mongolia
TRANSCRIPT
The Mongolian Empire
The Legend of the Khans
Early Mongolia
• Mongolia is located in Central Asia, north of China
• Early Mongolia was broken up in different nomadic territories by tribes controlled by warlords
• Mongolian culture revolved around hunting, fishing, and fighting.
Mongolian Terrain
• Northern Mongolia: Basins and Lakes
• Eastern Mongolia: Gobi Desert
• Western Mongolia: Mountainous Terrain
• Southern Mongolia: Fertile Basin
• Mongolia’s three main mountain ranges are the Altai, Gobi, and Hangayn.
Genghis Khan
• Temujin was born in one of the more combative areas of Mongolia
• Many of his family members died in battle or were assassinated by in-fighting within the tribe.
Genghis Khan
• Temujin’s wife was kidnapped by a rival tribe
• At this time, he was a skilled leader who collected the most talented soldiers and military minds to be in his inner circle
• Temujin went on a tare and started his conquest of Mongolia
• In 1206 he became Genghis Khan, which translates into Universal Ruler
Unification
• Genghis proclaimed he was the rightful leader of the known world
• He created a new government and destroyed all tribes that did not demonstrate loyalty to him.
New Laws
• Kidnapping of women is forbidden
• All children are legitimate
• Women could no longer be sold into marriage
• The stealing of animals is a capital offense
• Regulation of hunting to the winter time
New Mongolian Order
• Genghis Khan created a supreme officer of the law to oversee trials and introduced record keeping, put the native language into written form, and created an official seal
Conquering China
• Genghis thought it was his destiny to conquer the world
• China was a powerhouse in peril
• In 1211, the Mongols crossed the Yellow River and seized Northern China
Strategy
• Khan used a divide and conquer method to obtain military victory in China
• Many Chinese communities feared the Mongols, so Genghis showed them benevolence and adopted them into his new empire
• Those who opposed were ravaged with terror and bloodshed
Mongolian Attacks
• The Mongols would start a battle with a rain of arrows
• The Mongol army would surround and enclose their enemy on horseback.
• Mongols wore silk shirts and light armor for quickness and to absorb arrow attacks
Military Conquests
• Genghis captured Afghanistan and Persia to increase trade
• Genghis captured Armenia and parts of Eastern Europe to open up access to the Caspian Sea
• The Mongols also captured Korea, parts of Russia, and Hungary
• The Mongolian Empire was 4 times the size of the Greek Empire
Failure in Japan
• Genghis Khan looked east to Japan, but found a rare defeat
• Mongols were shipwrecked as they attempted to sail over themselves and their horses to the Japanese coast
Next Generation
• Ogodei Khan took over for his father in 1231• He continued Mongol conquests and was at the
gates of Vienna before his death in 1241
Mongol-French Alliance?
• Louis IX was concerned about the growth of Islam and recognized the military skill of the Mongols
• He reached out to Mongke Khan for an alliance against Islam, which was turned down
Kublai Khan• Kublai Khan was seen as the next great
Khan
• He stabilized Mongol government and their territories
• Kublai launched a new assault on Japan - a Mongol, Chinese and Korean force with 23,000 troops, catapults, horses, combustible missiles, bows and arrows
• They were defeated by a hurricane off the south coast of Japan
Mongol Success
• The Mongols found success due to their hands off policy of rule
• After they conquered a community, they did not disturb that community’s way of life
• Religious and Social Tolerance was a key factor in keeping the empire together
• The biggest change was the taxes went to the Mongols to fund their wars and to build a new infrastructure
Mongolia Today
• Mongolia fell under Chinese then Russian control until 1981
• Today people travel to Mongolia for a wilderness vacation. This also includes a “Golf Across Mongolia” vacations.
• Mongolians today face ethnic discrimination in China