Transcript The Mongols

The Mongols
Mongols on the attack
Nomads of the Steppe
• Geography: steppe
divided into West, East
– West steppe: Central Asia
to Eastern Europe
– East steppe: Mongolia
• Very little rain, extreme
temps (-57 to 96 F)
• Short hardy grass
covered steppe
Nomadic Life
• Pastoralists who herded
domesticated animals
• Depended on herds for
food, clothing, housing
• Didn’t wander aimlessly;
instead, they followed a
seasonal pattern to find
pastures
• Divided into clans, or family
based groups
• Tribes (groups of clans)
gathered to trade, elect king
(little power)
Nomadic Life
• Practically lived on
horseback
– Arguably most skilled riders in
history
– Owned 6-10 horses each
– Could ride 100+ miles at a time
– Drank horse’s blood; raw meat
trick
• Steppe horses
– Short legged, large heads (not
ponies!)
– Roamed across steppe
– 4 million horses to about 1
million Mongols
Nomads vs. Settled Peoples
• Why conflict?
– Nomads needed
manufactured goods
– Nomads tempted to
raid towns, merchants
– Strong empires
resisted by building
large armies, walls
Rise of Genghis Khan
• 1200: a leader, Temujin,
unites Mongol tribes
• 1206: named Genghis Khan,
meaning “universal leader”
• Invaded Northern China and
destroyed kingdom,
devastating population
• Moved W against Muslims in
India
– Emissary story
– Slaughter of Afghani, Pakistani,
Persian cities until Caliphate
surrendered
Genghis Khan
• Brilliant organizer
– Regularized troop formations
(10000 / 1000 / 100 / 10)
• Brilliant strategist
– Use of missile troops and
shock troops
– Tricks, strategies of hunt
– Fake retreat, Cambrian circle
• Used skills of captives to
benefit army
– Ex - siege weapons
• Used fear, terror to conquer
• Est. largest geographic
empire in history
Weapons of the Mongols
• Recurve Bow
– Bow made of layers of
wood, sinew (glue)
– Short, but powerful pull
(horseback)
– Different arrows for different
purposes
• Armor
– Laminated (leather + glue)
– Silk shirt underneath
• Horses
– Stirrups
– Mobility unprecedented
Mongol Empire
•
•
Genghis died in 1227;
Division of Empire (click here)
his sons took over
a) Khanate of Great Khan (son)
empire, continued W
b) Khanate of Chagadai (son)
Europe “saved” in 1241
c) Ilkhanate (son)
(son died; election)
d) Khanate of Golden Horde (son)
Mongol Rule
• Yuan Dynasty (1264-1368)
– Mongols had little in common
with conquered Chinese (kept
lang, customs)
– Government of Mongols
AKA “Great Khanate”
• Capital moved to Beijing
• Mongols, foreigners put over
Chinese
• Kept Chinese customs of
dynastic name, merit
bureaucracy
– “Pax Mongolica” – safe
travel throughout empire
– Silk Road reopened (silk,
porcelain)
Mongol Rule: Marco Polo
• Venetian merchant who
traveled w/ dad to China
• Arrived in 1275
• Became part of court of
Kublai Khan; served for
17 years
• Wrote detailed book, “The
Million” about journey (1st
exp. to China)
• Returned to Europe in
1295
End of Mongol Rule in China
• Fall of Yuan Dynasty
– Kublai Khan died 1294
– Breakdown of Mongol war
machine
• Mongols got lazy, soft
• Very corrupt rulers
First Ming Emperor, Hongwu
– Chinese hated Mongols
(barbarians)
– Famine broke out (floods,
disease)
– Rebellion broke out,
pushed Mongols out
– Chinese established the
Ming Dynasty