Marriage as Political Strategy and Cultural Expression

Marriage as Political Strategy and Cultural Expression is the first comprehensive study of Mongolian royal marriages from World Empire (1206-1279) to the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) in Asia. This study examines the Mongolian royal family-s marriage strategies and the political implications of these royal marriages, specifically, the intermarriages between the Mongolian royal house and its allies, including the Onggirat, the Oirat, and other Mongol peoples as well as the Uighur State and Korea in Central and East Asia. This book concludes that the short lifespans of Mongol royalty after Khubilai Khan were the result of consanguineous marriage and inbreeding - genetic factors that contributed to the collapse of the Mongol dynasty.

The Author: George Qingzhi Zhao received his Ph.D. in pre-modern Chinese history from the University of Toronto, where he is currently teaching. He is the author of several articles, book chapters, and translations on Mongolian imperial marriages.