The Mongols Who were the Mongols? • Relatively obscure pastoral people • Nomadic • Winters in southern plains; cattle • Summers in northern wooded areas – water • Lived in round tents (yurts) • Food: milk and meat from herds, hunted game • Organized loosely into clans and tribes • Growing population, limited food supply Temuchin • Unifies Mongol tribes • Genghis Khan (1162-1227) universal ruler • Military genius, ruthless, merciless “Man’s highest joy is in victory to conquer one’s enemies, to pursue them, to deprive them of their possessions, to make their beloved weep, to ride on their horses and to embrace their women and daughters.” Military Tactics: • Army of 130,000 • Lightening-fast (blitzkrieg) style of warfare; • Rapidly moving columns of cavalry(greatest horsemen in world) • Siege warfare • Merciless destruction Conquest Conquer: Central Asia; Persia; Mesopotamia Asia Minor; reach central Europe China – attack Song Dynasty in 1260s China under alien rule Mongol capital at Karakorum-Outer Mongolia; Genghis Khan prohibited fellow Mongols from settled occupations or living in cities; Mongols Empire Adapts Mongols remain a separate ruling class but over time Mongol elite enter administrative positions and Mongol commoners become farmers and merchants; Territorial Nature of Mongol Empire • Territories distributed among heirs of Genghis Khan • Separate, autonomous khanates; • Chaghadai in central Asia – capital at Samarkand; • Persian khanate from Baghdad; • Kipchak – Golden Horde; • China – under Khublai Khan (1215-1294) New Chinese Dynasty - Yuan • The roughly century long rule of the Mongols – thought a time of alien rule in China - is considered a separate dynasty, the Yuan. • Capital moved north to Khambaliq – today’s Beijing; Mongol Rule in China A. attempt to expand the empire • temporarily regain Vietnam; • Attacked Malaysia – Java and Sumatra and Japan (Japan saved by massive storm, divine winds) • Attempt at expansion largely unsuccessful; overextended, new terrain(jungle) Mongol Rule in China B. More Success Governing: 1. adapted to the Chinese political system and made use of locally trained officials in bureaucracy; 2. Retained tripartite division of bureaucracy – civilian, military and censorate; civil service exam, at first abolished, later revived in 14th c.; 3. Confucianism restored although Kublai Khan a Buddhist; Mongol Rule in China cont. 4. Kublai khan and his successors improved roads and canals, provided care for the orphaned and sick, and generally allowed religious tolerance. Mongol Rule in China C. Key Differences: 1. Culturally different from Chinese and remained a separate class; held top positions; 2. Mongol commoners retained traditional religious beliefs-spirits, divination and magic; Mongol Rule in China D. Mongols rule China for century; bring stability, unity and economic prosperity; encouraged long-distance trade, esp. Silk Road Pax Mongolica??? Capital at Khambaliq magnificent city 24 miles in diameter! Mongol Rule Ends • Mongols do not all share in prosperity: low wages and military obligations; • One of the shortest-lived of the great dynasties; early 14th century, Mongol power declined rapidly; Why? • Chinese always regarded the Mongols as aliens; • excessive spending on further conquest; • inadequate tax revenues; • factionalism; • corruption at court; • famine in 1340s; • failure to adapt to Chinese culture; • series of rebellions; .