Mongols:
Russia: Golden Horde Defeated Kievan Rus Capital: Sarai Batu -Mouth of the Volga River – caravan route – Central Asia Ruled Russia from a distance
Led Orthodox Church from a distance – granted privileges Russian princes ruled through Mongols Golden Horde – get as much tax revenue as possible
Prince Alexander of Novgorod helped Mongols – conquest of Russia -Novgorod and Moscow – favored Ruled by Prince Alexander’s Brother Mongol devastation of countryside Result: Moscow became the new center of Russian civilization
Some historians: Mongols – negative impact on Russia Economic depression and cultural isolation Other historians: Kiev already in decline before Mongols: Over-taxation and Structure of Russian government did not change much under Mongol rule
Ivan III “Ivan the Great” ended Mongol rule (1480) Title = tsar “Ivan the Great” (1462-1505) 1st Russian Czar. Created a strong, unified Russian state. Ended tribute to Mongols (1480). Built strong government (absolute rule). Czar – Russian term for emperor.
New States:
Europe divided between Papacy’s political offices and Roman Emperor Frederick II -Threatened with excommunication unless he helped with military campaigns of capturing Jerusalem. -Conspired with the Mamluks in Egypt
Eastern Europe: Especially Hungary and Poland – faced Mongol attacks alone
Mongols: Generals led Mongols, Turks, Chinese, Iranian and Europeans Drove to outskirts of Vienna -Mongols withdrew in 1241: Reason: Mongols needed to choose successor to deceased Great Khan Ogodei
Europeans: wanted diplomatic and trade with Mongols. Contact increased 13th Century Geography Natural resources Commerce Science Technology Math
Bubonic Plague: Mongol invasions caused Europeans to question beliefs
13th – 14th Centuries: Increase in stronger centralized states
Lithuania: Control over Poland
Anatolia: route between Islam and Europe Ottoman Turks invaded Constantinople in 1453 Expanded eastward. Threat from Timurids
Yuan Empire: 1279-1368 Khubilai Khan – Chinese tradition of government continued Beijing: Capital Summer Capital: Shangdu -Riding and Shooting practice
China was fragmented politically Mongols unified states – restored and preserved the system of Chinese government Mongol: Tax farming Western Asian Moslem officials Hierarchy: Determine by race and function; where a person was born
Pax Mongolica – Mid-1200s to mid-1300s, when Mongols imposed stability and law and order across most of Eurasia.
Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, founded Yuan Dynasty. a. Created navy. b. Failed to invade Japan two times.
c. Divided People into 4 groups: i. Mongols – treated the most favorable. ii. Other non-Chinese (Moslems) – hired by Mongols. iii. Northern Chinese – lower-level governmental positions. iv. Southern Chinese (majority) – distrusted, resisted conquest.
2. Marco Polo, Venetian trader, visited China for 17 years (1275-1292). a. Publicized his adventures.
Confucius – weak role Merchants and doctors – elevated status Cities and ports: Increases in economy, trade, merchants formed corporations Chinese gentry moved to cities: urban, literature, mandarin dialect developed
Rural areas: Hainan Island – cotton, spinning, weaving. = Diffused to China
Mongols encouraged irrigation
Yuan overtaxed and brutalized Dams and dikes – neglected
China’s Population decreased by 40% (although Yangtze increased)
Reason: Warfare, Yellow River Flooding
North-South migration Bubonic plague in 1300s Other diseases
Tried to protect farmers – too late
Science, technology, math – Iran and China exchanged ideas (good relations) China imported Il-khan science and technology Il-khans imported Chinese scholars and texts Iranian astronomy, algebra, and trigonometry, Medical texts, seeds, formulas – to China
Fall: 1368: Zhu Yuanzhang established Ming Empire Mongols still in Mongolia, Central Asia, Turkestan Disrupted trade and Ming Ming threatened in Northeast by Jurchens in Manchuria