Mongol Warfare
Asia Before Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan / Chinggis Khaan
(birthname Temujin) (1162-1227)
created Mongol confederation and empire
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Chingghis and his sons Jochi (1185–
1226), Chagatai (1187—1241), Ögedei
(1189—1241), and Tolui (1190–1232).
Conquests of Genghis Kahn
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From Nicholas Hooper and Matthew Bennett, Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages 768-1487
Horsemen and grasslands
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Mongolian horses: 12-14 hands (cf
thoroughbreds: 15-17 hands).
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Mongolian-Manchurian grassland covers
an area of 887,300 square kilometers
(342,600 square miles).
Mongol Armies
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All males between the ages of 15 to
around 60 who were capable of
bearing arms were eligible for military
service. Mongol armies were based
around a core group of light and heavy
cavalry organised on the decimal
system. The largest tactical formation
was the ‘tuman’ consisting of 10,000
warriors. Three tumans usually
constituted a Mongol army. The tuman
was made up of ten regiments
(‘minghans’) of 1,000 men. Each
regiment contained ten squadrons
‘jagun’. The jagun was subdivided into
ten troops called arbans. … The
typical Mongol army was largely
cavalry based, consisting of about 60
percent light cavalry and 40 percent
heavy cavalry. Both units were crucial
to Mongol strategy. Mongol light
cavalry performed reconnaissance
roles and acted as a screen for the
heavy cavalry. These light horseman
were armed with two composite bows,
(one for long distance, the other for
short), two or three javelins and a
lasso. The heavy cavalry were
equipped with a 12ft lance along with
sabre for hand to hand combat.
From http://historyofwarfare.blogspot.com/2008/04/mongol-invasion-ofeurope-battles-of.html
Mongol Horsemen
Mongol Battle Tactics
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The Mongol army was a people's army, that is, all
Mongol adult males were enlisted. … The
majority of Mongol troops were armed with
mediocre, homemade weapons, and most carried
only bows and arrows, along with axes and
clubs. Because of this lack of weapons
appropriate for hand-to-hand combat and their
inferior training, the Mongols were hesitant to
engage in frontal attacks, preferring instead to
depend on their archery and mobility. The
Mongols ... sent unit after unit galloping at the
enemy as fast as could be with each man
shooting one heavy arrow from as close as
possible; each unit would then turn away and out
of the path and line of fire of the next unit, which
could follow almost on its heels. Thus the enemy
would be repeatedly pounded by the Mongols'
best shots, delivered by a quick and confusing
succession of attacking units, each concealing
the next until the last moment. The aim of such
tactics, together with efforts at outflanking, was
to wear down the enemy. If the Mongols faced
cavalry, it was hoped that they could provoke a
pursuit, with the Mongols shooting to the rear as
they rode off. This would lead to the exhaustion
of the opponents' horses. At some point, the
Mongols, either on fresh horses or reinforced by
additional troops, would turn against their
pursuers, dealing them a crushing blow or
harassing them as they withdrew. In general, the
Mongols tried to avoid hand to-hand combat,
because of their lack of personal arms and armor.
Reuven Amitai-Preiss
Mongol archers and recursive composite bow
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Materials: birch wood frame; layers of birch
bark, horn (facing archer), sinew (on back),
attached with fish glue; animal hide string.
Arrows: 80-100 cm
Draw weight: 166 pounds
Range: 80-100 m (aimed), 300-350 m
(maximum)
Mongol armor and weapons
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Like the seventh-century Arabs, the
Mongol elite adopted the weapons and
armor of the peoples they conquered.
Most Mongolian armor was of scale
and lamellar variety. Most armor was
made of hardened leather and iron,
lanced together onto a fabric backing,
sometimes silk. Mail armor was also
sometimes used, but was rare,
probably due to its weight and
difficulty to repair. Mongol archers
demanded the armor to be light
enough so that when riding, it did not
interfere with their mobility.
The composite bow was the favored
weapon of the Mongols, but troops
also carried a single-handed, curved
blade of Turkic origin, a mace, and
helmets. Mongols adopted weapons of
peoples they conquered
Mongols besiege a city
Mongol Terror
Hulagu Khan (1217-1265), grandson of Genghis, founder of the
Ilkhanate of Persia. Besieged and destroyed Baghdad in 1258 (on
right), invaded Syria in 1259, destroying power of the Ayyubid
sultanate of Damascus
Mongol Invasion of Europe: 1241-1242
Battle of Legnica/Leignitz (9 April). Mongol
army consisting of two tumen (about 15,000)
defeated an army of Poles and Germans (200025,000) under Duke Henry II the Pious
Mohi (11 April). The Hungarians led by King Bela
IV were defeated by the main Mongol force
(approx. 30,000) under the command of Batu
Khan and his general Subutai