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World at War

Ming–Mongol Wars

1368–1644 East Asia / Steppe Status: ended Casualties: Hundreds of thousands

After ousting the Yuan, the Ming spent 276 years guarding the steppe frontier. The Great Wall as it stands today is overwhelmingly Ming work. The Tumu Crisis (1449) saw the Zhengtong Emperor captured by Oirat Mongols — an unprecedented humiliation.

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Belligerents

  • Ming China
  • Northern Yuan
  • Oirats
  • Tumed Mongols

Casualties

Hundreds of thousands

From World at War, an interactive atlas by Jairus Pereira. Figures are approximate, drawn from Wikipedia, UCDP, ACLED and academic sources — a design artefact, not an authoritative register. Contact.