WhoweretheMongols?

Mongollifecenteredonherdinganimals,especiallyhorses

Mongolslivedasnomadicclans,constantlysearchingforbetterpasturelands

TheMongolslivedintheharshclimateoftheEurasiansteppe,

anareawithlittlerain&extremetemperatures

WhoweretheMongols?Asaresultoftheirlifestyle,theMongolsweretoughwarriorswhooccasionallyraidednearbysettlements

From1200to1206,aclanleadernamedGenghis

KhanunifiedtheMongols

GenghisKhanbuiltapowerfulMongolarmy&begana21-yearconquestofEurasia

CentralAsia

UnderGenghis&laterkhans,theMongolsconquered…Russia

China

Korea

theIslamicEmpire

HowdidtheMongolscreatethismassiveempire?

Mongolsoldierswereexcellenthorsemen;Usedthehorsesaddle

toshootarrowswhileriding

HowdidtheMongolscreatethismassiveempire?

Genghiswasabrilliantmilitaryorganizer&strategist,buthisgreatesttacticwasterror&fear

Ifanenemyrefusedtosurrender,Genghiswouldorderthedeathoftheentirepopulation

AstheMongolreputationspread,manytowns

surrenderedtoGenghiswithoutafight

“Inthecountriesthathavenotyetbeenoverrunbythem,everyonespendsthenightafraidthattheymayappeartheretoo.” (Arabhistorian)

TheImpactoftheMongolEmpireTheMongolsweremercilessinbattle,buttolerantasrulers

Mongolkhans(rulers)oftenadoptedpartsofthecultureofthepeopletheyconquered

IntheWest,MongolsconvertedtoIslam

IntheEast,MongolsembracedChineseculture

TheImpactoftheMongolEmpireMongolkhans

broughtstability&ordertoEurasia

Theerafromthemid-1200stothemid-1300siscalledthePaxMongolica(“Mongol

Peace”)

DuringthePaxMongolica,theMongolsguaranteedsafepassageacrossthe

SilkRoad

Asaresult,trade&culturaldiffusionincreasedbetween

Europe&Asia

Chinesetechnologieslikegunpowder&

themagneticcompassreachedEurope

Butdiseasesliketheplague(BlackDeath)reachedEuropetoo

AfterthedeathofGenghisKhan,theMongolEmpirewasdividedinto4majorkhanateseachruledbyasonorgrandsonofGenghis

ThekhanateinPersiahelpedcontrolthe

SilkRoad

TheMongoldestructionofKievincreasedtheimportanceofMoscow

inRussia

TheMongolswerethefirstnon-MuslimstoruleovertheIslamicEmpire

AfterthedeathofGenghisKhan,theMongolEmpirewasdividedinto4majorkhanateseachruledbyasonorgrandsonofGenghis

ButthemostsignificantkhanatewastheMongol

ruleoverChinaIn1279,Genghis’

grandsonKublaiKhanbecamethefirstforeignleadertoruleChina

KublaiKhanKublaiKhanbegananewerainChinacalled

theYuanDynasty

KublaienjoyedChineseculturesomuchthathemovedtheMongolian

capitaltoChina

But,heexcludedtheChinesefromservinginhighgov’toffices&reliedonforeignerstoserveinhisgovernment

Kublaiprovedtobeagoodemperor

forChina

Hebuiltroads&extendedtheGrandCanaltohelpimprove

transportationinChina

UnderKublai,foreigntradewithChinaincreaseddueto

thePaxMongolica

MarcoPoloIn1275,aEuropeanmerchantnamedMarcoPolovisitedKublaiKhan’scourt

KublaiwassoimpressedwithMarcoPolothatheemployedhimintheYuangov’tfor17years

WhenMarcoPoloreturnedtoItalyin1792,hisstoriesofChinaincreasedEuropeandemandforAsiantrade

BythetimeofKublai’sdeathin1294,theentireMongolEmpirewasgrowingweak

In1368,theChineseoverthrewtheMongols&startedtheMingDynasty

In1330,theMongolslostcontrolofPersia

In1370,theMongolslostcontrolofCentralAsia

In1480,underIvanIIIRussiagainedindependencefromMongolrule&

startedtheRomanovDynasty

TheEndoftheGoldenAge■ Despitethewealth&cultureduringundertheTang&SongDynasties,theChinesewerebrieflyoverthrownbytheMongols– From1279to1368,foreignnomadscalledtheMongolsruledChina

TheMingemperorsencourageoverseastrade…

In1368,theChineseoverthrewtheMongols&establishedtheMingDynasty

…andbeganaseriesofexplorationsledbyZhengHetodemonstrateChinesesuperiority

ReadtheexcerptfromZhengHeandtheTreasureFleetExpeditionsWithafleetofover100ships,

ZhengHeled7differentexpeditions

ZhengHeexploredareasalongtheIndianOcean&Africa,expandtrade,&collectedtributefromforeigners

ZhengHehadbetterships&traveledfartherthananyEuropeanexplorerswouldfor100years

ChineseIsolation■ Afterthe7thtreasurefleetvoyagein1433,Chineseleadersunexpectedlyendedtheexpeditions&retreatedintoisolationism– Scholar-officialscomplainedthatZhengHe’svoyagesusedvaluableresourcesthatwereneededtodefendChina– China’sofficialtradepolicywastokeeptheinfluenceofoutsiderstoaminimum– China’sgeography&gov’tpolicieskeptitrelativelyisolatedforthenext300yearsuntilEuropeanmerchantsinthe1800sdemandedaccesstoChinesetrade