Chapter 17
Document a Day
1.
What can this picture teach us about the Mongols?
2. What Outside Evidence can you provide about this
picture?
The Mongol Empire
 Nomadic economy and society

Nomadic herders

organized into clans with related
languages
Nomads and their animals; few
settlements
 Migration
 Trade (doesn’t produce)
 Egalitarian but Patriarchy
 Typically laid low in the foot hills of
the Siberian forest.


Herding, hunting, and practicing
archery…
The Mongol Empire
 Chinggis Khan


1162, Temujin
Born with a blood clot in his
hand

Father poisoned
 Mongol War Machine
 Trained to fight, hunt, ride, and
kill (could hit at target 350 yds)
 Unity = conquest over rebellion
 Tumens: 10,000 men a unit


Messengers, Spies, and Mapmakers
Executions and Generosity
The Mongol Empire
 Start of Mongol Empire


Chinggis Khan unified tribes
through Civil War, won 
because…
 Meritocracy
 Promoted Lower Classes of
Conquered People into his
tribe
 Killed their leaders
Chinggis Khan ("universal ruler")
unified Mongol rule, 1206
 By 1227 owned all of China,
Persia, Russia
 Conquered more land in 25
years than Rome did in 400
years
 11 million square miles
The Empire was just getting started!
The Mongol Empire
 The
Mongol empires
after Chinggis Khan


Division of the Mongol
empires
 Yuan Dynasty (China)
 Kublai Khan
 Ilkhanate (Persia)
 Chagatan Khnate
(Central Asia)
 Golden Horde Russia
16 million descendants of
Chinggis Khan
Who does this remind you of?
Large Empire divided after their death
due to no political unity.
Mongol Empire
 Military Campaigns
successful
 Speed, archery, and
horses
 Adaptable



Siege Warfare
Gunpowder
Ships
 Intimidation and
Brutality
Mongol Accomplishments
 The Mongols reinvigorated cross-Eurasian trade
 Silk Road
 Valued Trade
 The Mongols increased communication
 Yam System – food, shelter, and spare horses
 Passports
 Cuisine Spread
 Rice: Persia
 Noodles: Italy
 Relocated people who were useful
 Artist, Musicians, Administrators
 Tolerant of Different Religions
 Shamanist : nature spirits
Mongols Weakness
 Brutal:
 “The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them
before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them bathed
in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.” - Chinggis
Khan
 Brutal Conquerors:
 Destroyed entire cities
 Empire didn’t last long
 Replaced in China after 80 years
 Blended into Persia (adapted agriculture)
 No fascination with art or architecture
 Mongols were always on the move
 Responsible for the Black Death
 Biological Warfare
 Trade
Were the Mongols Good or Bad?
 Promoted trade, diversity, and religious tolerance
while conquering more land in 25 years than the
Romans did in 400.
 Promoted slaughter and destruction while
deemphasizing art, architecture, and political unity
 How you feel about the Mongols says a lot about you:
 Do you value artistic output over religious diversity?
 Is imperialism that doesn’t last better or worse than
imperialism that does?
 Are only certain types of warfare inherently wrong?