The Mongols

1
The Mongols
2
Turkish empires and their neighbors about 1210 C.E
3
The Mongol empires about 1300 C.E.
4
Tamerlane's empire about 1405 C.E..
5
Rise of the Mongols 1200-1260

• Nomadism in Central Asia
• Conquests
• Overland trade and the plague

Special Nomadic relationship with animals
6
Nomadism in Central Asia

• Resources
• Scarce watergtgtconflictsgtgtextermination of smaller
  groupsgtgtin formation of alliances and
• Around 1000 less water and pressure for tribes to
  move out to find new sources
• Hierarchical organization
• Headed by single leader or Khan
• Khans decision had to be ratified by a council
  of leaders of powerful families
• Power groups demanded and received tribute in
  the form of slaves and goods
• Some lived entirely on tribute

7
Nomadism in Central Asia

• Complex federations
• The groups /families formed larger groups called
  federations
• Women important in negotiating alliances
• Seasonal migrations and religious contacts
• Brought into contact w/ Manichaeism, Judaism,
  Christianity, Buddhism, Islam
• Religously tolerant
• Khan thought to represent the sky god who
  transcended cultures and religions and seen as
  universal rulers above individual religs. used
  religs. of their subjects

8
Nomadism in Central Asia

• Economic Self sufficiency
• This was an ideal that they strove for
• Yet always relied on trade w/settled people
• When normal trade relations interrupted, nomads
  made war on agriculturalists

9
Mongol Conquests
10
Mongol conquests

• 1206-1258 conquered form Korea to Hungary and
  Baghdad
• Ability to conquer based on
• Horsemanship
• Better bows
• Following a volley of arrows w/ deadly cavalry
• Willing and actually adopting new military
  techniques
• Adopt new military technology
• Incorporate non Mongol soldiers into their armies

11
Mongol Conquests continued

• Reputation for slaughtering all who wouldnt
  surrender
• (kind of makes them the worlds first tactical
  terrorists)
• Ability to take advantage of rivalry among enemies

12
Chingghis Khan

• The four most significant legacies of Chingghis
  Khan are his tolerance of many religions his
  creation of the Mongols' first script his
  support for trade and crafts his creation of a
  legal code specific to the Mongols'
  pastoral-nomadic way of life

13
Overland trade and the Plague

• Mongol conquests SIGNIFICANCE opened overland
  trade routes and
• Never before seen commercial integration in
  Eurasia
• Long distance trade led to cross diffusion of
  military and scientific between Europe M.E.,
  China, Japan, Iran

14
Overland trade and the Plague

• Diseases e.g. Bubonic plague spread over trade
  routes of Mongol empire
• Lingered in Yunan (Southwest) China
• Transferred to north China and Central Asia
• From Kaffa and from there to the Mediterranean
  world

15
Plague spreads from Kaffa
16
Origin and speed of Plague
17
MONGOL PEACE

• Pax Mongolica Mongol Peace-during the 1200s and
  1300s.
• Political stability allowed economic growth
• Control of the Silk Road-trade flourished
• Increased cultural exchanges
• Food
• Tools
• Inventions
• Ideas

18
KUBLAI KHAN

• Grandson of Genghis Khan
• Tried to prevent the Mongols from being absorbed
  into Chinese civilization
• Only allowed Mongols to serve in his army

• An uneasy mix of Chinese and foreign ways
  developed
• Adopted a Chinese name for his dynasty-YUAN
• Capable but demanding ruler
• Decline of Yuan dynasty after death

19
(No Transcript)
20
WESTERN VISITORS

• Marco Polo, Italian merchant, spent 17 yrs in
  Kublais service
• Wrote of the splendor of Kublais palace and of
  all the wealth found in China
• Other visitors from Europe and Asia
• Muslims set up their own communities in China

21
(No Transcript)
22
Impact of Mongol Rule

• Russian cultural center moved from Kiev to
  Moscow.
• Mongol armies invaded Europe and reached Vienna.
• Europeans opened up trade relations with the
  Mongols.
• Bubonic Plague spread throughout Europe and Asia.
• Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople and
  renamed it Istanbul in 1453.
• Mamluks resisted the Mongols in Egypt.

23
MING DYNASTY

• Mongols were pushed out of China in 1368, after
  the death of Kublai Khan
• Ming rulers sought to reassert Chinese greatness
• Restored the civil service system
• Confucian learning was once again the road to
  success

• Economic revival
• Population increase
• Fertilizing improvements
• Industry, porcelain, paper, and tools
• Repaired the canal system
• Book production
• Cultural revival
• Arts and Literature

24
CHINA AND THE WORLD

• Expeditions across seas
• Zheng He, 1405-1433
• Goals were to promote trade and collect tribute
  from lesser powers
• Turning Inward
• 1433, Zheng He dies and the Ming rulers abandon
  any further attempts to explore outside
  territories
• Lack of profits and Confucian scholars
  disinterest are the main causes for this
  abandonment

25
SUMMARY OF THE MONGOL AND MING EMPIRES

• Trade and cultural exchange flourished because
  Mongol rule ensured safe passage along the Silk
  Road and other trade routes.
• Goods and ideas from many cultures traveled with
  merchants along these routes-Cultural Diffusion
• Kublai Khan tried to keep Mongols from being
  absorbed into Chinese society/culture
• Ming rulers restored Confucian values and the
  civil service system
• Goals of the Ming sea expeditions were to promote
  trade, collect tribute and show the strength of
  the Chinese empire