A Study On Li Tan's Revolt

Li Quan and Yang Miaozhen who were peasant uprising army leaders in Shan Dong surrendered to the Yeke Mongol Ulus during confrontation of the Southern Song, Jin and the Mongol dynasties. Li Quan died in 1231, then his son Li Tan turned into the chief of Yi-du district in Shandong conferred by the Yeke Mongol Ulus following Yang Miaozhen. Then Li Tan became the "Shihou" of Han Chinese who possessed tens of thousands of soldiers and dominated Yi Du for thirty years, which seriously threatened the centralization of the Yeke Mongol Ulus, so the Mongol court tried to weaken the power of the "Shihou",which resulted in conflicts intensifi-ed contradictions with Li Tan's benefits. Li Tan suddenly revolted the Mongol court and surrender to the Southern song in February 1262, while his army occupied Ji Nan, but failed a few months later due to suppression by Khubilai Khan.Li Tan's revolt shook the Mongol court and beyond, and Wang Wentong who acted as the chief administrator of Kubilai Khan was involved. Because he was Li Tan's father-in-law, he was suspected that he had secret communication with Li Tan, and he was killed by Kubilai Khan. Then Kubilai Khan changed the strategy of officials's appointment, so Muslims got the power and influence instead of the intelligentsia of the Han. It was concern that Li Tan's revolt had seriously affected policy rules and the situation of North China. With the situation of putting down the Li Tan rebellion,Kubilai Khan strengthened the control measures of Shan Dong and the centralization though abolishing the "Shihou" system. In short, Li Tan's revolt and the execution of Wang Wentong had a profound effect on Kubilai Khan and the whole Yuan Dynasty.