Khubulai Khan

After the death of Khubulai Khan, the four uluses divided forming their own independent states. These four powers remained autonomous, until the territories internally began to divide and ultimately fall apart. The first of the khanates to collapse were the Yuan Dynasty and the Ilkhanid, while the Chagatai and the Golden Horde were able to stay in control relatively longer. It is most likely that these two uluses were the first to dissolve because Mongol steppe and traditional life never prospered in those regions, but rather these areas were allowed to maintain their old cultural identity (Morgan, 2007, p. 175). Firstly, the Yuan Dynasty, after the death of Khubulai lasted unsteadily for about thirty years. There were continuous internal conflicts over supremacy among the Mongols, along with a series of natural disasters, and wide spread
In the mid 14th century the Chagatai Khanate divided up into two halves, Transoxania, which for the most part was comprised of sedentary Muslims, and Mughulistan, who were traditional steppe nomads (Morgan, 2007, p. 174-175). Contemporary historians, such as David Morgan, argue that this contentious division between East and West, led for the possibility of the Timurid Empire to give rise, especially the rule and conquests of Tamerlane (176). Tamerlane, was a Transoxanian who began to conquer lands in the Middle East, the steppes, and even aspired to re-conquer China. However, he died before he could ever carry out his conquest of China, and after his death, the Timurid Empire continued to rule and be in charge of Transoxania. It was not until the 15th century when the Ozbeg Turks conquered the Chagatai ulus. And eventually what was left of the Chagataid people and land, was later incorporated into the Chinese Empire in the 18th century (Morgan, 2007, p.