Shi Tianze


Shi Tianze was a general in the early period of the Yuan dynasty of Eastern Mongol Empire. Later, he was promoted to the post of deputy prime minister and became the first Han minister of the Mongol-led Yuan regime. He played a key role in early Yuan politics.

Life

Shi Tianze was a Han Chinese who lived in the Jurchen Jin Empire. Interethnic marriage between Han and Jurchen became common at this time. His father was Shi Bingzhi. Shi Bingzhi was married to a Jurchen woman and a Han Chinese woman, it is unknown which of them was Shi Tianze's mother.
Shi Tianze was married to two Jurchen women, a Han Chinese woman, and a Korean woman, and his son Shi Gang was born to one of his Jurchen wives. His Jurchen wive's surnames were Mo-nien and Na-ho, his Korean wife's surname was Li, and his Han Chinese wife's surname was Shi.
Shi Tianze defected to the Mongol Empire's forces upon their invasion of the Jin dynasty. Shi, Zhang Rou , and Yan Shi and other high ranking Chinese who served in the Jin dynasty and defected to the Mongols helped build the structure for the administration of the new state.