Chapter 13 Steppe Peoples and The Civilizations of Eurasia

1200 to 1500

The Great Mongol Conquests Song Dynasty- trouble with northern provinces

Nomadic groups collected taxes with the aid of Chinese officials

Nomad Rulers of China before the Mongols Khitans

Liao 907-1123 Mongolia, Manchuria and N. China keep nomads and Chinese separate

Jurchens push the into China (Chin Dynasty)

Mongol Life Difficult life – meager

resources, internal struggles

unusually hardy – excellent soldiers Temujin 1162

Genghis Khan – “Ruler of all within the seas”

The Secret of Genghis Khan’s Success Organized the people bureaucratically instead

of by kin group. 10 men = squad (with a leader chosen by

Temujin) 10 squads made a company. devastatingly effective

more joined (Turks) from conquered cities they recruited scribes Attacked the Jurchens – city walls, artisans Alternated campaigns: into China or westward 1227 Genghis Khan dies

Genghis Khan’s successors divided among his four sons

one already dead so passed to his grandson Batu Ogadai – Empire of the Great Khan defeated the Jurchens – restored Chinese style of

administration and Confucian thought 1279 China is finally subdued “The availability of competent Confucians to staff

the administrative machine meant that China continued to be governed, except at the highest levels by Chinese.

Genghis Khan’s successors Continued Expansion westward

Southern Russia no ready made system of tax collecting merchants and princes

Middle East Persia, Syria, Baghdad Moslems unwilling to pay Christians didn’t mind but made poor administrators Il-Khans – Turks

Mongol Power and Unity Under Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (ruled 1260-1294)

Took over for his brother Leader of the Mongol Army

Good Postal System Scout/ Spying “outsiders assigned a responsible

job and a high salary were unlikely to disobey.

Karakorum – Genghis’ Capital Cambaluc – Kublai’s Capital Religious attitudes of the Khan

The Breakup of the Mongol Empire At Vienna the Mongol Army returns home to pick a

successor for Ogadai. 1294 Kublai Khan’s death – the empire begins to

break up. Three factors

Wearing out of the Mongol manpower Weakening of effective central power over the empire A growing divergence between the Mongol forces

stationed in each of the three main areas that had been conquered

The Ming Reaction in China 1368 Chinese drive the Mongols out (1.5 vs

60million) Mongol incompetence or Mandarin espionage?

The White Lotus Sect and the Buddha of the Future stir up support to topple the Gov.t Ming Taizu – The Peasant Emperor 1368-1398

1st Ming Emperor

Moved capital to Peking to protect against the Steppe peoples

The Ming Reaction in China cont. Set out to remove all signs of the Mongols

bring back the classic China Art Flourished more use of gunpowder

Restoration and Autocracy removed closeness to Nobility

Power of the Eunuchs Harems/ Concubines Legitimate heir Eunuchs become educated/ advisors to the emperor

Eunuch power tied to the court Nobility tied to the countryside.

Ming Voyages of Discovery Cheng Ho – sailed 7 times to the Indian Ocean

brought back the King of Ceylon, Prince of Sumartra, Giraffe from East Africa

in position to dominate the Indian Ocean

Ming Emperors cut back, forbade sailing to the Indian Ocean and the construction of large sea vessels.

Japan’s coming of Age Until 1200 Japan had copied Chinese culture

Organized along clan lines, often fighting amongst one another

able to defeat Kublai Kahn Rise of Japanese Towns

initially culture only found in the royal court Feudal lords too busy fighting housed artisans – namely blacksmiths merchant pirates – of the samurai class – more

money into the economy

Japan’s coming of Age cont. Buddhist Monasteries – owned

important lands. Would defend against Samurai Clans warrior monks

Zen sect – accepted samurai Pure Land sect – accept ordinary

peasants. Japanese Emperor – powerless Real power laid in the hands of the

Shoguns

Japanese Cultural Life more expression from Japanese artists – lower

class than in China Noh Drama Priests of The Sun Goddess – Shinto Japanese society was not built on a radical

new idea like medieval Europe Japan handicapped by shortages of resources

The Response of Islam Mongol conquest was a disaster for Islam.

eventually regain strength because of the Turkish-Mongol rule.

ran the Christians out: Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia Timur the Lame (1360-1405) The Ottoman Empire

Asia Minor – Osman or Othman (1290-1326) 1354 Gallipoli Peninsula Balkans

Response of Islam continued Constantinople –

remained under Greek control 4th Crusade 1204 Greek Power restored

1261 1453 – Sultan

Mohammed II takes Constantinople

The power of the Ottoman Empire laid in the religiously dedicated warriors

The Response of Islam continued The Sunni form of Islam

became the main form in the Ottoman Empire

Sultan used personal slaves to conduct government business Janissaries slaves – administration raided villages (Christians)

Islamic Expansion Elsewhere Islam makes headway in China

and Polynesia Yunnan and other major trading

cities Java 1526 Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia

Africa Eastern Coast defeating Nubia opens Western

Africa

Moslem Culture Architecture after 1300 Miniature painting Firdausi 1020 – starts revival of Persian as a

language for poetry Rumi – 1273 – God’s love for human beings Sadi – 1291 Hafiz – 1390

Iban-Khaldun 1406 – Geographer and Historian