THE SOCIAL LADDER
(^1) Mongols
In the Yuan dynasty, the Mongols controlled
the central government. To assist them
in administration, they appointed former
nomads and Muslims from Central
Asia, the Middle East, and even
Europeans to positions of
power. Chinese civil servants
could hold offices at lower
levels, but deep-seated
distrust barred them
from rising through the
ranks.
(^2) Muslims
Persian Muslims collaborated with Kublai, such as
Moiz al-Din, who proposed the creation of the Persian
Academy (Huihui Guozixue), to educate interpreters.
The astronomer Jamal al-Din developed a new
calendar for Kublai in 1267, and provided the Mongol
state with astronomical instruments such as
an astrolabe and an armillary sphere.
A PERSIAN ASTROLABE
FROM THE 13TH CENTURY,
OF THE KIND PRESENTED
TO KUBLAI. HE HISTORY
OF SCIENCE MUSEUM,
OXFORD, ENGLAND
1 BILDARCHIV/AGE FOTOSTOCK
AKG/ALBUM
A HUNTING
PARTY OF TEMÜR
KHAN, KUBLAI’S
SUCCESSOR.
PAINTING ON SILK,
AROUND 1300
3
Kublai was personally open to other cultures, but the Yuan social hierarchy was rigid:
The Mongols were at the top, followed by the semuren (from Central Asia and Europe),
hanren (northern Chinese and Koreans), and nanren (southern Chinese) at the bottom.
2