FROM THE MONGOLS TO THE MING DYNASTY: From a Begging Monk to Emperor: How a Begging Monk Became Emperor of China, Zhu Yuan Zhang Paperback – 15 Jan. 2016

THE WILL OF HEAVEN.The Mongols under Khubilai Khan had conquered all of China and beyond, in their own astonishing rise to world empire.This is the blow by blow account of HOW the Chinese fought back against the invincible Mongols and overthrew them. It is an excellent pulling together of the Chinese sources into one continuous narrative, with very helpful maps. Most of the action is in South China, last refuge of the previous Chinese dynasty, most densely settled, which the Mongols did not bother to assimilate, and where Chinese values and culture still lived on most strongly.Talented Nobodies rose up to be local warlords, as the Chinese expected, and fought each other and the local Mongol troops to the point where there were only three left standing in the South. The one chosen by Heaven overcame the other two. He released prisoners and did not sack cities. This took years, but then his victorious troops took Northern China very quickly, and the Mongol Emperor simply ran away back to Mongolia.Less than a century after Khubilai had extinguished the last vestige of a local dynasty , all of China was now reunited under the glorious Ming.It is all told in the proper Chinese tradition, with discussions over key strategies and good government, and reference back to previous historical examples. It is written by the winner, but even handed, in the Chinese style.SONS OF HEAVEN vs LORDS OF THE STEPPEWHY is another story. The Mongols could not decide if they should treat the Chinese people merely as conquered booty or as a serious governing responsibility, in the Chinese tradition. This would mean a Chinese style bureaucracy and exam system for the local elite to win prizes. The Emperors after Khubilai Khan alternated in their approach. In practice the last Mongol emperor made no attempt to intervene, or to manage the South by giving them responsibility and rewards, or setting the Chinese against each other, or getting outside help, as Khubilai had. And the Chinese leaders and armies that won through these local contests were a different class to those faced by Khubilai.Skip the Introduction which is way too crammed.