Transcript The Mongol / Yuan Dynasty

The Mongols and The Yuan
Dynasty
Brent Davidson
The Mongols
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A nomadic people
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Largely depended on horses for their economy of
herding
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High aptitude in horse riding
Relatively poor
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Eurasian Steppe region
Made the wealth of Chinese agricultural areas all the more
attractive
Often raided trade caravans that passed through their domains
A rugged and hardy people
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Their harsh living gave them the great ability to persevere and
endure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ53WqklIo8 (1:00-2:00)
Chinggis (Genghis) Khan
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1155 – 1227 BCE
Born clutching a clot of blood in his fist
– Soothsayer: “This Child will rule the world”
United Mongol clans
– United through military campaigns
– Used fear to pressure clans to join him
 Murdering every Tatar male under 3 feet tall
 Boiled Taichi'ut Alive
Conquered
– most of Eurasia
– Jurchen territories in the North
– Xixia Empire
Brutal, Smart, and Able leader
However the Conquering of China would not come under his command
– Instead his grandson Khubilai Khan’s
http://www.biography.com/people/genghis-khan-9308634
Military – Armory and Supplies
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Helmet
Coat of Mail
– Armor only given to the Wealthier / Higher Ranking Military
– All Armor was light and flexible, allowing great mobility
Bows and Arrows
– Most important weapon for the Mongol warrior
– Handmade (often the warrior himself)
– Small but powerful bows
– Bow made from horn, bone, wood, and sinew
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15HHh4mWMec
Clubs
Battle-Axe
– These weapons were used in case of close-proximity fighting
Rations
– Dried Milk
– Grains
Military - Armory
Military – Mounted Warfare
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Physically about the size of a pony
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Native to the central Asian steppe
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More stamina than a full sized horse
Mongols controlled the major horse breeding grounds
Each man usually had about a 6 horses in reserve
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Accustomed to extreme cold and sparse pasturage
Tough and Wiry
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Often outfitted in protective armor made of hides or metal
Allowed riders to always have a fresh horse
Abundance of horse-drawn carts made Mongols better
supplied than Song
Military: Mongol Horsemen
Military - Tactics
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Tactics Relied on:
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Mobility
Communication
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Signal Flags
Main Tactics:
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Retreat and Flank
Ambush
Military – Tactics: The Ambush
Military- Tactics: The Swarm
Military- Tactics: Videos
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Mongol Strategies
Military - Adaptation
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Stole and utilized the military technology of the
Chinese
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Gun Power (explosives)
Repeating crossbows
Armored transport
Ships and Navy
Catapults
Explosive “grenades”
Cannons
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Integrated these new weapons effectively into their battle tactics
Military Tactics – Brutality and Psychological Warfare
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Often butchered, raped, and / or enslaved their enemies
Would often completely annihilate cities
Proliferated the idea of their brutality
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“The greatest pleasure is to vanquich one’s enemy…to
rob them of their wealth, and to see those dear to them
bathed in tears, to ride horses and clasp to your bosom
their wives and daughters”
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Used spies to spread stories
Genghis Khan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ53WqklIo8
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11:50-13:20
Discussion Question:
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How do you judge the Mongolian war tactics in
terms of Morality?
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Biblical Comparison
China Conquered
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Northern China conquered in 1273
Begin to move south
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Hangzhou surrenders in 1276
Guangzhou surrenders in1279
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Used ships built and manned by captured Chinese and Koreans
China conquered under Khubilai Khan’s (Genghis’
grandson) rule
Mongol’s conquered China despite being severely
outnumbered
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Mongol Population: Approx. 1 Million
China Population: 50-100 Million
Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)
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Dynasty started under Khubilai
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Made Beijing Capital
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Capital declared in 1264, before the war in the south had
begun
Adopted the Dynastic name of Yuan
Conquered land includes most of Asia, and as
far away as Eastern Europe
Yuan Dynasty - Map
Yuan Dynasty: Government
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Used both Chinese and foreigners to manage and run the Dynasty’s
Government
– Chinese bureaucratic system was retained
Military
– Completely ran and operated by Mongols
Chinese were often discriminated against and treated harshly
– Forbidden to carry weapons
– Artisans and laborers treated as prisoners and slaves
Oppressive taxation upon the Chinese
– Most of China became poorer under the Yuan
Chinese forced to work as slave labor on large state projects
– Rebuilt and extended the Grand Canal
 Many Chinese died during these type of projects
Yuan Dynasty: Achievements
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Developed a highly efficient postal service
Chinese arts continued to flourish
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Continuation of Chinese landscape paintings
Development of Opera-like dramas
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Development of the Novel
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Included orchestral music, singing, and dancing
Stories of love and adventure
Improved trade and commerce
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Blue and white porcelain became important export of the Yuan
http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/video-popupyuan.cfm
Yuan Dynasty: The Fall
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Overall Problems:
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Mongols too small of population to effectively control empire
 Had to rely upon Chinese and other groups
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Culturally were not used to being stationary and running a large Government
 They were nomadic and tribal
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Government corruption
 Bribery for positions
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Weak leadership after Khubilai Khan’s death (1294)
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Internal fighting
 Civil war broke out in 1130
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Natural disasters
 Flooding of the yellow river
 Famine
 Chinese interpreted these disasters as a sign against the reign of the Yuan
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Hatred by a large Chinese population
 Taxation
 Working Conditions
 Discrimination
Yuan Dynasty: The Fall
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Revolts:
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Widespread revolts started in 1330s
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Largely peasant ran uprisings
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The Red Turban Rebellion
 Wore red colored scarves around their heads
 Led by Liu Futong
 Located in lower Yellow River plain area
– Yingzhou (in current Anhui Province)
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Zhu Yuanzhang
 Rose to power in 1350s
 Led the largest revolting army
 Swept through the Yangzi valley
 In 1356 set up a government at Nanjing
 In 1368 Captured Beijing
– Drove remaining Mongol back to the Eurasian steppes, North of China’s Great
Wall
– Marking the end of the Yuan Dynasty
– Start of the Ming Dynasty
Discussion Question:
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What can the Mongolian Empire teach us
about the idea of world domination?