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