Post on 01-Mar-2021
WhoweretheMongols?
Mongollifecenteredonherdinganimals,especiallyhorses
Mongolslivedasnomadicclans,constantlysearchingforbetterpasturelands
TheMongolslivedintheharshclimateoftheEurasiansteppe,
anareawithlittlerain&extremetemperatures
WhoweretheMongols?Asaresultoftheirlifestyle,theMongolsweretoughwarriorswhooccasionallyraidednearbysettlements
From1200to1206,aclanleadernamedGenghis
KhanunifiedtheMongols
GenghisKhanbuiltapowerfulMongolarmy&begana21-yearconquestofEurasia
CentralAsia
UnderGenghis&laterkhans,theMongolsconquered…Russia
China
Korea
theIslamicEmpire
HowdidtheMongolscreatethismassiveempire?
Mongolsoldierswereexcellenthorsemen;Usedthehorsesaddle
toshootarrowswhileriding
HowdidtheMongolscreatethismassiveempire?
Genghiswasabrilliantmilitaryorganizer&strategist,buthisgreatesttacticwasterror&fear
Ifanenemyrefusedtosurrender,Genghiswouldorderthedeathoftheentirepopulation
AstheMongolreputationspread,manytowns
surrenderedtoGenghiswithoutafight
“Inthecountriesthathavenotyetbeenoverrunbythem,everyonespendsthenightafraidthattheymayappeartheretoo.” (Arabhistorian)
TheImpactoftheMongolEmpireTheMongolsweremercilessinbattle,buttolerantasrulers
Mongolkhans(rulers)oftenadoptedpartsofthecultureofthepeopletheyconquered
IntheWest,MongolsconvertedtoIslam
IntheEast,MongolsembracedChineseculture
TheImpactoftheMongolEmpireMongolkhans
broughtstability&ordertoEurasia
Theerafromthemid-1200stothemid-1300siscalledthePaxMongolica(“Mongol
Peace”)
DuringthePaxMongolica,theMongolsguaranteedsafepassageacrossthe
SilkRoad
Asaresult,trade&culturaldiffusionincreasedbetween
Europe&Asia
Chinesetechnologieslikegunpowder&
themagneticcompassreachedEurope
Butdiseasesliketheplague(BlackDeath)reachedEuropetoo
AfterthedeathofGenghisKhan,theMongolEmpirewasdividedinto4majorkhanateseachruledbyasonorgrandsonofGenghis
ThekhanateinPersiahelpedcontrolthe
SilkRoad
TheMongoldestructionofKievincreasedtheimportanceofMoscow
inRussia
TheMongolswerethefirstnon-MuslimstoruleovertheIslamicEmpire
AfterthedeathofGenghisKhan,theMongolEmpirewasdividedinto4majorkhanateseachruledbyasonorgrandsonofGenghis
ButthemostsignificantkhanatewastheMongol
ruleoverChinaIn1279,Genghis’
grandsonKublaiKhanbecamethefirstforeignleadertoruleChina
KublaiKhanKublaiKhanbegananewerainChinacalled
theYuanDynasty
KublaienjoyedChineseculturesomuchthathemovedtheMongolian
capitaltoChina
But,heexcludedtheChinesefromservinginhighgov’toffices&reliedonforeignerstoserveinhisgovernment
Kublaiprovedtobeagoodemperor
forChina
Hebuiltroads&extendedtheGrandCanaltohelpimprove
transportationinChina
UnderKublai,foreigntradewithChinaincreaseddueto
thePaxMongolica
MarcoPoloIn1275,aEuropeanmerchantnamedMarcoPolovisitedKublaiKhan’scourt
KublaiwassoimpressedwithMarcoPolothatheemployedhimintheYuangov’tfor17years
WhenMarcoPoloreturnedtoItalyin1792,hisstoriesofChinaincreasedEuropeandemandforAsiantrade
BythetimeofKublai’sdeathin1294,theentireMongolEmpirewasgrowingweak
In1368,theChineseoverthrewtheMongols&startedtheMingDynasty
In1330,theMongolslostcontrolofPersia
In1370,theMongolslostcontrolofCentralAsia
In1480,underIvanIIIRussiagainedindependencefromMongolrule&
startedtheRomanovDynasty
TheEndoftheGoldenAge■ Despitethewealth&cultureduringundertheTang&SongDynasties,theChinesewerebrieflyoverthrownbytheMongols– From1279to1368,foreignnomadscalledtheMongolsruledChina
TheMingemperorsencourageoverseastrade…
In1368,theChineseoverthrewtheMongols&establishedtheMingDynasty
…andbeganaseriesofexplorationsledbyZhengHetodemonstrateChinesesuperiority
ReadtheexcerptfromZhengHeandtheTreasureFleetExpeditionsWithafleetofover100ships,
ZhengHeled7differentexpeditions
ZhengHeexploredareasalongtheIndianOcean&Africa,expandtrade,&collectedtributefromforeigners
ZhengHehadbetterships&traveledfartherthananyEuropeanexplorerswouldfor100years
ChineseIsolation■ Afterthe7thtreasurefleetvoyagein1433,Chineseleadersunexpectedlyendedtheexpeditions&retreatedintoisolationism– Scholar-officialscomplainedthatZhengHe’svoyagesusedvaluableresourcesthatwereneededtodefendChina– China’sofficialtradepolicywastokeeptheinfluenceofoutsiderstoaminimum– China’sgeography&gov’tpolicieskeptitrelativelyisolatedforthenext300yearsuntilEuropeanmerchantsinthe1800sdemandedaccesstoChinesetrade