▁bar b ari ans ). ▁The ▁division ▁of ▁North ▁China ▁and ▁South ▁China ▁under ▁the ▁Jin ▁dynast y ▁and ▁Song ▁dynast y ▁weak ened ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁un ified ▁China , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁non - H an ▁Chinese ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁polit ically ▁dispar ate ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁by ▁different ▁names ▁for ▁some ▁time . ▁While ▁Northern ▁China ▁was ▁called ▁C ath ay , ▁Southern ▁China ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Mang i . ▁Man zi ▁often ▁appears ▁in ▁documents ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁Y uan ▁dynast y ▁as ▁a ▁dispar aging ▁term ▁for ▁Southern ▁China . ▁The ▁Mong ols ▁also ▁called ▁Southern ▁Chinese ▁N ang ki y as ▁or ▁N ang ki y ad , ▁and ▁considered ▁them ▁eth n ically ▁distinct ▁from ▁North ▁Chinese . ▁The ▁word ▁Man zi ▁reached ▁the ▁Western ▁world ▁as ▁Mang i ▁( as ▁used ▁by ▁Marco ▁Pol o ), ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁name ▁commonly ▁found ▁on ▁medieval ▁maps . ▁Note ▁however ▁that ▁the ▁Chinese ▁themselves ▁considered ▁Man zi ▁to ▁be ▁ ▁der og atory ▁and ▁never ▁used ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁self - app ell ation . ▁Some ▁early ▁sch ol ars ▁believed ▁Mang i ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁Mach in ▁() ▁and ▁Arab ic ▁M ā ṣ ī n ▁( ), ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁mistake ▁as ▁these ▁two ▁forms ▁are ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁S ansk rit ▁Mah a ▁Ch in ▁meaning ▁Great ▁China . ▁ ▁Chinese : ▁Man zi ▁() ▁Latin : ▁Mang i ▁ ▁See