Brent Davidson

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A nomadic people
– Eurasian Steppe region
Largely depended on horses for their economy of herding
– High aptitude in horse riding
Relatively poor
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Made the wealth of Chinese agricultural areas all the more attractive
Often raided trade caravans that passed through their domains
A rugged and hardy people
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Their harsh living gave them the great ability to persevere and endure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ53WqklIo8 (1:00-2:00)

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1155
– 1227 BCE
Born clutching a clot of blood in his fist
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Soothsayer: “This Child will rule the world”
United Mongol clans
– United through military campaigns
– Used fear to pressure clans to join him
 Murdering every Tatar male under 3 feet tall
 Boiled Taichi'ut Alive
Conquered
– most of Eurasia
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Jurchen territories in the North
Xixia Empire
Brutal, Smart, and Able leader
However the Conquering of China would not come under his command
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Instead his grandson Khubilai Khan’s http://www.biography.com/people/genghis-khan-9308634

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Helmet
Coat of Mail
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Armor only given to the Wealthier / Higher Ranking Military
All Armor was light and flexible, allowing great mobility
Bows and Arrows
– Most important weapon for the Mongol warrior
– Handmade (often the warrior himself)
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Small but powerful bows
Bow made from horn, bone, wood, and sinew http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15HHh4mWMec
Clubs
Battle-Axe
– These weapons were used in case of close-proximity fighting
Rations
– Dried Milk
– Grains

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Physically about the size of a pony
– Often outfitted in protective armor made of hides or metal
Native to the central Asian steppe
– Accustomed to extreme cold and sparse pasturage
Tough and Wiry
– More stamina than a full sized horse
Mongols controlled the major horse breeding grounds
Each man usually had about a 6 horses in reserve
– Allowed riders to always have a fresh horse
Abundance of horse-drawn carts made Mongols better supplied than Song

 Tactics Relied on:
– Mobility
– Communication
 Signal Flags
 Main Tactics:
– Retreat and Flank
– Ambush

 Mongol Strategies

 Stole and utilized the military technology of the
Chinese
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Gun Power (explosives)
Repeating crossbows
Armored transport
Ships and Navy
Catapults
Explosive “grenades”
Cannons
 Integrated these new weapons effectively into their battle tactics

Military Tactics – Brutality and Psychological Warfare
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Often butchered, raped, and / or enslaved their enemies
Would often completely annihilate cities
Proliferated the idea of their brutality
– Used spies to spread stories
“The greatest pleasure is to vanquich one’s enemy…to rob them of their wealth, and to see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters”
– Genghis Khan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ53WqklIo8
– 11:50-13:20

 How do you judge the Mongolian war tactics in terms of Morality?
– Biblical Comparison

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Northern China conquered in 1273
Begin to move south
– Hangzhou surrenders in 1276
– Guangzhou surrenders in1279
 Used ships built and manned by captured Chinese and Koreans
China conquered under Khubilai Khan’s (Genghis’ grandson) rule
Mongol’s conquered China despite being severely outnumbered
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Mongol Population: Approx. 1 Million
China Population: 50-100 Million

 Dynasty started under Khubilai
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Made Beijing Capital
 Capital declared in 1264, before the war in the south had begun
Adopted the Dynastic name of Yuan
 Conquered land includes most of Asia, and as far away as Eastern Europe

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Used both Chinese and foreigners to manage and run the Dynasty’s
Government
– Chinese bureaucratic system was retained
Military
– Completely ran and operated by Mongols
Chinese were often discriminated against and treated harshly
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Forbidden to carry weapons
Artisans and laborers treated as prisoners and slaves
Oppressive taxation upon the Chinese
– Most of China became poorer under the Yuan
Chinese forced to work as slave labor on large state projects
– Rebuilt and extended the Grand Canal
 Many Chinese died during these type of projects

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Developed a highly efficient postal service
Chinese arts continued to flourish
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Continuation of Chinese landscape paintings
Development of Opera-like dramas
 Included orchestral music, singing, and dancing
Development of the Novel
 Stories of love and adventure
Improved trade and commerce
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Blue and white porcelain became important export of the Yuan http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/video-popupyuan.cfm

 Overall Problems:
– Mongols too small of population to effectively control empire
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 Had to rely upon Chinese and other groups
Culturally were not used to being stationary and running a large Government
 They were nomadic and tribal
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Government corruption
 Bribery for positions
Weak leadership after Khubilai Khan’s death (1294)
Internal fighting
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 Civil war broke out in 1130
Natural disasters
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Flooding of the yellow river
Famine
 Chinese interpreted these disasters as a sign against the reign of the Yuan
Hatred by a large Chinese population
 Taxation
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Working Conditions
Discrimination

 Revolts:
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Widespread revolts started in 1330s
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Largely peasant ran uprisings
The Red Turban Rebellion
 Wore red colored scarves around their heads
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Led by Liu Futong
Located in lower Yellow River plain area
– Yingzhou (in current Anhui Province)
Zhu Yuanzhang
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Rose to power in 1350s
Led the largest revolting army
Swept through the Yangzi valley
In 1356 set up a government at Nanjing
In 1368 Captured Beijing
– Drove remaining Mongol back to the Eurasian steppes, North of China’s Great
Wall
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Marking the end of the Yuan Dynasty
Start of the Ming Dynasty

 What can the Mongolian Empire teach us about the idea of world domination?