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Mongols. Eurasia. Steppe Vast belt of dry grassland Little rainfall and extreme temperatures changes Served as a land trade route Home to nomadic people Western steppe- Hittites and Aryans Eastern Steppe- Huns, Turks and Mongols. Nomadic people. Pastoralists -
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Eurasia • Steppe • Vast belt of dry grassland • Little rainfall and extreme temperatures changes • Served as a land trade route • Home to nomadic people • Western steppe- Hittites and Aryans • Eastern Steppe- Huns, Turks and Mongols
Nomadic people • Pastoralists- • herded domesticated animals- Horse will be very important • follow seasonal patterns that included returning to same campsites • Lived in Yurts- portable felt tents • Lived and travel in clans • Kinship groups that were descendants from a common ancestor • Often fought over grassland and water rights • Sometimes clans would join together to fight a common enemy
Leadership in Mongol clans • Elected by free males • Held position as long as they could keep it.
Mongols • Superb horsemen and archers • Could of become a world power early on, if had not had • Rivalries between tribes and clans that kept them from unifying • Fighting kept them fairly isolated from the rest of the world
TemujinGenghis Khan • 1200 will unite the Mongol clans • Assumed the title of Genghis Khan (Chingiss Kahn) • Universal leader • Will lead Mongols for 21 years • First goal to invade China- later the Islamic region west of Mongolia • By 1221 Central Asia under Mongol control • Largest empire the world had ever seen
Characteristics of Genghis Khan • Brilliant organizer • Gift Strategist • Adopted new weapons and technologies used by his enemies • Bows & arrows • Bronze cannons • Iron mace • hatchets
Military divided into units called tumens • Used cruelty as a weapon- terrify his enemies into surrendering • Battle field tactic • Pretend to retreat and then send in the heavy cavalry on the flanks • Very superstitious • Only thing he feared was dogs
Genghis Khan’s Imperial rule • Legal code • To end division and quarrels between clans • Promote growth and trade • Religious tolerance • Overall peace to Asia • Once established
Empire so large that it was split into hordes • Small independent empires • Golden Horde • Modern day Russia • Empire allow for exchange of goods, ideas and culture from one distant region to another • Mongols had been illiterate and nomadic but after Genghis Khan’s conquest they assimilated into the cultures of the people they had defeated
The MONGOLS [“Golden Horde”] • Genghis Khan’s Tax Laws: • If you do not pay homage, we will take your prosperity. • If you do not have prosperity, we will take your children. • If you do not have children, we will take your wife. • If you do not have a wife, we will take your head. • Used cruelty as a weapon --> some areas never recovered from Mongol destruction!
Key to Mongolian victories • Stirrup- enable mounted warrior to stand , turn and shoot arrows behind him
Genghis Khan death • Dies from illness in 1227 • Grave is unmark to prevent enemies from desecrating the body
Mongol empire • They did not attempt to force a unified religion or way of life • Their infrastructure allowed for the exchange and spread of ideas • It just was not their own culture
Succession • Ogadai will succeed his father • Became known as the GreatKhan • Upon his death empire is divided into 4 large Khanates • Each ruled by a descendant of Genghis Khan • 1260 AD Kublai Khan will declare himself to be the Great Khan
Golden Horne • Russia • Invaded by Mongols in 13th century • Russia had been a number of small kingdoms • Centered on trading cities • Russia princes refused to cooperate and were individually remove by Mongols • Result of Mongol tribute will be the Russian peasants reduced to serfdom • Moscow will thrive because their princes collect the tribute for the Mongols and because it was seat of the Orthodox church • Impact of Mongol rule of Russia • Isolation of Russia from Western Europe • Will not experience the Renaissance and Reformation
Ilkhan Khanate • Muslim heartland • End the Abbasid dynasty • Destroy Baghdad and other major Islamic focal points • Bring about the decline of Seljuk Turks
Mongol Peace • Mongol Peace • Mongols imposed stability and law across Eurasia. • Trade will increase between Europe and Asia • Ideas and inventions will spread into Europe • Historians believe that bubonic plague was first spread by Mongols • Kill more with the plague than through warfare
Under Kublai Khan the Mongol Empire will be the largest unified land empire in history
Kublai Khan • Founder of Yuan Dynasty • Important because it will unite China for first time in 300 years • Open China to greater foreign contacts and trade
Kublai Khan will spend most of his life in China • Will enjoy living luxurious manner of a Chinese emperor • Will even dress Chinese • Built new capital at Beijing • According to Marco Polo “the largest that was ever seen”
Yuan social order • Mongols • Muslims & central Asian allies rank below Mongols • Kublai Khan maintain separation of Mongols and Chinese by • Keeping military forces separate • Allowing only women of nomadic families in imperial harem • Forbidden intermarriage of Mongols and Chinese • Not allowing Chinese scholars to learn Mongol script
Mongols will continue the policy of religious tolerance • Status of merchants and artist will improve under the Yuan dynasty • Mongols will not use the examination system • To keep the scholar-gentry from gaining too much power • Mongolian women • will not adopt the Chinese practices of foot binding • Will remain somewhat independent • Retain right of property
Invasion of Japan • Will attempt to extend rule to Japan • Will send the largest seaborne invasion force in history (up to WWII) • Fought for 53 days to a standstill • 54th day a storm with strong winds will hit and devasted the Kublai Khan’s fleet • Kamikaze- divine wind that will save Japan
Mongols in China have little in common with Chinese subjects • Mongols live apart and even obey different laws • Mongols will hold most of the highest government posts • Many jobs also given to foreigners • Mongols felt that foreigners were more trustworthy because they had no local loyalties
Marco Polo • Most famous European to visit China • Venetian trader • Greatly respected by Kublai Khan • Sent on special mission around empire • Will later describes his adventures in a book about China • Book will be an instant hit but many will not believe a word of it. • Believed it was just tall tales • Examples- black stones that burn (coal)
Kublai Khan • Dies in 1294 AD at the age of 80 • Yuan dynasty will continue for 74 more years • Problems with famine, flood, disease and economic problems • At one point over 4 different Khans will take the title in 18 years • 1368 Ming Dynasty will begin