The Turkish & Mongol Empires

1. The Turkish & Mongol Empires or “How Stinky Barbaric Nomads took over the World”

2. Introduction Turkish & Mongol invasions perhaps the most important to world history in the period 1000-1500 Extended up to the very periphery of Eurasia Redefined the relationship of nomadic to "civilized" people made definitions more difficult for historians previously the civilizations had unified lands of the nomads now, however, the nomadic groups - both Turk and Mongol - unified "civilized" lands under their control These invasions from steppe of central Asia were part of a long pattern dating back to Attila

3. Saljuk Turks • Came into ME from Aral Sea (970) • Tughril Beg defeated remnants of Abbasid Empire -- becoming "sultan" of Islamic empire (1055) • pushed towards the West in the middle east  Constantinople Defeated Byzantium in 1071 at Manzikert • Created sultanate of Rum w/Nicaea as capital • continued to fight with the Crusaders for Jerusalem

4. "Indian" Turks • Spread from Aral Sea into India • Introduced militantly strong Islam throughout India • used force as well as education – • Hinduism seen as sinful • polytheistic and had pictures of the gods • conflict also between caste based Hindu society and egalitarian Muslim society • Established basis for problems of modern India and Pakistan • Hindu and Muslims tension Mahmud

5. Indian Turks (cont.) • most famous of Turks in India was Mahmud (997-1030) "the image breaker“ • Destroyed Hindu statues, paintings • India helpless to Turkish onslaught • only one warrior class • rest converted to Islam • or relied on karma, dharma, and reincarnation • Conquest extended south to Delhi, • India  Turkish sultanate

6. The Mongol World Empire: China & The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) • Greatest empire in history of the world: • extended from Caspian Sea to Pacific Ocean; • North into Russia, Siberia, & Korea • South into Persia & Burma

7. Rise of the Mongol Empire • Nomadic people • families belong to clans; • clans belonged to tribes • within tribes chiefs elected from nobility • tribes politically divided • traded & warred among themselves & neighbors • Genghis Khan: • -founder of the Mongol Empire • -able to unite all the tribes • -elected as Great Khan Genghis Khan

8. Military • extremely disciplined & well organized • possessed superior tactics • very mobile • used terror as a weapon • allowed conquered people to join military • all these helped defeat larger armies Mongol Archer Chinese canon, 1368

9. Division of the Mongol Empire Golden Horde Great Khanate Chagatai Ikhanate • Genghis divided empire among his four sons • over generations they became independent = 4 Khanates • Ikhanate (Persia) – absorbed Persia & E.Turkish region • Golden Horde (Russia – Cossacks) • Chagatai (C. Russia) • Great Khanate (China, Mongolia, Korea) • maintained trade & communication w/China

10. Mongol Rule in China • Mongols conquer Beijing (1227) • Kublai, chosen as Great Khan in 1260 • grandson of Genghis • Reunifies Mongol Empire • moves capital to Beijing • Expands Grand Canal • 1271 adopts Chinese dynastic name = Yuan • conquers the southern Sung in 1279 Kublai Khan

11. Government & Society under Kublai Khan • adopts custom of hereditary succession • rebuilds Beijing as walled city • govt. shifts towards Chinese forms of govt. and taxation • Chinese citizens segregated from the 400,000 Mongols in China • military service reserved for • Mongols only • military officers most important positions • civil administration highly centralized • Relied on non-Chinese to run bureaucracy Walls surrounding Beijing

12. Societal Divisions • Categories: • level one = Mongols • -top military & civil posts • level two = Persians,Turks, some Europeans • -filled high civil posts • level three = northern Chinese • level four = southern Chinese • Chinese officials directly controlled Chinese • Citizenry & the Mongols controlled Chinese • officials. Kublai Khan w/Mongol Warriors

13. Marco Polo • 1275-1292 • served Kublai Khan • influenced future traders & explorers • brought knowledge of China to Europe • diffusion of Asian cultures, technology & ideas

14. Religion Christianity spread from Persia to central Asia & China churches built papal missions sent from Rome Tibetan & Chinese Buddhism expand Islam flourished the most permanently established in central & western Asia mosques built Mosque Cathedral Buddhist Temple

15. Decline of Yuan Dynasty • dynasty collapses in 1368 • Shortest dynasty in Chinese history • Rebellion, esp. in S. China • Plague in S. China --  pop. & labour • Spread to C. Asia, ME & Europe through trade routes • “The Black Death” kills ¼ of pop. in W. Europe Mongols fighting Japanese Samurai

16. Decline of Yuan Dynasty (cont.) Mongol siege of Baghdad • Mongol Khanates separated by religion, culture, & distance • govt. officials corrupt • economy  • Warlords control respective regions • Mongol influence in China quickly disappeared

17. Legacy of Mongol Rule • Collapse of Mongol rule in Persia leads to rise of Timur (Tamerlane) & Timurid rule in Persia, Bactria & India • Diffusion of ideas, technology, culture across two continents • Renewed European interest in • science, literature, medicine, math • Sparks the Renaissance & Age of Exploration • The Black Death • Unified resistance of various groups against Mongol invaders Timur & the siege of Bhatnair