THE DYNAMICS OF URBANISATION IN MEDIEVAL STATES OF THE FAR EAST

The article discusses urbanisation in the states and empires of the Far East: Bohai (698-926), Liao (907-1125), Chin (115-1234), and Yuan (1206-1238). Urbanisation processes are known to have started under the Mohe, and then city building practices were taken to the next level by the Khitan people, the Jurchen, and the Mongols. The article examines differing features of regional urbanisation, more specifically, the system of five capitals, large spaces allocated for seasonal residence of the rulers, fortification practices of the Jurchen, cities without walls built by the Mongols, etc. On the whole, urban fortification and monumental architecture symbolised ideological supremacy and acted as a pole of attraction for large flows of people.