Key Terms – The Mongols

Genghiz Khan Ghazan Russia Khan Tamerlane Kublai Khan Yuan Dynasty Pax Mongolia

Marco Polo

Mongol Empire

The Mongol Entrance

Mongols were a horseback warrior culture located just north of China.

Mongols had threatened China for numerous years and were the chief reason for the construction of the Great Wall to prevent their entry into the Chinese mainland.

The Mongols were unified under the rule of Genghiz Khan → leader of the Mongols who went on to conquer Russia and portions of the Muslim Empire.

Genghiz Khan

Genghiz Khan was able to conquer large amounts of territory due to his brutality and savvy. Trained his soldiers to

fight on horseback by hunting small game.

Made cities surrender without incident due to his brutality in other areas

Mongol Conquests in Southwest Asia

Under the rule of Ghazan, the Mongols were able to conquer large portions of the Muslim Empire in southwest Asia leading into the Middle East.

Ghazan himself would convert to Islam which would fortify the Muslim culture.

This conquest helped increase the flow of goods from Europe to Asia.

Mongol Conquest of Russia

Mongols would invade Russia in 1237 while it was still a country in its early stages.

Mongols would practice tolerance but would not allow them to have contact with the western world.

Would only take tribute and would not interfere with their religion, government or language.

Would be expelled after 200 years.

Mongol Conquest of Eastern Europe

Mongols would acquire control of Poland to prepare for an advance into Western Europe.

Mongols would gain control of Poland easily due to its poor government structure which was governed by a diet.

The Mongol khan (leader or ruler) would die before making and advance into Western Europe halting the Mongol movement.

Mongol Conquest of India

Under the reign of Tamerlane, the Mongols were able to conquer India in 1398 with a great show of brutality.

This occupation would only last one year but would have lasting effects as their military and government was severely weakened.

It would ultimately fall under the control of a Muslim dynasty known as the Moguls or Mughals in 1526.

The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

- After 45 years of war with the Chinese, the Mongols were able to conquer China under the reign of Kublai Khan.

- Kublai Khan → set up the Great Khanate of China, established the Yuan Dynasty in China.

Changes Under the Khanate

- Kublai Khan placed many restrictions on the Chinese lifestyle.

- Chinese were kept out of all the higher positions of government.

- Chinese were not allowed to travel at night

- Chinese could not own weapons

- Chinese could not meet in groups

- While he limited the Chinese in many ways, he also provided great reforms that benefited the Chinese

- built hospitals, roads, canals

- provided a basic welfare system through warehousing

Further Changes

- Kublai Khan practiced tolerance within China.

- he did not force Tibetan Buddhism upon the Chinese.

- he appointed many Christians, Buddhists, and Daoists into government positions.

- missions were allowed in China.

- many converted to Islam within the Middle Eastern territories.

Changes in Trade

- The construction of roads in China served the purpose of uniting the different Khanates across Europe and Asia.

- Considering the tolerant nature of the Khans, trade became very easy and many merchants went into China for the purpose of trade.

- This peace brought out by the Khans was known as the Pax Monglia.

Marco Polo

- Upon allowing other merchants to enter China, one such merchant brought his son with him who remained with Kublai Khan; this person was Marco Polo.

- Marco Polo would travel throughout many parts of the Mongol Empire as a government official and would return to Italy in 1295.

- Though many of the advances Marco saw were denied, they were later accepted. These included: coal, paper money and a postal system

Decline of the Mongols

- The Mongols would fall apart after the death of Kublai Khan in 1298.

- The Empire would be broken up into the Golden Horde in Russia and the Balkans, the Yuan in China and the Ilkhan in Western Asia.

- Chu Yan-chang, a Buddhist monk woul dlead an uprising that would oust the Yuan Dynasty from Beijing and would start the Ming Dynasty.