The Mongol Conquests

Slide 1:

1. Vast belt of dry grassland called a steppe, stretches across the landmass of eurasia.
2. This is important because it served as land route for trade connecting east and the west.

Slide 2: 

1. Two main expanses: the western steppes from central Asia to eastern Europe. Some of the original settlers were the hittites
2. Eastern steppes covered the area of present day Mongolia, was home to the huns, Turks and the mongols.

Slide 3:

1. People in this area were pastoralists: herded domestic animals. They were constantly on the move searching for good pasture to feed their herds.
2. They did not wander though. They followed a familiar seasonal pattern and returned on a regular basis to the same campsites.
3. Keeping claim to that land that was not permanently settled was difficult.
4. Battles frequently happened among nomadic groups over grassland and water rights.

Slide 4:

1. Asian nomads practically lived on horseback as they followed their huge herds over the steppe. depended on their animals for food, clothing, and housing.
2.  People’s diet consisted of meat and mare’s milk.
3. They wore clothing made of skins and wool and they lived in portable felt tents called yurts

Slide 5:

1.  Steppe nomads traveled in Clans different classes sometime came together when they needed a large force to attack a common enemy
2. Or if they wanted to raid their settled neighbors.

Slide 6: 

1. Differing ways of life of nomadic and settled peoples resulted in constant interaction between them.
2. They often engaged in peaceful trade
3. Nomads exchanged horses for basic items they lacked such as grain, metal, cloth, and tea.

Slide 7: 

1. While the nomads prided themselves on toughness they were sometimes tempted by the rich land and relative wealth of the townspeople and took what they wanted by force.
2. As a result the townspeople were in constant fear of raids
3. Time and time again the nomadic people would come out of the steppe to invade border towns and villages.
4. If the state or empire was strong and organized they could repel the attacks.
5.  If they were weak and divided the nomads could increase their attacks and gain more plunder.
6. Occasionally a powerful nomadic group was able to conquer a whole empire and become its rulers.
7. over the generations these nomadic rulers often became part of the civilization they conquered

Slide 8:

1. The mongols were a people that roamed the eastern steppe in loosely organized clans.
2. Around 1200 a mongol leader named Temujin sought to unify the mongols under his leadership.
3. He fought and defeated his rivals one by one.
4. In 1206 Temujin accepted the title Genghis Khan, which means universal ruler of the mongol clans.

Slide 9:

1. Over the next 21 years, Genghis led the mongols in conquering much of Asia
2. His first goal was China. After invading the Jin empire, Genghis turned his attention to the islamic region west of mongolia.
3. Angered by the murder of mongol trader s and ambassador at the hand of the muslims, genghis launched a campaign of terror across central asia.

Slide 10:

1.  Mongols destroyed one city after another- Utrar, (Sammer-Kand)samarkand, (boo-hara) Bukhara.
2. By 1225 Central Asia was under Mongol Control.

Slide 11: 

1. Few reasons why Genghis had such stunning success as an conqueror. He was great at organizing his troops.  
2. Had warriors in armies of 10,000. these could be organized into 1000 men brigades, 100 man companies and 10 man squads.
3. Put his most battle proven and loyal men in command of these units.
4. Was a gifted strategist. Used various tricks to confuse his enemy.
5. Sometimes a small cavalry unit would attack then pretend to gallop away.
6. When the enemy would chase them the rest of the mongol army would appear suddenly and slaughter the surprised forces.

Slide 12:

1. Khan used cruelty as a weapon and believed in terrifying his enemies into surrender.
2. If a city refused to raise its gates to him, he might kill the entire population when he finally captured the place.
3. These terrible acts spread ahead of their armies to towns which led many to surrender without a fight.

