Mongolian National Folklore Ensemble, “Praise of Altai Mountains,” Voices of the Steppe

Mongolian National Folklore Ensemble, “Praise of Altai

Mountains,” Voices of the Steppe

The Rise of the Mongols

The East Asian Cycle of Relations between Nomads and

Settled Peoples • Steppe peoples need goods produced by

settled agriculturists• Settled agriculturists have some use for

steppe goods

• Strong Chinese state, plus a strong steppe empire, followed by,

• Simultaneous collapse, followed by,

• Conquest of North China by a foreign (Manchurian) dynasty, followed by,

• Restoration of native Chinese dynasty and rise of a Steppe Empire

• Ch’in and Han (221 BC- 220 AD)

• Sui and T’ang (581-907)

• Sung (960-1279)

• Hsiung-nu (209 BC - 153 AD

• First Turkish, Second Turkish, Third Turkish (552-840)

• Mongols

Chingiz Khan’s Unusual Rise

• Usual paths to power in the steppe– Hereditary rulers of

established and united tribes

– Reorganizers of a disintegrating nomadic state

– Election

Chingiz Khan’s Unusual Rise - 2

• Chingiz does not fit these patterns– His tribe is often disloyal– Not a secondary founder of a decaying nomadic

state– Not elected, until already master of the steppe

The Bases of Chingiz’s Power

• Personal followers (nökod)– Distrust of relatives– Requires daring military

feats• The army

– Cuts across tribal lines– Personal guard– An artificial tribe

• 1206: a critical juncture

War with China

• 1211: massive raids in North China• Failure of the raids• Adoption of Chinese military technology• Policy of conquest

The Dar al-Islam

• Khwarazam-shah (‘Ala’ al-Din Muhammad II)

• Weakness of the shah’s position– Army (composed of Qipchaq Turks) unreliable– Poor relations with Persians– Poor relations with the Sunni ulema

• The Caliphate, dominant in Iraq• Saljuq Turks

The Turn West

• Conquest of Kara-Khitai, 1218• Conquest of Transoxiana and Khurasan,

1219• Mongol policies

– Systematic massacre: Herat, Nishapur, etc.– Goal punishment, not conquest

• Russia and the battle of the Kalka, 1223

The Turn West

• Conquest of Kara-Khitai, 1218• Conquest of Transoxiana and Khurasan,

1219• Mongol policies

– Systematic massacre: Heart, Nishapur, etc.– Goal punishment, not conquest

• Russia and the battle of the Kalka, 1223

From Raids to Conquest

• Conquest of Russia, 1236-1242• Push into central Europe• The White, or “Golden” Horde• Iran and Mesopotamia

– Hülegü– Baghdad 1258– Damascus, 1260

• China , 1279