Turkish Migration and Imperial
Expansion
 The Turks were a nomadic group of clans who spoke a
similar language and roamed the regions of central
Asia from China to Persia.
 The eventually dominated Persia, Anatolia, and India.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Nomadic Economy and Society
 The Asian steppes are primarily high grasslands without
rain and rivers to sustain settled communities, so
peoples of central Asia followed a nomadic life.
 Drove herds of sheep, horses, cattle, goats, and camels
searching for adequate forage.
 Lived primarily off of goods from their herds.
 Eagerly sought trade with settled people to obtain
commodities they did not have.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Nomadic Economy and Society
 Class Structure
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Many small clans
Consisted of Nobles and Commoners
Nobles – Won nobility through military leadership
Commoners – Everybody else
Each clan governed according to its own needs during times of
peace
Some clans formed large confederations with alliances to one
Khan.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Military success and Imperial Expansion
 Horses were the backbone of nomad’s military success
 Skilled in cavalry warfare, which minimized the impact
of their small numbers
 Great military tactics
 Allows Turks to begin to expand into settled regions in
the tenth century.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Women in nomadic society
 Rights comparable to African Women
 Had some status and autonomy
 Sometimes engaged in military actions and tactical
planning
 Served as advisors for husbands
 Could own property and divorce
 Polygamy (more than one wife) was still the norm and
interclan conflict often brought brides through
kidnapping.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Turkic Religion
 Shamanism – Religious leaders were believed to possess
supernatural powers to divine the will of deities and
nature as well as intercede on behalf of people.
 Some Turks later adopted Buddhism, Nestorian
Christianity, and Manichaeism.
 Eventually developed written script to facilitate trade
and bring new religious beliefs to conquered areas.
Turkish Migrations and Imperial
Expansion
 Turkish Empires in Persia, Anatolia, and India
 The Turkish nomads were adept at expansion in settled
regions of southwest Asia.
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10th Century – Turkish armies moved into the Middle East initially as
mercenaries of the Abbasid caliphate.
Eventually Turkish sultans became powerful.
In Anatolia, they defeated the Byzantines and welcomed converts to
Islam at the same time that they took on political administration of
the region.
Mahmud of Ghazni – Raided regions of northwest India for treasure,
but later groups of Turks established themselves as the sultanate of
Delhi.
After Hindu and Buddhist sites had been plundered, many were
abandoned so that later Turks for the region ripe for conversion to
Islam.
The Mongol Empire
 Allies of the Turkish people, the Mongols of east
central Asia did not expand as early as the Turks. In
the twelfth century, Chinggis Khan consolidated the
Mongol armies into the greatest expansionary force
that the world has ever known!!!
 While the Mongol expansion could not be sustained
for more than a few generations, its influence on Asia
and Europe was significant.
The Mongol Empires
 Chingghis Khan and the Making of the Mongol Empire
 1167 Temujin was born into a noble family, but by the time he
was 10 years old his father was poisoned by rivals and his
family sunk into poverty.
 Courageous and Charismatic, Temujin used his diplomacy
skills to ally himself with powerful clans and eventually
united the Mongols into a single confederation.
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Afterward, he became known as Chingghis Khan (Universal Ruler).
Appointed commanders based on skills and personal loyalty rather
than status
Created Mongol capital of Karakorum
The Mongol Empires
 Chinggis Khan and the Making of the Mongol Empire
 Armies were small but powerful
 Skilled cavalry and archery (while riding horses could
hit target up to 200 yards)
 Used psychological warfare to build empire.
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Resisting communities were cut down brutally (used as
human shields)
Surrendered communities treated with relative generosity.
The Mongol Empires
 Chingghis Khan and the Making of the Mongol Empire
 First used military to attack other nomadic groups in central
Asia.
 Then he set his sights on large empires such as China and
Persia
 Captured most of northern China by 1220 and established
Mongol city of Khanbalik (present day Beijing)
 After the ruling shah of Persia brutalized Mongol
ambassadors, Chingghis Khan took revenge and seized Persia.
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Destroyed the qanat irrigation system and numerous Persian Cities.
Chingghis Khan died shortly after leaving behind a large empire with
little administration to run it.
The Mongol Empires
 The Mongol Empires after Chingghis Khan
 Chingghis Khan left many sons and grandsons who
competed for rule.
 After significant power struggles, the Mongol empire
was divided into four regions:
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Great Khans – China
Khanate of Chagatai – Central Asian region
Khanate of the Golden Horde – Russia
Ilkhanate of Persia - Persia
The Mongol Empires
 Mongol Rule in China by the Great Khans
 Khubilai - Ruler
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Conquered the southern regions of China
Called his admin the Yuan Dynasty
Promoted Buddhism
Tried to conquer Japan, but failed.
The Mongol Empires
 Golden Horde of Mongols
 Ruled Russia
 Attempted expansion into Europe as far as eastern
Germany but ultimately settled in the grassland regions
north of the Black Sea
The Mongol Empires
 Ilkhanate Empire of Persia
 Conquered Persia and the Baghdad caliphate
 Tolerated all religions
 Allowed administrations to stay in position as long as
they collected taxes and maintained order.
The Mongol Empires
 The Mongols and Eurasian Integration
 Mongols imported talented craftsmen and
administrators from newly conquered regions to China
and Persia.
 Thousands of foreigners lived and worked in Mongol
cities of Asia.
 Muslim, Buddhist, and Nestorian Christian faith spread
along silk roads.
The Mongol Empires
 Decline of the Mongols in Persia and China
 Fell because of infighting and financial problems.
 Bubonic Plague
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Began in 1330s
Wipes out half of the exposed populations
Spread along silk roads
Devastated Mongol empires.
After the Mongols
 Tamerlane the Whirlwind
 Built short lived but large empire after the fall of
Mongols.
 Mounted successful campaigns against Persia,
Afghanistan, the Golden Horde in Russia, and the
sultanate of Delhi.
 After death succession was problematic and empire fell.
After the Mongols
 The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire
 Nomadic peoples continued to influence Asia and
Europe through the Ottoman Turks.
 By 1453, they ruled over a vast empire across northern
Africa, in southeast Europe and most of the Middle East.