Bell Ringer

 Why under the Tang and Song dynasty did old
aristocratic families fade and much larger upper
class emerge?
The Tang restored the civil service exam making talent
and education more important than noble birth in
winning power.
 Turn in focus questions and begin to study…
Agenda/Objectives
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 Quick Study for Quiz
 Rise of the Mongols
 - Genghis Khan
 - Mongol Success
 Readings from Marco Polo.
Let’s Jog your memory!
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Rise of the Mongols
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 Nomadic people made up of different clans.
 Clan leader- Temujin unifies the clans and conquers
his rivals with no mercy.
 1206 accepted the title as Genghis Khan.
Rise of the Mongols
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 Next 21 years Genghis conquered much of Asia.
 Goal = China
 - Invaded the Jin in 1215.
 Quickly attention shifted to Islamic region of West
Mongolia.
 - Mongol traders and an ambassador murdered in
this region.
“In retribution for every hair on their
heads it seemed that a hundred
thousand heads rolled in the dust”

 Genghis revenge:
 Destroyed city after city
 - Utrar
 - Samarkand
 - Bukhara
 Slaughtering everyone in their path.
 1221 – Central Asia was under Mongol control.
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Why was Genghis
successful?
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 Brilliant organizer: assembled Mongol warriors into
a powerful fighting force.
 Grouped into warriors of 10,000.
 - 1,000 man brigades
 - 100 man companies
 - 10 man platoons
 Battle-proven and loyal men in command of these
units.
Genghis success cont.

 Trickery:
 - Small Mongol cavalry would attack and flee, enemy
would give chase and the rest of the Mongol army
would appear and slaughter.
 - Use of life like dummies and prisoners dressed up
as soldiers to make army look larger.
 Spy network
Genghis success cont.

 New weapons:
 - Captured Chinese engineers built catapults
 - Gunpowder
Genghis success cont.

 Cruelty:
 Terrifying enemy into surrender.
 If towns refused when captured everyone was killed.
 Many towns heard about the cruelty of the mongols
and surrendered without a fight.
Mongol Empire

 Genghis Khan died in 1227 from illness.
 Rulers continued:
 - Expand empire
 - Inflicting terror to people
 Less than 50 years conquered territory from China to
Poland.
 - Largest unified land empire in history.

The Khanates

 1260: Mongol empire divided into 4 large Khanates,
each one ruled by a descendant of Genghis.
 Mongol rulers:
 Many areas that were invaded never recovered.
 - ancient irrigation systems destroyed.
 Over time – Adopted aspects of the culture of the
people they ruled.

Mongol Peace

 Mid 1200s – Mid 1300s:
 Imposed stability and peace across territory.
 Guaranteed safe passage of trade caravans, travelers,
and missionaries.
 - Gun powder reached Europe.
 - Bubonic Plague reached Europe.
Empire of the Great
Khan

 Kublai Khan – Grandson of Genghis assumed the
title of Great Khan in 1260.
 1279: Conquers China.
 - Yuan Dynasty lasted until 1368.
 China reunited after 300 years.
 Mongol control opened China to trade.
 Kublai and successors tolerated Chinese culture.
Failure to conquer Japan

 Attacked in 1274 and 1281.
 Forced Koreans to build and sail boats (devastated
Korea)
 Second fleet – 150,000 Mongols, Chinese, and Korean
solders.
 53 days Japanese soldiers fought them to a stand
still.
 Day 54 – Typhoon wiped out the fleet, “Kamikaze”
or “divine wind”.
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Reading





“Marco Polo in China”
Two Primary Sources:
1. “Cabaluc: Concerning The Palace Of The Great Khan”
2. “Concerning The City of Cambaluc”
 Read by yourself and analyze the document.
 What was the world Marco Polo knew before going to China and what is
the world he knows after?
 What is the general theme?
 What did Marco Polo observe?
 What did he mention about the Capital Cambaluc?
 What did Marco Polo make specific note of and why do you think?
 What can you conclude about the Mongol control of China from the Marco
Polo observations?
Homework

 Answer these questions:
 What struggles did the Mongols have ruling over the
Chinese and why?
 What did they do to improve their rule in China?