Tuotuo (1314~1355), also known as Tuoketuo, was a Mongolian with a courtesy name of Dayong and a surname of Miliqi. He was raised in Boyan's family and learned from Wu Zhifang in Pujiang. In the second year of Yuantong in the Yuan Dynasty (1334), he served as Tongzhi Xuanzheng Yuan, Qian Zhongzheng Envoy, Tongzhi Privy Council, Yushi Dafu, and Zhongshu Right Prime Minister. At that time, Boyan was the prime minister on the right side of Zhongshu, with power over the government and the public. Xiang was tabooed by Emperor Shun. Tuotuo was afraid of being affected by it, so he conspired with Emperor Shun to eliminate Boyan. Later, the old policy of Boyan was changed and the imperial examination was resumed to select scholars. He once participated in suppressing the uprising of Xuzhou Zhima Li Hongjin Army and insisted on massacring the city. He made outstanding military achievements and was awarded the title of Grand Master. In the 14th year, Zhang Shicheng's rebel army attacked Gaoyou (now part of Jiangsu) and was defeated by Shicheng. In the fifteenth year of Zhizheng (1355), he was exiled to Yunnan and was later poisoned by people sent by Emperor Yuan Shun. In the 22nd year, Zhaoxue resumed his official position. In the third year of Zhizheng (1344), he edited "History of Liao", "History of Song" and "History of Jin", and served as the chief official of the capital. In 1341 AD, Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty appointed Tuotuo to power, changed the Yuan Dynasty to "Zhizheng", and announced "Genghua", which was called "Tuotuo Genghua" in history.
The main measures for Tuotuo's reform are:
1. Restoring the imperial examination system that Boyan deposed;
The imperial examination system began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but it was not until the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty until The imperial examination system was only implemented during the reign of Renzong. After Boyan came to power, in order to prevent Han people from becoming officials, he ordered the abolition of the imperial examination.
2. Build the Xuanwen Pavilion and restore the Four Seasons Festival in the Imperial Ancestral Temple;
3. Rehabilitate a group of unjust prisoners;
4. Lift the horse ban and serve farmers Reduce burdens and relax policies;
After Tuotuo came to power, he ordered the exemption of various taxes owed by the people and relaxed policies for Han and Southerners. Previously, it was prohibited for private citizens to keep horses, but Tuotuo abolished this ban when he came to power.
5. Presided over the compilation of the three histories of Song, Jin and Liao;
China has always had a tradition of revising the history of previous dynasties. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the history of the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties has not been officially compiled. In March of the third year of Zhizheng (1343 AD), Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty issued an edict to compile the three histories of Liao, Jin, and Song, and Tuotuo served as the chief executive. Tuotuo organized Han historians such as Ouyang Xuan and Jie Xisi, as well as the Uighur people Lian Huishan Haiya, Sha La Ban, Dangxiang Yu Que, Mongolian Tai Buhua and others to participate in the revision of history, creating a new era for historians of all ethnic groups. A precedent for collaborative history editing. Later, these three historical books were included in the "Twenty-Four Histories", the official history of China. Among the twenty-four histories, only "History of Song", "History of Liao" and "History of Jin" were edited by the prime ministers of ethnic minorities. Only these three histories were completed jointly by Han and other ethnic minority historians.
In more than four years of reforms, Tuotuo turned the gloomy politics of the late Yuan Dynasty into a clear one and achieved many achievements. In the fourth year of Zhizheng (1344), Tuotuo resigned due to illness. Five years later, in the ninth year of Zhengzheng, Tuotuo was used again. At this time, famines were frequent and the national treasury was tight. In order to alleviate the crisis, Tuotuo changed the banknote method, printed orthogonal banknotes, and rectified river problems. In the 12th year of Zhizheng (1352), he led his troops to defeat the Xuzhou Red Turban Army. In the fourteenth year of Zhizheng (1354), he was impeached by political opponents in the DPRK and exiled to Yunnan. In the fifteenth year of his reign, he was poisoned.
Tuotuo was an accomplished politician in the late Yuan Dynasty. Once Tuotuo dies, the Yuan Dynasty will never improve again until it is destroyed!