The Mongols & Empire

Topic 2.2

Why do some groups and societies grow powerful and establish empires while others do not?

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Assabiyah & Meta-Ethnic Frontiers

• Asabiyyah – arabic word for “social cohesion”
• Social Cohesion is the ability to work together towards a common purpose. This requires a lot of trust within societies and between people who don’t know each other.
• Group Solidarity, Unity, Legitimacy, Strong Leadership

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• How do you build high levels of social cohesion/asabiyyah?
• Conflict and struggle against common enemies!

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Pastoral Nomads vs. “Civilization”

Pastoral Differences

• Less productive economies and need for grazing areas.
• Smaller populations
• Organized in kinship units
• Greater role for women
• Mobility - nomadic
• “way of the warrior”
• Animals = wealth

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Pastoral & Civilization Similarities

• Need / desire for stuff produced by civilizations.
• Reliance on trade
• Domestication of animals
• Individual ownership of goods.
• Hierarchy – looked different

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Meta-Ethnic Frontier

A border/frontier between two distinct types of ethnic groups/societies. These groups identify with eachother more than with the outsider.

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This frontier is a zone of conflict that coes to define a culture group and builds asabiyyah (social cohesion)

Asabiyyah and Empire

• Empires often form out of societies located on meta-ethnic frontiers. The conflict along these frontiers develop high levels of social cohesion.
• These societies are united by common identities and have high levels of trust between their fellow citizens/subjects.
• Without high levels of trust, common enemies, common purpose, etc. societies may never form empires, or empires they create might decay quickly.
• Greece – Low asabiyyah
• Rome – High asabiyyah

The Roman Example

• Rome spent decades in conflict with Carthage, finally winning. Rome was also culturally and ethnically distinct from the rest of Europe and much of southwest Asia.

The Roman Example

• Asabiyya was the “secret sauce” of Roman social and political power.
• It eventually decayed
• The borders of the Roman Empire are also meta-ethnic frontiers where future empires would be born.

The Mongols & Empire

Topic 2.2

Breakout: The Mongol Moment

• Temujin (Genghis Khan) the Individual
• United various Mongol clans
• Provided strong leadership
• Brutality
• The Social Forces/Historical Conditions of the Mongols
• Loyalty/Kinship within nomad societies
• Husbandry and Horse-riding skills
• Organization and Discipline of Mongol armies

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• The ”luck” of good timing…

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Mongol Strategies

• Conquered people incorporated into the army
• Ruthless brutality and strategic violence
• Logistics & Organization
• Support for commerce & merchants
• Use of foriegners as ”experts”
• Cultural/Religious toleration

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China & the Mongols

• Kublai Khan & the Yuan Dynasty
• Relied on foriegners – abandoned the civil service exam system
• Honored and supported merchants
• Resisted assimilation – harsh treatments of Chinese

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• White Lotus Society – failed rebellion against Mongol rule
• Constant peasant rebellion and threats allowed Ming to push out last Mongols in 1368.

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Persia & the Mongols

• Hulegu (grandson of Genghis) became the first il-khan of Persia. Mongol victory brought the death of hundreds of thousands, environmental destruction, and widespread disaster.
• Baghdad sacked in 1258
• By 1295 most Mongols had converted to Islam and by 1330s had assimilated into Persian society.
• From Persian POV – the barbarians had been civilized…
• Legacy states: Timur & Timurids, Safavids, Mughals

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Russia & the Mongols

• Conquered by the Golden Horde
• Most of Russia existed as tribute states of the Glden Horde.
• Russia oriented eastward instead of westward into Europe.
• Left Russia “behind” of the advancements occuring in Europe during the Renaissance.
• Russia faced heavy taxes and raids for slaves and loot
• Eventually Moscow centralized power and threw off Mongol rule in the 1500s.

Impact & Significance of the Mongols

Spread of the Black Death

Black Death