How did the Mongol
conquests of China
impact the culture and
landscape of China?
7.24 Describe and locate the Mongol conquest of China including
Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan. (G, H, P)
Activator:
To compare…
Imagine if… “the U.S., instead of being created by a
group of educated merchants & wealthy planters,
had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who,
by the sheer force of personality, charisma, &
determination, liberated America from foreign rule,
united the people,… invented a new system of
warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and
opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that
stretched across the continents.” – Jack Weatherford
in Genghis Khan
Write a short opinion:
Where would America be if it was conquered by such
a people?
The Mongols
Slides 4-11 interesting facts
The Good, the
Bad & the Ugly
THE GOOD (accomplishments &
contributions)
• Military Strategy &
Innovation – Cavalry, Horse
Archers, surprise attacks,
sieges - Genghis first
needed to disband tribal
loyalties
• Religious Tolerance
(converted to all faiths in
region except Hinduism)
• Common Legal Code
• Utilized skills of conquered
peoples – artisans, soldiers
THE GOOD (accomplishments &
contributions)
 Discipline, obedience to own laws
 Sense of honor and loyalty, respect for these
qualities in others, even opponents
 High status of women
• These qualities attested to even by European
observers who generally detested the
Mongols
THE GOOD (accomplishments &
contributions)
 Discipline, obedience to own laws
 Sense of honor and loyalty, respect for these
qualities in others, even opponents
 High status of women
• These qualities attested to even by European
observers who generally detested the
Mongols
THE BAD – (failures & struggles)
• Constant in-fighting for
power – “Khan”
• Genghis never setup
centralized rule, Kublai
struggled with it (Yuan
Dynasty)
• Kublai failed to conquer
Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia
& Japan
• Inability to control China
without considerable force
• Over-spending
THE BAD, cont…
• THE PLAGUE!!!
• Over-extension – loss of control in Persia
• Struggle between nomadic lifestyle and need to
settle (centralized government)
THE UGLY – (What!?! Those Mongols were
CRAZY!!)
• Surrender or Die
• Looting & Destruction of
Cities
• Massacres (1.6 Million in 1
Afghan city, as many as 18.4
Million total killed)
• Use of organized tactical
terror
• All exemplified by the
Ilkhanate’s conquering of
Middle East (Persia)
THE UGLY, cont…
• Lots of Babies - as many as .5%
of the Earth’s current male
population can trace genetic
lineage back to Genghis (500
wives & concubines)
• Plague catapults – biological
warfare?
• Strange diet, hairstyles and odor
• Cannibalism?
• Genghis’ funeral parade of
death?
Word
Picture clue
definition
Mongol
Nomads who come from the
steppes northwest of China
Steppe
A large, dry, grass- covered
plain difficult to live on with a
harsh climate and limited
resources.
Khan
Mongols lived in clans
led by a khan, or ruler.
What kind of people were the
Mongols?
Chronology of the Mongol Empire
1206-1227
Reign of Chinggis Khan
1211-1234
Conquest of northern China
1219-1221
Conquest of Persia
1237-1241
Conquest of Russia
1258
Capture of Baghdad
1264-1279
Conquest of southern China
A Quick Background…
• Nomads
• Genghis Khan chosen
leader
• Need for water leads to
conquest - Central Asia
lacked rain for
agriculture
• Greatest Opportunity
was trade – horses!
Who were the Mongols?
• From the steppes of
eastern central Asia
• Nomadic peoples
• United under the
leadership of Temujin
a.k.a Chinggis Khan
• “Courage Cultures”
Declared themselves to
be descendents of Huns
who founded the 1st
steppe empire in late
Classical era.
Inner Eurasia
Steppe
Outer Eurasia
AP # 1
Why were the
Mongols interested
in Chineese
conquests?
From Temujin to “Universal Ruler”
• Born 1167
• Orphaned at 10
• “Mastered the art of steppe
diplomacy” : called for displays
of personal courage in battle,
combined with intense loyalty
to allies, a willingness to betray
others to improve one’s
position and the ability to
entice other tribes into
cooperative relationships
• United Mongol tribes into a
single confederation
• 1206 made Chinggis Khan
Chinese depiction of Chinggis
Khan
Genghis Khan
• Valued individual merit & loyalty
• Fighting wasn’t honorable; winning was. So,
used any means necessary to win (trickery,
etc.)
