1270s

The 1270s refers to the decade spanning 1270 to 1279 CE, a period of significant geopolitical change and cultural development across Afro-Eurasia. In East Asia, the Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty consolidated control over China, culminating in the completion of the Song dynasty’s conquest and the unification of the region under Yuan rule. In Europe and the Mediterranean, the era marked a waning of large-scale crusading efforts and the continuing consolidation of royal authority. Scholasticism and medieval scholarship continued to flourish in universities, while long-distance trade linked East and West through expanding networks.

East Asia and the Mongol Empire saw major milestones this decade. In 1271, Kublai Khan proclaimed the Yuan dynasty in China and established the capital at Khanbaliq (modern Beijing). By 1279, the Song dynasty had fallen, leaving China unified under Yuan rule. The Mongols also attempted invasions of Japan, launching an assault on Kyushu in 1274 that failed, in part due to storms and determined defense, with a second invasion following later.

In Europe, the Eighth Crusade ended with the death of Louis IX in 1270, signaling the gradual decline of organized crusading. In Britain, Edward I began campaigns in Wales in 1277 to subdue Welsh princes, initiating a process that would extend English authority over large parts of Wales. The era also saw the ongoing influence of scholastic thinkers: Thomas Aquinas died in 1274, marking a notable moment in medieval philosophy and intellectual life.

Elsewhere, the Mamluk sultanate continued to consolidate power in the Levant, and the Christian kingdoms in Iberia pressed the Reconquista. The 1270s thus set the stage for major political shifts in China, the waning of crusading momentum in the Mediterranean, and sustained growth of European learning and state formation.