ABSTRACT
After the Tibetan Empire collapsed, Central Tibet disintegrated into many principalities ruled by families descended from imperial princes. Mongol rule ushered Tibet into a new era, in which it became an influential player in Eurasia. Tibet maintained this status until the end of the nineteenth century. In Jangngo, Sakya Pandita sent a letter to ecclesiastical and lay authorities in Tibet asking them to accept Mongol sovereignty unconditionally, as it covered the whole world. Several sources written at the end or right after the Yuan period have brief records on the political situation of the Mongol court during that time. The new ruler of Tibet was well informed of the chaotic circumstances of the Mongol court and that the Mongols could not afford to pay attention to affairs in Tibet. In 1368, Toghan Temur was expelled from Daidu by the Ming army, led by Zhu Yuanzhang, and fled to Mongolia.
