WHAP - Mr. Duez
CH 12 Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage
The Mongol Moment, 1200–1500
What was the impact of the
Mongol rule on the Eurasia?
(China, Persia, Russia & Europe)
"The Mongol World War"
WHAP - Mr. Duez
CH 12 Pastoral Peoples ~ Global Stage
The Mongol Moment, 1200–1500
What was the impact of the
Mongol rule on the Eurasia?
(China, Persia, Russia & Europe)
"The Mongol World War"
1/2 century of military campaigns,
massive killing, & empire building
pursued by Chinggis Khan & his
successors in Eurasia after 1209.
pastoralism: Way of life in which people
depend on the herding of domesticated
animals for their food.
Yuan dynasty: Mongol dynasty that
ruled China from 1271-1368; its name
means “great beginnings.” (pron. yu-wen)
Mongol Empire: Emerged from
unification of Mongol & Turkic
tribes of historical Mongolia under
leadership of Genghis Khan (Chinggis)
Genghis Khan: Proclaimed ruler of
all Mongols (1206) Empire grew
rapidly under his rule & then under
the rule of his descendants, who
sent invasions in every direction.
Vast transcontinental empire
connected east & west with an
enforced Pax Mongolica:
★ allowed trade
★ technologies
★ commodities
★ ideologies
Disseminated & exchanged across Eurasia
Eurasia on the eve of the Mongol World War
How were Mongols Different
from their agricultural
counterparts?
Pastoral societies:
★ supported far smaller
populations
★ Generally lived in
small & widely
scattered
encampments of
related kinfolk
★ Generally offered
women a higher status,
fewer restrictions, & a
greater role in public
★ Were far more mobile
Persia - Islamic world - Impact of Mongol Rule
★ Mongol conquest of Persia resulted in the conversion of
large numbers of Mongols to the Muslim faith.
★ While Mongol domination of Persia did damage Persian
agriculture, the Mongols had less of an impact on
Persian government, as Mongol rulers made extensive
use of the sophisticated Persian bureaucracy.
★ Ultimately, a number of Mongols turned to farming,
married local people, & were assimilated into Persian
society.
Russia: Impact of Mongol Rule
The Mongols conquered but did
not occupy Russia. Instead,
Russian princes received
appointment from the khan in
return for sending substantial
tribute.
The impact of the conquest was
uneven, but in general the
absence of direct Mongol rule
meant that the Mongols were far
less influenced by or assimilated
within Russian cultures than their
counterparts in China & Persia
had been.
Russians, on the other hand, were
profoundly affected by Mongol
domination. Russian princes
found it useful to adopt the
Mongols’ weapons, diplomatic
rituals, court practices, taxation
system, & military draft.
China - Impact of Mongol Rule
The Mongols united a divided China,
creating the Yuan Dynasty.
However, in terms of governing techniques
& the position of the emperor, Mongols
adopted many pre existing Chinese systems
and ideas.
Europe: Impact of Mongol Rule
Europe was stimulated by a flow of ideas and
technologies through Mongol-facilitated
networks of exchange.
Also by the opportunity for Europeans to
travel the length of the Mongol Empire
(expanding the mental horizon of Europe)
And by the collapse of the Mongol Empire
(which provided an incentive for Europeans to
take to the sea in their continuing efforts to
reach the riches of Asia).
Europe was also affected adversely by the
spread of the Black Death along these same
networks of exchange.
Mongols Accomplishments:
★ Greatest land based empire in history!
★ Fostered far greater contact between Europe,
China, & Islamic world than ever before
★ Total Mongol population about 700,000
★ Elaborate census taking & systematic taxation
★ Relay stations for communication & trade
★ Gave lower administrative posts to Chinese &
Muslim officials
★ Practiced religious toleration
★ Unified a divided China, many believed granted ‘Mandate of Heaven’
★ Mongols didn’t know how to govern an
agricultural society, so they used many
Chinese practices
★ Gave themselves a Chinese dynastic title, the
Yuan (“great beginnings”)
★ Built a new capital—Khanbalik (“city of the
khan”; now Beijing)
Mongol Rule in China:
Still, for all their progress in uniting a
divided China, Mongol rule was harsh,
exploitative, and foreign
★ Mongols did not become
Chinese
★ “Forbidden City” in the capital
was set up like the steppes
★ Relied heavily on foreigners for
administration, rather than the
traditional administrative
system
★ Few Mongols learned Chinese
★ Mongol law discriminated
against the Chinese
★ Mongol women were shockingly
free by Chinese standards
By 1368, rebellions had forced the
Mongols out of China
Guan Hanqing - one of
China's greatest
dramatist. Wrote during
the Yuan.
