Mother Nature vs the Mongol hordes: Did climate change keep Genghis Khan at bay and the Southern Song dynasty in power?
Climate change in Central China may have helped the Southern Song dynasty keep Genghis Khan and his successors at bay, study finds
Central and other parts of China were among the hottest in Asia during the 13th century, which coincided with the rise and rapid expansion of the Mongol Empire, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.
The unusually warm climate in the central, eastern and southern parts of what now stands as modern China would have helped spawn vast rice paddies, creating a food surplus to feed Chinese troops and lay a solid foundation for the development of the local economy and technology, pundits say.
According to the new report, the temperatures in these areas were hot enough to match those seen in the same area in the post-industrial period.
As such, the study provides new evidence that the climate, like the Great Wall in North China, may have been a crucial factor in helping stave of the Mongol hordes.
But the climate would have mostly benefited the Southern Song dynasty, which defied Genghis Khan and his successors for decades - until the dynasty crumbled due to a crippling recession and festering corruption.