the mongol empires-07

8/8/2019 The Mongol Empires-07

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The Mongol Empires


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Genghis Khan and theRise of the Mongols


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Origins of the Mongols

Mongols (a.k.a. Tartars/Tatars) were a group of

tribes from the steppes (open plains) of central

Asia and the area that is now known as Mongolia

Originally nomadic

Excellent horsemen and archers

Stereotype: primitive and barbaric, bloodthirsty

Skilled at cultural borrowing


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As they became more settled, they developed a

law code, written language, religious practices,

better technology, and other social and cultural

achievements (adapted from neighbors and those

they conquered)


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The Unification of the Mongols

Before 1200, the Mongols were not joinedtogether in a single group; population b/w 1.5 and3 million

Tribes often went to war against each other Disunity came to an end after 1200 due to the rise

of a warlord named Temujin (a.k.a. Genghis Khan)

He had been born into a family that had beendisgraced during a clan dispute, but he stillmanaged to become an important tribal leader asan adult


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In 1206, he did what no one else had been able to

do: he united the dozens of Mongol tribes under

one authority

Proclaimed himself khan or ruler and took the

name Genghis, meaning limitless strength

He completely reorganized the armies and soon

after led their great campaign of conquests----oneof the most successful in the history of the world


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The First Wave ofConquest


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Genghis Kan and the Early Mongol

Conquests

In 1211, Mongol armies attacked the state of Xi

Xia.

Launched an attack on China

By 1214had overtaken Great Wall and the Jin

capital ofBeijing

To the westconquered the land of kara-Khitai

and the Khwarazm Empire (powerful CentralAsian state and home of the silk road trading

centerSamarkand)


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Took their wealth and then took the large city ofHerat in Afghanistan

Trend: fight in east, take the west

Fought empires of western China, and finally tookthem

Sent large forces westward to look for furtherareas of expansion

During this time the Russians first encountered theMongols


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Genghis Khan dies in 1227 and ended the first

wave of Mongol conquest

Sons begin settled the question of succession


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Reasons for Mongol Success

Originally people thought it was all about the game

of numbers

Talented calvary men and archers.even at great

speeds!

Mongols and horses possessed great endurance

and toughness

Organized into efficient tight knit military unitsAND took ideas from others (especially methods

of siege warfare)


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The Second Wave ofConquest and thePax Mongolia


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Ogodeis New Conquests

The new great khan was Genghiss 3rd son,

Ogodei

Under his rule the empire reached tremendous

proportions

He built capital: Karakorum

In east, they had almost taken over all of China

(they will eventually take the Song in the 1260s)and in 1231 he forced Korea into tributary status


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The Mongol Drive Into Europe

Ambitious goals for the west

Calls his nephew, Batu, and the general Subudeito conquer as much ofEurope as possible.

They conquered most of Russia and the Ukraine

Next they pushed through easternEurope.Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, andPoland causing hysteria and panic

Now, Mongols too far from home and overextended to continue


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Also fighting on unfamiliar terrain

Also Ogodei died and then there was some chaos

This area in Europe was ruled by Batu and hisdescendants

They called their government the Golden Horde

(from the Mongol word orda, or camp

Mongols ruled over Russia for 2 centuries


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Pax Mongolia: The Mogol Empire at

Its Peak

Under the next 2 khans, Guyuk and Mongke, theMongol Empire grew even larger

Moved into China and took over eastern Tibet

In 1250s moved into the Mid East and took overthe Abbasid Caliphate

The Commander, Hulegu, was only halted in 1260by Mamluk cavalrymen

By 1250sMongol empire stretched from Polandto Korea and Siberia to southeast Asia


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This brief joining of most ofEurasia is called thePax Mongolica orPax Tatarica

Maintained by means of force as well as

administrative skill Used turkic language as their written script and

created a code of law (the yasa)borrowed fromseveral countries, including China

The Mongols tended to adopt the religions of thepeople they conquered (usually Buddhism orIslam)


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Used horses to create a postal systemcalled the

yam

An elaborate network of couriers who carried

messages on horseback


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Breakup of the MongolEmpire


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Overextension and Breakdown of

the Mongol Empire

Soon began to break apart after its size and power

peaked

The last khan who truly ruled over a united Mongol

Empire was Mongke.

Died in 1260, civil war broke out between Genghis

Khans nephews and grandsons

The empires 4 largest units became independentstates


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The Domain of the Great Khan and

Yuan China

Title of Great Khan (ruled over Mongolia and

territories to east and southeast) went to Khubilai,

grandson of Genghis.

He shifted his political focus away from the

Domain of the Great khan to the Yuan Empire he

created in China


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The Golden Horde

Retained control over Russia until mid 1400s

Rule ended by the rising city-state of Moscow,Russia

After that many mongols left

But many others stayed in what was becoming alarge and powerful state

Over time, the mongols became inhabitants ofRussia, in many cases intermarrying and

assimilating


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The Il-khans

These were the rulers of the Middle East

Coverted to Islam

Rein lasted in to the 1300s

Later, the Il-Khans were weakened by attacks

from their fellow Mongols

Shortly after, they were displaced by the Ottoman

turks, whose rapid expansion during the 1370smade them the new masters of the Middle East


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The Jagadai Khanate and Timurs

conquest

For 2.5 centuries the Jagadai Khanate controlled

the Central Asia

Converted to Islam

From 1370-1405, the Jagadai warlord Timur

(a.k.a. Tamerlane) tried to repeat the military

triumph of his ancestor, Genghis Khan.

Expansion ended in 1405 with his death and theboundaries shake


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Timerlanes descendants ruled over central

Asia.and the silk road cities ofSamarkand and

Bukharauntil the early 1500s

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