Mongols Limitations:
Did Not have major cultural impact
★ Did not try to spread their ancestor
worship/shamanism to others
★ Mostly interested in exploiting
conquered peoples
★ Culture today largely confined to
Mongolia
★ The last great nomadic state
★ Success was due to well-led &
disciplined army
➔ military units of 10, 100, 1,000, & 10,000
warriors
➔ conquered tribes were broken up &
scattered among units
➔ tribalism was also weakened by creation
of imperial guard
➔ all members of a unit were killed if any
deserted in battle
➔ leaders shared the hardships of their men
➔ elaborate tactics: encirclement, retreat,
deception
➔ vast numbers of conquered peoples were
Mongols Impact: Disease
The Plague: Eurasian Pandemic
pestilence, Black Death: spread via trade
routes of Mongol Empire in early 14th ct.
Originated in Central Asia 1331
Carried by rodents &
Transmitted by fleas
Reached Western Europe by 1347
Mongol siege of Caffa (in the Crimea) 1346:
Mongols catapulted plague-infected
corpses into city
India & sub-Saharan Africa were much
less affected
Plague: primary reason for breakdown of
Mongol Empire in 14th & 15th centuries
Population contraction =
Volume of trade reduced
End of Mongols - Plague Induced
By 1350, Mongol Empire was in disarray
Within a century: Mongols
had lost control of China,
Persia, & Russia
Central Asian trade route largely closed
Disruption of land routes to east
encouraged Europeans to seek trade
routes by sea
European naval technology
gave them an advantage
Similarity of 16th century
Europeans to Mongols: people
on the periphery who were
economically less developed &
forcibly plundered wealthier
civilizations
Visual Source 12.2 “Burying the Dead”
(Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium/The Bridgeman Art Library)
How would you characterize the burial scene in this visual
source?
“Gothic or Medieval Architecture”
Cathedral of Notre Dame, France
Cathedral of Our Lady of
Chartres
The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses
which allowed the architects to increase the window size
significantly
Why spend the time & resources to build such
amazing buildings?
“Churches should inspire people and
lead them to God.”
The revival of trade led
to the growth of cities
and towns, which
became important
centers for
manufacturing.
During the 14th & early
15th centuries,
Europeans experienced
many problems
including the
Black Death,
the Hundred Years’ War,
& the decline of the Church.
Growth of
European Cities
Walled City = Burg People =
Burgers
Leads to the term bourgeoise
New cities and towns were
founded, especially in
northern Europe.
Typically, a group of
merchants built a settlement
near a castle for the trade
and the lord’s protection.
If the settlement prospered,
walls were built to protect it.
Yet, it also trapped in filth,
rats, & disease. Black death
hit port cities hardest.
Example of a walled city. This one developed in the Baltic region (southern Europe).
Example of a walled city. This one developed in the Baltic region (southern
Europe).
Montagnana, Italy
Classic Example of the medieval walled city or ‘burgh.
“The Triumph of Death” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder - 1562
BLACK DEATH
Between 1347 and 1351, it
ravaged most of Europe.
Possibly as many as 38 million
people died in those 4 years, out
of a total population of 75
million.
The Italian cities were hit
hardest, losing 50 to 60 percent
of their population.
Silk Roads & Trade Routes
Spread of the Black Plague
Spread of the Black Plague
The bacteria multiply inside the
flea, sticking together to form a plug
that blocks its stomach & causes it to
become very hungry.
The flea then voraciously bites a
host and continues to feed, even
though it is unable to satisfy its
hunger.
During the feeding process, blood
cannot flow into the blocked
stomach, & the flea vomits blood
tainted with the bacteria back into
the bite wound.
The Bubonic plague bacteria then
infects a new host, & the flea
eventually dies from starvation.
Bubonic plague becomes evident 3 to 7 days
after the infection.
