Mongol Empire
Coach Grgurich
Unit 4B
Background
The Mongol Empire was able to spread because of the strength of
its military. At its height, the empire stretched from Mongolia and
China, through central Asia, to as far as the Middle East and
eastern Europe. For centuries it was the largest empire in history in
terms of landmass.
Mongol Territory
The Mongols
The Mongols were a nomadic people who lived in the steppe
region of Central Asia. For centuries, the Mongols were
divided into different clans, with each clan being ruled by a
single leader, known as a khan.
Genghis Khan
In 1206 A.D., Temujin was successful and took the name
Genghis Khan, meaning "universal leader." Over the next 20
years, the Mongols conquered much of Central Asia and
Northern China. By the time of Genghis Khan's death in
1227, the Mongols had a great empire. Though the Mongol
Empire lasted only a little over a century, the Mongols
greatly influenced Asia and Europe.
Mongol Expansion
During much of the 1200s, the Mongol Empire expanded
throughout Asia and even into parts of Europe. Beginning in
1235, the Mongols began to invade and conquer the areas of
China that were not already under their control. In 1260,
Kublai Khan became the Great Khan of the empire and
continued the conquest of China. Eventually, in 1279, the
Song Dynasty of China was defeated and the Yuan Dynasty
was established under the leadership of Kublai Khan.
Division
When he came to power, Kublai Khan attempted to
consolidate his power and make the government more
centralized. By the time of his death, however, the empire
had fractured into four regions, known as Khanates, each
ruled by a khan. These areas were, in theory, ruled by the
Great Khan, but there was little power in the central
government.
Mongol Military
Mongol armies were more organized than most empires and
kingdoms of the time. A chain of command divided warriors
into small groups under separate generals, but the groups
could combine to form larger armies. The warriors trained to
fight together in these groups, instead of training to fight as
individuals.
Mongol Cavalry
Horses were an important part of Mongol culture, and
Mongol armies focused on cavalry—soldiers mounted on
horses. The Mongol cavalry wore lighter armor than most of
their enemies, which meant they could move more quickly
when in battle. The cavalry also kept two to four horses for
each soldier, and they switched horses while riding for long
periods. This allowed Mongol riders to keep their horses
rested enough to cover large areas of distance each day.
Mongol Archers
Archers were the most common type of soldier in the
Mongol cavalry, using bows and arrows to attack enemies
from a distance. Other cavalry members had weapons for
closer range, such as swords or lances.
Sieges
Mongols were experts at sieges, the process of surrounding
and capturing well-defended cities. They made catapults and
other weapons that could damage city walls. The Mongol
armies dammed rivers during sieges, sending water away
from a city to deny its citizens water, or to create a land path
to attack through. The Mongol armies were also known for
their fierceness. If a village or town resisted, it was usually
destroyed, and most of its people were killed.
Mongol Conquest
During the 13th century, the Mongols conquered the Kievan
Rus' and ruled them for two centuries. This caused the
Kievan Rus' to become isolated from European civilization.
The Mongols also invaded Korea (Goryeo) in a series of
campaigns during the mid-1200s. The Mongol Yuan Dynasty
ruled Korea for 80 years.
The Mongols invaded the Indian subcontinent on many
occasions. They were able to take control of the Kashmir
region; however, they were unsuccessful in conquering areas
to the south.
Mongol Rule
The Mongols were the first foreign people to rule all of
China. Kublai Khan understood that the Chinese were
resentful of Mongol rule. With this in mind, he did not force
the Chinese to adopt the Mongol culture. He also moved the
capital of the empire from Mongolia to China. Mongol rule
of China was harsh in other ways, however, in that the
Chinese lived under different laws than the Mongols. The
Chinese and Mongols were discouraged from interacting
with one another. The Mongols also placed heavy taxes on
the Chinese, most of which went toward public works
projects such as extending the Grand Canal.
Mongol Rule Con’t
Though the Mongols were ruthless when conquering an area,
they attempted to rule peacefully by allowing people to
continue to practice local customs. The Mongols even
allowed local rulers to stay in power as long as they paid
tribute to the empire. In this way, the Mongol Empire was
able to establish a period of relative peace and stability in
Asia during their time in power, a period known as the Pax
Mongolica, or the Mongol Peace.
Trade
The Mongols united the areas around the Silk Road, a series
of trade routes throughout Asia. The Silk Road enabled trade
to flourish and allowed the exchange of new ideas. New
technology, trade goods, and religion spread throughout the
length of the route.
Trade Con’t
Kublai Khan encouraged trade with foreign countries and
even worked to improve roads. This led to greater contact
between Europe and the Far East. Marco Polo and his
brother traveled to present-day Uzbekistan where they were
introduced to Kublai Khan. Never having met a European
before, Kublai Khan asked questions about the legal and
political system of Europe as well as the Catholic religion.
Impact of the Mongols
Mongol armies burned and destroyed cities in all their
conquered lands. A number of Eastern European cities were
destroyed during Mongol invasions. For example, the
Russian city of Moscow was burned completely to the
ground in 1238 when the Mongols conquered the Kievan
Rus.
Impact Con’t
Mongols also introduced fiefdoms, which were political
systems where a local leader rules for an emperor or king.
The vassal, the fief's leader, answered to the emperor or king
and was required to pay taxes and enforce the laws of the
empire. In China, the Mongols also built a strong Chinese
navy, increased foreign trade, improved the public works
systems, and created a mail system that connected the
remote areas of the Mongol empire.
Fall of the Mongols
The large amounts of money spent on public works projects
greatly weakened the economy of the Mongol Empire. A
failed conquest of Japan also weakened the military presence
of the Mongols in China. This left the empire in a state that
was ripe for rebellion. Following the death of Kublai Khan,
power struggles emerged throughout the Mongol Empire
regarding who would rule. Because of the empire's large size,
centralized leadership was hard to maintain.
Fall of the Mongol Empire
In China, a series of floods and increases in taxes in the early
1300s further stressed the Chinese, and rebellions broke out
against the Yuan Dynasty. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang led
Chinese forces against the Yuan Dynasty and overthrew the
Mongol emperor. The Mongols fled to Mongolia and foreign
rule of China came to an end.