• Conscripted peasants: Mongols just didn’t
understand peasants who seemed like grazing
animals rather than real humans who ate
meat. “They used same terms, precision, &
emotion in rounding up yaks as peasants.”
• Refugees preceded Mongol attack as people
from outlying areas fled to cities for
protection but overwhelmed the cities &
spread fear
• LOVED negative PR: allowed & encouraged
true or false stories to be circulated in order
instill fear.
• Fought on the move: didn’t care if chased or
fled (unlike sedentary soldier-farmer), just
wanted to kill the enemy.
Genghis Khan
• In 25 years, subjugated more land & people than the Romans
did in 400 years.
• Destroyed LOTS of ‘less important’ cities – often along less
accessible trade routes – to funnel commerce into routes that
his army could more easily supervise and control.
Actions of Genghis Khan
Gathered an
army of
100,000
soldiers
Drafted
a law
code
Created a
group of tribal
chiefs to help
him plan military
campaigns
Chose army
officers
for ability,
not family
ties
1st
conquered
steppes
Invaded China
in 1211 then
conquered
kingdoms that
controlled
parts of the
Silk Road
Genghis Khan – innovations
• Relied on speed & surprise and perfected
siege warfare (not relied on defensive
fortifications)
• Used resources of land instead of relying on
supply train
• Allocated fallen soldiers’ share of loot to
widow/children (ensured support)
• Reorganized army so each unit had a mix of
tribal/ethnic peoples and they had to live &
fight together ---transcend kinship, ethnicity,
& religion.
• Religious tolerance 
• Instituted postal system for communication
• Ordered writing system created
• Abolished torture & insisted on rule of law
(to which even the khan was accountable)
What were the key factors that allowed fewer than
125,000 nomadic warriors to build the largest
empire in world history?
• Military prowess
• Adaptation of local societies / talents
• Timing: fragmentation of postclassical states
AP# 2
Pair Share
1’s tell 2’s
Share 3 reasons Genghis Khan was able defeat
his enemies so easily.
2’s tell 1’s
Share 3 innovations that Genghis Khan was
famous for.
Mongols conquered China and created a new dynasty
that tried to conquer Japan and began trading with
the rest of Asia.
Kublai Khan
became the
new khan
(ruler).
He completely wiped
out the Song Dynasty
within a decade
by conquering
southern China.
He moved the
Capital from
Karakorum to
Khanbaliq
(now modern
Beijing).
He set up the Yuan Dynasty.
Yuan means beginning. It lasted for only about 100
years,and 30 of that was led by Kublai Khan
This is a painting depicting Mongols under the
Dynasty. Notice the dress of the people and
skin color.
The Mongol Interlude in Chinese History
• Kubilai Khan, another grandson, moved against the Song in
China and by 1271 his dynasty became the Yuan.
• Kubilai forbid the Chinese from learning Mongol script,
intermarriage was forbidden, and he refused to reestablish
exams for civil service.
• Despite restrictions, Kubilai was fascinated with Chinese
civilization and adopted much of their culture into his
court. He built his capital at Tatu in the north, a site
occupied by previous dynasties, put the empire on the
Chinese calendar, and introduced Chinese rituals and
music into his own court.
Society in the Yuan Dynasty
• A new social structure emerged:
– Mongols at the top
– nomadic and Islamic allies were next
– then north Chinese
– finally ethnic Chinese and peoples of the south
Mongol / Chinese Relations
• Yuan Dynasty did a lot of good for the Chinese, but
there were still tensions.
– They spoke different languages.
– Mongols did not treat the chinese as equals.
– Punishments were harsher for chinese.
• When Kublai died in 1294.
– China experienced many problems, flooding and famine
caused revolts.
– 1368, the mongols were forced out.
Mongol Empire 1294
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