Initial symptoms are chills, fever, diarrhea,
headaches, & the swelling of the infected
lymph nodes, as the bacteria replicate there.
If untreated, the rate of mortality for bubonic
plague is 50%.
In septicemic plague there is bleeding into
the skin and other organs, which creates black
patches on the skin.
There are bite-like bumps on the skin,
commonly red & sometimes white in the
center.
Untreated septicemic plague is universally
fatal, but early treatment with antibiotics
reduces the mortality rate to 4 to 15%.
People who die from this form of plague often
die on the same day symptoms first appear.
BLACK DEATH
The plague led to an
outbreak of antiSemitism: hostility
toward Jews.
The worst in Germany.
Falsely believed that
the Jews had poisoned
their towns’ wells!
Many Jews fled to Poland,
where the king protected
them.
The yellow badge Jews were
forced to wear can be seen in this
marginal illustration from an
English manuscript.
In the 1930s and 40s European
Jews must wear a star of David
and suffer through “The
Holocaust.”
Consequences of the
Black Death
Trade declined.
The shortage of
workers made the
price of labor rise.
The lowered
demand for food
resulted in falling
prices.
Visual Source 12.2 “Burying the Dead” Published in 1352, illustrates a burial of plague victims of 1349 in
the city of Tournai in what is now Belgium.
How would you characterize the burial scene in this visual
source?
Burying the Dead
While many people certainly turned to religion for solace in the face of the
unimaginable disaster of the Black Death, others found traditional Christian
rituals and teachings of little use or difficult to reconcile with the
overwhelming realities of the disease.
For some the plague prompted an orgy of hedonism, perhaps to affirm life
in the face of endless death or simply to live to the full in what time
remained to them. A contemporary Italian observer noted, “As they
wallowed in idleness, their dissolution led them into the sin of gluttony,
into banquets, taverns, delicate foods, and gambling. The rushed
headlong into lust.” In 1394 a representative of the pope threatened
excommunication for those who practiced debauchery in the graveyards.
Burying the Dead
Among the deepest traumas inflicted by the plague was its interference with
proper Christian rituals surrounding death and dying, practices that were
believed to assist the dead to achieve eternal rest and the living to accept
their loss and find hope for reunion in heaven.
Priests were scarce and sometimes refused to administer last rites, fearing
contact with the dying. The sheer numbers of dead were overwhelming.
City authorities at times ordered quick burials in mass graves to avoid the
spread of the disease. A French observer in 1348 wrote, “No relatives, no
friends showed concern for what might be happening. No priest came to
hear the confessions of the dying, or to administer the sacraments to
them.”
The 14th-century Italian poet Boccaccio echoed those sentiments: “[T]here
were no tears or candles or mourners to honor the dead; in fact no more
respect was accorded to dead people than would nowadays be shown
toward dead goats.”
Visual Source 12.3 “A Culture of Death” (St. Nicolair’s Church, Tallinn,
now the Niguliste Museum. Photo: Visual Connection Archive)
★ How is the status of each of the various living figures—from left to right: the pope,
the emperor, the empress—depicted?
★ What does the white sheet around each of the death images represent? What do
their expressions suggest about their attitude toward the living?
★ Notice that the living figures face outward toward the viewer rather than toward
the entreating death figures on either side of them. What might this mean?
★ Does the portrayal of death pictured here reflect Christian views of death or does it
challenge them?
★ How is the exchange between the empress & Death reflected in the painting?
Visual Source 12.4
“In the Face of Catastrophe - Questioning or Affirming the Faith”
★ Why is the death figure smiling?
★ How does this skeletal figure differ from the
ones in Visual Source 12.3?
★ How are the priest and the Christ figure
depicted? What possible interpretations of
their gestures can you imagine?
★ Notice that the death figure spears the dying
person in the side, an action that evokes the
biblical account of Jesus being speared in his
side during his crucifixion. What might the
artist have sought to convey by such a
reference?
★ The captions, from top to bottom, read: Christ
figure: “Tho it be late ere thou mercie came:
yet mercie thou shalt have.” Priest figure:
“Commit thy body to the grave: pray Christ
thy soul to save.” Death figure: “I have sought
thee many a day: for to have thee to my
pray.” How do these captions influence your
understanding of the painting?