War that turns Asia

Mongols battle Song
         by Ji yun
May, 4, 1268

 JIN- Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongols began a war campaign to defeat the Southern Song once and for all. For a long time the Song Dynasty was neighboring the Mongol empire. Kublai wanted honor and wanted expand his empire. Kublai Khan sent troops on May 1st, 1268 to South Song Dynasty, including armed Mongol troops with horses. The Mongols were having battle in the Yangzi River Valley. The battle of Xiangyang was ha d begun. Mongols seized some Song warships and used those ships for battle. Mongols attacked the cities of Fanchang and Xiangyang. Kublai wanted to bring honor to his grandfather Genghis and conquer the richest part of China.    

Before even Kublai Khan began  Genghis Khan had expanded his empire. Kublai Khan’s grandfather defeated the Northern part of the Song Dynasty. Genghis also sent troops to Manchuria and Korea. Genghis invaded the heart of China and attacked the old capital of Jin. Genghis also conquered some parts of Europe and the Middle East. Genghis Khan had many rivals also, like the Tatars, a central Asian group. The Nayans was another rival of Genghis Khan. The Nayans were a Hindi group. These groups are still causing problems for the Mongol Empire.

Many Muslims engineers like me were hired to make weapons for are masters army. I accepted the job because my family needed food. “My master told me and other workers to work on some inventions to help their weapons for Kublai’s army”,said one engineer. Just invented a powder for a weapon that is really important. It was gun powder and that powder made guns shoot out substances that was really dangerous. That was the best invention the Muslim engineers designed for Kublai’s army. I hope that invention helps Kublai Khans army defeat the Song once and for all.

“I was a regular villager with farmland but when the battle between The Mongols and the Song my life was thrown in the trash.”A villager was having trouble with the battle. “I was living peacefully in the Yangzi River valley”. The villager said he was living peacefully until the Mongols came. The Mongols took all his belongings and all his animals. He is homeless right now and he sees many warriors dead on the dirt roads. He lives off selling crops that he steels from other farms in the regions that are already conquered from the Mongols. “Right now I don’t care about this battle between the Song and the Mongols”. “I just want my land back,”said the farmer.

“I am Bataar and I was injured in battle against the Song”. Kublai Khan promised this warrior a home and food for being a outstanding warrior.He got shot by an arrow on both legs. “Right now I’m in bed waiting for my promise from my master Kublai Khan”.