Kublai Khan died in 1294. Within 50 years, the Mongol Empire had been weakened by revolts, natural disasters, and fighting among those who wanted to rule.
Seeing the weakness of the Mongols, the Chinese people rebelled. The leader of one rebellion was a poor peasant and former Buddhist monk named Hong Wu. He took control of China in 1368 and declared himself emperor of a new dynasty, the Ming dynasty. Under Hong Wu, China began to recover from the period of rebellion. Farms, canals, and roads were repaired. The economy improved, and China’s population grew. Later in his rule, however, Hong Wu became a cruel leader. He had thousands thrown into prison or killed.
