Aim: Did the Mongols negatively or
positively impact the world?
Do Now: After being assigned a side you should
review your hw/preparation notes and think
about arguing points you could use. If you are
assigned as the evaluator, you need to think of
questions to ask your group members.
Questions to answer during the debate
 How did Mongols (re)shape political life
in China? Was it for the better or worse?
 How did Mongols impact/change societies
that they conquered (their everyday lives,
culture, etc) across the world? (hint:
Think of China, Russia, Byzantium,
Muslims)
 How did the Mongols impact the economy
of those they conquered? The world
economy? Was it for the better or worse?
Pax Mongolia- Positive Effect
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Tolerant rulers
Safe passage for trade
caravans
Facilitated trade at each
end of Eurasia later
led to the Age of
Exploration
Brought great wealth to
European traders
(northern Italy)
New warfare methods
were introduced.
Gunpowder introduced
to Europe
Trade Routes
•Mid 1200s – Mid 1300s: imposed
stability and law through much of Eurasia
Kublai Kahn’s Impact on China
• Restored economic prosperity
• Improved public works such as
canals, bridges and roads
• Encouraged trade
• System of storing grain to avoid
famine
• Improved the Navy
• Cared for orphaned and sick
• But…he did separate classes
based on ethnicity
Modern LinksMysteries
Still today
historians are
trying to find
out if the
writings of
Marco Polo are
true, and they
will probably
never know.
It is a big
mystery
where Kublai
and his
grandfather,
Genghis
Khan, are
buried.
Negative Impact
 Death and destruction,
some cities completely
wiped out (Kiev, cities
in Syria)
 Mongol soldiers looted,
pillaged and raped
women
 Conquests played a key
role in transmitting the
black death.
(unintended)
Why did the Mongol empire collapse?
• Size made communication
and control difficult
• Lack of effective leaders
▫ Kublai’s Death in 1294
▫ Famine, floods, disease
• Infighting among Mongols
for control
• Locals grew tired of foreign
rule and began to rebel