This paper analyzed the List of amirs in in Shu’ab-i panjg?na written by Rash?d al-D?n at the beginning of the 14<SUP>th</SUP> century. The List contains 57 names who were considered as am?rs of Qubilai Qa’an. The source of Rash?d al-D?n’s information was in all probability Bolad Chingsang who came from the court of Qubilai and had very accurate knowledge about the power elites in the Ulus of Qa’an. Therefore, the List reflects the Mongol viewpoint, not the Rash?d al-D?n’s personal opinion. In this sense, the List is a unique source showing us how the Mongols themselves understood about the most powerful people.
Based on the analysis of the List, we can divide them into several groups.
(1) The Chinggisid princes and non-Chinggisid son-in-laws: their feudal domains were dispersed over the various parts of empire. These people were not counted in the List because they were not considered to belong to the category of ‘commander’ (am?r).
(2) Ministers in central as well as regional government bureaus: they administered important state affairs by presenting memorial, stating their opinion, and giving advice to the great khan. Especially the highest officials in Central Secretariat, Central Censorate and Bureau of Military Affairs were the ‘pillars’ of the empire.
(3) Military commanders: they were commanders of the units of ten thousand or of a thousand. Although many of these stationed in the steppe and had very few contacts with Han Chinese people, some of the top generals were appointed to ministerial post and their careers were recorded in Chinese sources.
(4) Keahing commanders: they belonged to one of four keshing units and periodically came in the court for duty, so they could maintain intimate relations with the great khan. Their existence was usually hidden behind the veil of inner court, but they exercised influence by consulting for the khan on important state affairs and countersigning the edict, thus certifying its authenticuty, on behalf of the khan. Some of them rose to the highest echelon in the government.
People belonging to these four groups actually dominated political and military power of the Mongol empire under Qubilai. Ethnically Mongols took the majority and Semuren followed them, while Han Chinese were almost negligible. From the eyes of the Mongols the Han Chinese had no place in the imperial power politics. There is no doubt that Qubilai patronized many different ethnic and religious groups, and to rule vast territory and the people in China he definitely needed the cooperation of Han Chinese officials and scholars. However, there was not much possibility for them to be grafted onto the core group of the empire. The failure of the Mongols in admitting the Han Chinese, the absolute majority of the population in the realm of Qa’an, seem to be a critical weakness of their rule and it became, undoubtedly, one of the most important causes of the downfall of their empire in China.