THE
MONGOLS
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AP WORLD HISTORY
MS. TULLY
STEPPES OF CENTRAL
ASIA
Mongols homeland  good for grazing/herding
Xiongnu; Turks
PRE-MONGOL
EURASIA
MONGOL SOCIETY
Nomadic society;
herding based
Life in the saddle
Tribal society w/
kin-based clans
Women had higher
status
Mongols valued
military skills;
warrior code of
bravery
MONGOL FIGHTERS
All cavalry army; excellent
w/ short bows
Later developed siege
technology
Speed; mobility
Yam System – relay
messages
Spies & informations 
used to create maps
Tumen: fighting unit of
10,000 warriors
13th C: Best army in the
world
CHINGGIS KHAN
Temujin (11621227)
1206: Kurlitai 
elected khagan
Organized
Mongols into
confederation
Common task:
conquer the world
EARLY CAMPAIGNS
1207: first military
campaign leads to
defeat of Xi Xia
kingdom, Jin Empire
1219: Conquer Kara
Khitai Empire and
Khwarazm Empire
Mongols known for their
devastation
Valued artisans &
scholars; killed or sold
others into slavery
GROWTH OF THE
MONGOL EMPIRE
THE MONGOL EMPIRE
OF CHINGGIS KHAN
Established capital at Karakorum
Religions and cultures tolerated by Mongols
Script devised for Mongolian script
Mongol conquests brought peace to regions
Secure & monitor trade routes
Tribute based empire
DEATH OF CHINGGIS
KHAN
1226: Khan took
army of 180K to
complete conquest
of China
1227: Chinggis Khan
dies
Remaining land
divided 4 ways:
between 3 sons and
grandson
Son Ogedei becomes
Great Khan
FOUR KHANATES
Mongol empire
divided into four
khanates
• Golden Horde
• Chaghatai/Djagtai
Empire
• Il-khan Empire
• Yuan Dynasty
(Kubilai Khan)
CENTRAL ASIA:
CHAGATAI EMPIRE
Led by Chagtai
Khan
Founded 1225;
lasts until 1678
Weakened in
1360s; Timur,
subkhanates
RUSSIA: THE GOLDEN
HORDE
Golden Horde khanate led by Batu
1236: Invasion of Russia; also 1237,
1238, 1240
Eventual goal  conquer Europe
Russian princes became vassals of
khan  pay tribute
Peasants  Serfs
Russia isolated from Western European
influence (Renaissance)
Growth of Moscow
1380: Battle of Kulikova
Political and military influence of
Mongol rule
MIDDLE EAST: ILKHAN EMPIRE
Hulegu  leader of Il-khan
Empire
1258: Destruction of Baghdad &
Abbasid Caliphate
Tolerant of scholars/artisans
Greater assimilation into
Persian culture
Reinvigorated Eurasian trade
routes
Mongols defeated by Mamluks
of Egypt in 1260
Berke (khan of GH) converted to
Islam
CHINA: YUAN
DYNASTY
Mongols conquered Xi
Xia & Jin Empires,
turned next to Song
Dynasty
1235: Kubilai Khan
leads forces against
Song Dynasty
1271: Mongols rule most
of China  Yuan
Dynasty
Capital at Tatu (Beijing)
MONGOL RULE IN
YUAN CHINA
Legal separation of Chinese and Mongols
Mongols do adopt Chinese clothing; art
Mongol women did not practice Chinese customs and held more
freedoms; Chabi an important advisor to KK
Social standing in Yuan Dynasty
• Mongols
• Muslims and Asian nomads
• Chinese
Chinese were able to hold local/regional gov’t positions
Merchants and artisans rose in status under Mongol rule
Yuan court welcomed foreigners; religious toleration
Chinese resistant to Mongol rule
FALL OF YUAN CHINA
Mongol rule lasted
for 90 years
Corruption &
indulgence at
court; widespread
banditry and piracy
Peasant resistance
– White Lotus
Society
1398: Zhu
Yuanzhang  Ming
Dynasty
SIGNIFICANCE OF
MONGOL EMPIRE
Largest land
empire in history
Pax Mongolia
(13th-14th C)
Facilitated Silk
Road between
Asia and Europe
Spread Bubonic
Plague
TIMURID EMPIRE
Timur the Lame
(Tamerlane)  Turkic
leader
Active during
Mongol decrease of
power in Eurasia
Samarkand = capital;
famed for
architectural beauty
Incredibly violent
Last nomadic
incursion; die 1405