The Mongolians
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Transcript The Mongolians
A Nomadic Empire
Pastoral Nomads
Dependent on horses, camels, goats, sheep, cattle,
yaks, reindeer
Not in the Americas – No domesticated animals
Feature of Pastoral Nomads
- generally less productive
- needed grasslands for grazing
- smaller populations
- lived in kinship groups / clans
- more equality
-mobility
Pastoral Nomads
Deep connection with agricultural neighbors
- sought access to food / manufactured/luxury goods
-Adopted Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam
Formation of states was difficult but possible
- Chinggis Khan
–unified the tribes
- almost all men became warriors
Mastered lands not suitable for agriculture
After 1000bce horseback riding changed the lives of
the nomads
The Xiongnu
The first nomadic empire
Mounted warfare made empire possible
-horses of the steeps
Centralized hierarchical system
Served as a model for Turkic and Mongol Empires
Extracted tribute from China and other nomads
Xiongnu
Arabs and the Turks
Greatest impact of nomads was from 500-1500
-Arabs, Berbers, Turks, and Mongols created largest
empires
Byzantium, Persia, India, and China were all
controlled at least for a time by formerly nomadic
people
Bedouin Arabs
– camel nomads
- effective fighters
- made trade through Arabia possible
Bedouin – Crucial to Islamic
Expansion
The Mongol Empire
Created the largest land empire in history
Extensive connections of nomads with agricultural
neighbors – trade/tribute
-mostly interested in exploiting neighbors
Mongol population – only 700,000
Mongols - the last great nomadic state
From Temujin to Chinggis Khan
Temujin created the Mongol Empire
Shifting alliances, betrayals and military victories
- reputation as a great leader
1206 – tribal council recognized him as “Chinggis
Khan” (universal leader)
Wide expansion after unification
By the time of his death, the mission of Chinggis Khan
was to “unify the world”
Chinggis Khan
Mongol Military Successes
Well-led, organized, disciplined army
- conquered tribes were broken up and scattered
among units
- all members of a unit were killed if any deserted in
battle
- leaders shared the hardships of their men
- elaborate tactics: encirclement, retreat, deception
- horses of the steeps
Reputation of Brutality
- those who resisted were destroyed
Mongolian Battles
Mongolian Bureauocracy
elaborate census taking and systematic taxation
system of relay stations for communication and trade
encouraged commerce
lower administrative posts to Chinese and Muslim
officials
practiced religious toleration
China and the Mongols
Destructive in northern China, more tolerant in South
– accommodation of populace
- landowners guaranteed their estates in return for
support
- gave themselves a dynastic title (the Yuan)
- built a new capital—Khanbalik (Beijing)
But the Mongolians were still harsh
- Mongols didn’t become Chinese
- Mongol law discriminated
- women had a surprisingly good quality of life
Rebellions forced the Mongols out
Persia and the Mongols
Very destructive
– many Muslims massacred
- Agriculture messed up – turned into pasture land
Mongols were transformed in Persia
- large scale conversion to Islam
- extensive use of Persian bureaucracy
- Mongol elites learned Persian
Mongols were assimilated when the empire fell apart
Russia and the Mongols
Russia was devastated – they could not unite
- destruction of cities
- widespread slaughter
- deportation of skilled workers
Did not occupy Russia
- invaded for tribute, taxes and slaves
- Moscow was the primary tax collector which made it
powerful
Russia broke free of Mongolian rule by 15th century
Remember – Russia = Christian/Orthodox Church
Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
A Eurasian Network
Towards a Global Economy
- produced little, not active traders
- but they promoted trade as a source of tax revenue
- created relatively safe travel across central Asia (Marco
Polo made the trip and got home safe)
Cultural Exchange
- thousands of artisans were forcibly relocated to
Karakorum (Mongol Capital)
- Chinese technology and Art flowed West
- Europe benefited greatly from these encounters
- scholars argue that Europe’s rise to power has its’
foundations with the Mongols
The Plague (aka Black Death)
Spread across Eurasian trade routes
Spread by fleas on rats (Jews blamed)
first biological warfare – Mongols catapulted plague
infested bodies into enemy towns
Plague responsible for breakdown of Mongol Empire
and eliminating trade routes
-this is why Europeans sought other routes to Asia
1/3 – 2/3 of Europe died
- undermined serfdom
-more equality for women
The Plague