Invasion to their country, which is outlined beside them. Above Them is a Vietnamese individual, whom can be identified by their hat and their country which is beside them. Both nations were successful at not being controlled by Kublai Khan.
At the top are Chinese (left) and Mongol (right) characters that reads “Yuan Dynasty”. This is just to help anyone who may have trouble understanding the layout of the plaque. In the year 1271, Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. Given that he was the leader, he was to represent all of China and Mongolia in this plaque.
MOHAMED ABDUKADIR is from Rochester, NY. He is currently a Junior at the University of Rochester who is pursuing a double major in Mechanical Engineering and East Asian Studies. Hobbies include engineering design (AutoCad) and creative writing. He also enjoyed the three projects that were set for this course.