Slide 13: 

1. Genghis Khan died in 1227 from illness his successors continued to expand the empire.
2. In less than 50 years the Mongols conquered territory from China to Poland. they created the largest unified land empire in history.
3. Genghis Khan’s sons and grandsons continued the campaign of conquest.
4. conquered northern china and invaded korea

Slide 14: 

1. Leveled the russian city of kiev and reached the banks of the adriatic sea.
2. By 1260 the mongols divided their huge empire into four regions
3. Khanate of the Great Khan (Mongolia and China)
4. Kanate of (Chaga-tai) Chagatai (Central Asia)
5. The (ill-ha-nah-tee) Ilkhanate (Persia)
6. Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia)
7. A descendent of genghis ruled each khanate

Slide 15:

1. Many areas the mongols conquered never recovered
2. Population of some cities were wiped out
3. Mongols destroyed ancient irrigation systems of places like the tigris and euphrates valleys. thus land could no longer support resettlement

Slide 16: 

1. While fierce at war, they were tolerant in peace
2. Rarely imposed their beliefs or way of life on people they conquered.
3. Mongol rulers even adopted aspects of culture of the people they ruled such as the Ilkhans and golden horde.

Slide 17:

1. From the mid 1200s to mid 1300s the mongols imposed stability, law and order across much of Eurasia. This period is known as the Pax Mongolica “mongol peace”
2. Mongols guaranteed safe passage for trade caravans, travelers, and missionaries from one end of the empire to another.
3. Trade among Europe and Asia had never been more active. ideas and inventions traveled along with the trade goods. This is when many chinese innovations reached europe
4. Some historians believe the bubonic plague was first spread by the mongols.

Slide 18 

1. Kublai Khan finally conquered China and became emperor.
2. He founded a new dynasty known as the Yuan (Yoo-AHN), which lasted less than a century.
3. But was important for a number of reasons
4. First being it was the first time in 300 years that China had been unified under one rule. this made him known as one of the great emperors of China.

Slide 19:

1. Second the control imposed by the mongols opened china to greater foreign contact and trade.
2. Kublai and his successor tolerated chinese culture and made few changes to the system of government.
3. Kublai abandoned the Mongolian steppes to live in China due to its luxurious manner.
4. Previous emperors ruled from Mongolia.

Slide 20: 

1. Kublai Khan tried expanding his empire to Japan in 1274 and 81.
2. Sent huge fleets against japan that were built by koreans. a huge task that almost ruined korea economically.
3. Both times the japanese turned back the mongols.
4. Second fleet carried 150,000 mongol, chinese and korean warriors, which made it the largest seaborne invasion until world war 2.
5. A typhoon would wipe out most of the mongolian troops.

Slide 21:

1.  Mongols and Chinese had little in common. Mongols lived apart from the chinese and had different laws. they kept the chinese out of high government offices, but allowed them at local levels.
2. Most government positions went to mongols or foreigners. choose foreigners because they would have no ties to who they are ruling.
3. Expanded the great canal and extended it to beijing, also made a roadway that extended from Hangzhou to Beijing
4. Foreign trade is also going to increase under Kublai Khan. Invited merchants from all over to visit china.

Slide 22: 

1. Young venetian trader named Marco Polo was the most famous european to visit China.
2. Traveled the silk roads by caravan with his father and uncle.
3. Became a servant of Khan due to him being able to speak multiple languages.
4. Served Khan for 17 years.

Slide 23: 

1. Marco Polo was captured and imprisoned where he told stories of his travels that awed listeners
2. Told of fabulous cities where people burned black stones (coal) for warmth
3. Fellow prisoners gathered polos stories into a book and it was an instant success in Europe, but most readers did not believe a word of it. they thought it was a collection of tall tales.

Slide 24:

1. During the later years of Khan’s rule the empire started weakening.
2. Over taxing to fund wars and building projects burdened the treasury.
3. These presented problems Kublai could not solve.
4.  Once Kubali died in 1294 the Yuan dynasty fades. four different Khans take the throne and rebellions break out in parts of china.
5. Chinese rebels overthrew the mongols and the rebel leader founded the Ming Dynasty

Slide 25: 

1. By the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty the entire mongol empire had disintegrated. The government of Ilkhanate in Persia fell apart in 1370.
2. Only the Golden Horde in Russia stayed in power.
3. Rise and fall of the mongols had an affect on civilizations from eastern Europe to China.