Challenging the conventional image of Mongols as ruthless destroyers of civilizations in the 13th & 14th century world, specialists in the past few decades have examined the complex roles that Mongols played in global history. Recent historians of middle-period China have uncovered the transformation of Neo-Confucianism from a philosophy/religion for the rebellious to an ideology for political power. The Yuan period is an enormously interesting moment in global and Chinese history because the Mongol intervention in Chinese history and the transformation of Neo-Confucianism occurred at the same time and interacted with each other. These interactions resulted in a culture that valued medical learning and doctors. The life-story of a scholar-official Yuan Jue (1266-1327) will be used as a personalized window onto this complex history. Speaker Biography: Reiko Shinno is associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. For transcript, captions, and more information visit www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5398.

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