Overview
1368 can refer either to the integer that follows 1367 and precedes 1369, or to the year 1368 in the Common Era. As a historical year it is best known for a major political change in East Asia: the overthrow of Mongol-led rule in China and the establishment of a native dynasty that shaped the region for centuries. As a number it has straightforward arithmetical properties often used in mathematical and cataloguing contexts.
Numeric characteristics
Numerically, 1368 is an even composite number. Its prime factorization is 2^3 × 3^2 × 19. It is represented in Roman numerals as MCCCLXVIII. Because 1368 is divisible by 4, it is a leap year in the Julian calendar.
Year 1368: major historical developments
In East Asia, 1368 marks the collapse of the Mongol Yuan dynasty's effective control over large parts of China and the rise of the Ming dynasty under the leader who became known as the Hongwu Emperor. This change returned political power to a native dynasty, prompted administrative reorganization, and led to efforts to consolidate northern defenses and to restore institutions such as the civil service examinations.
Contemporary global context
Elsewhere in the world the mid-14th century remained a period of recovery and contest: European polities continued to recover from the demographic and economic effects of the Black Death and were engaged in long-running conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War. In the eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia, rising powers were consolidating influence and expanding their territories, while across Africa and South Asia established empires and regional states maintained trade and cultural networks.
Significance and legacy
The events of 1368 had long-term consequences, especially in China where Ming rule ushered in changes in administration, economics and material culture that influenced East Asia for centuries. The year's place in chronologies also makes 1368 a recognizable marker in calendars, historical narratives and genealogies.
Quick facts
- Integer: 1368 = 2^3 × 3^2 × 19
- Roman numerals: MCCCLXVIII
- Calendar: leap year in the Julian calendar
- Historical note: year of the foundation of the Ming dynasty in China