General History of China

S1 E802013

The Tumu Crisis

Episode Synopsis

A disastrous campaign against the Oirats ends with the capture of the Ming emperor, creating a succession crisis and exposing serious weaknesses in court and military leadership.

Next Episodes

All Seasons

China Road

Episode 1

The Earliest Chinese

Episode 2

General History of China

The Tumu Crisis

Episode Synopsis

Next Episodes

China Road

The Earliest Chinese

The Rise of Agriculture

The Origins of Civilization

The Age of Early States

The Xia Dynasty

The Rise and Fall of the Shang Dynasty

Shang Civilization

King Wu's Conquest of Shang

The Regency of the Duke of Zhou

The Decline of the Zhou Royal House

The Struggle for Supremacy in the Spring and Autumn Period

Confucius

Reforms Among the Warring States

The Seven Warring States

The Hundred Schools of Thought

The Rise of the State of Qin

Qin Shi Huang Unifies China

The Chu-Han Contention

The Parallel System of Commanderies and Kingdoms

The Rule of Wen and Jing

Emperor Wu of Han

Confucian Learning During the Two Han Dynasties

The Reign of Emperors Zhao and Xuan

Wang Mang's Reforms

The Restoration of Emperor Guangwu

The Silk Road

The Pure Critiques and the Partisan Prohibitions

The Yellow Turban Rebellion

The Three Kingdoms

Zhuge Liang Governs Shu

The Unification Under Western Jin

The Spirit of the Wei and Jin Periods

Rule by the Great Aristocratic Clans

Emperor Wu of Liang's Government

Emperor Xiaowen's Reforms

Emporer Wu of Northern Zhou

The Rise and Fall of the Chen Dynasty

Buddhism in the Wei and Jin Periods

The Restoration of Unity

Emperor Yang of Sui: Achievements and Failures

The Reign of Zhenguan

Empress Wu Zetian

The Prosperous Kaiyuan Era

The An Lushan Rebellion

The Predicament of the Middle and Late Tang

Chang'an: Metropolis of the World

The Rise and Fall of the Tibetan Empire

Dunhuang

The Tang Dynasty's Foreign Relations

Religion During the Tang Dynasty

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Emperor Taizu of Song

The Chanyuan Treaty

Governing the Realm with the Scholar-Officials

Wang Anshi's Reforms

The Jingkang Catastrophe

War and Peace Between Song and Jin

The Southern Song's Refuge in the Southeast

The Dreamlike Splendor of the Eastern Capital

Neo-Confucianism During the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty Culture

The Rise of Khitan

The Founding of Western Liao

Wanyan Aguda

The Rise and Fall of the Jin Dynasty

Liao and Jin Culture

The Rise and Fall of Western Xia

The Rise of the Mongols

Kublai Khan

Imperial Progresses Between the Two Capitals

Phagpa, Imperial Preceptor of the Great Yuan

The Maritime Silk Road

Marco Polo and China

Emperor Shun of Yuan

Zhu Yuanzhang, Founder of the Ming Dynasty