MONGOLS!!!!!!!!!! Significance of Pastoral Societies Conditions of Nomadic Life Impact of Mongol Empire on world history How trade sponsored by Mongols changed the world

MONGOL WARRIORS

The Long History of Pastoral Nomads Who pastoralists are. What connections do they have to their neighbors? What pastoralist societies other than the Mongols have had major impacts on civilizations and in what ways?

When did pastoralist societies emerge? Around 4000 BCE Dependent on a variety of domesticated animals: horses, camels, goats, sheep, cattle, yaks, reindeer. Which animals would depend on what geographic area the pastoralists inhabited Developed in these areas of the world: Grasslands of Eurasia and sub-Saharan Africa Arabian and Saharan Deserts Subartic Regions (tundra and taiga) Tibetan Plateau NO PASTORALISTS IN AMERICA PRIOR TO 1650 OR SO. WHY?

Yak Camel and Horse Cow Sheep and Goat Reindeer also known as Caribou

Pastoral Worlds Less productive Large grazing areas needed Populations much smaller Related kin, usually male ancestral lines Clans might make a tribe, also absorb unrelated peoples More egalitarian in many ways than agriculturalists, but some groups have nobilities and commoners. Not many slaves Women: higher status and greater freedoms than in most agricultural societies, but this should not be read backwards from today Mobility

Connections Deeply affiliated with neighboring agricultural societies Sometimes created large nomadic states of power; almost all males became warriors Held states together as long as the money was coming in Culturally, nomads adopted different religions from sedentary societies at various times and changed them as well as suited them Horses: life after horses much more far ranging (1000BCE). Enable nomads to interact over broad areas with many more peoples

STEPPE NOMAD WARRIORS

MONGOLIAN PONIES

Nomads before the Mongols Huns (Xiongnu) in Mongolia c. 150BCE; forced Chinese empire to deal with them; centralized rule; clan and social divisions became more important; tribute state In Europe: Huns, Avars, Magyars, Goths all moved through the area with varying results. Huns and Avars remained nomadic and eventually moved on and ?, while others settled and became Europeans or Asians in sedentary societies Arabs and Turks

Nomads Greatest world impact 500-1500CE Arabs, Berbers, Turks, Mongols Islam from nomadic Arabs, spread by Islamic Turks Byzantium, Persia, and China were all controlled by nomads at one time or another Bedouin nomads became great fighters and developed camel cavalry with the new “camel” saddle These were the blitzkrieg forces of Arabic/Islamic expansion

Turks Turkic speaking nomads came from Mongolia and Southern Siberia Gradually spread southward and southwest creating series of short lived nomadic empires to 1000CE Spread Turkic language and culture over much of interior Asia Turkic peoples converted to Islam around 1100-1500CE Seljuk Empire in Turkey, began to claim the Muslim title of Sultan Berber societies of northern Africa/Sahara emerged as nomadic with intro of camel into Africa Adopted Islam c.800CE

THE MONGOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greatest land based empire in world history Linked nomads from inner steppes with surrounding agricultural civilizations Created much greater contact between regions in Eurasia: with Europe, the Islamic world, and even Africa Mongols only numbered around ¾ of a million Left little cultural impact: did not spread their religion, interested in exploiting wealth of conquered peoples, so today their culture is confined to Mongolia Last great nomadic state in world history

From Temujin to Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) Lived 1162-1227 CE and created Mongol Empire Prior to him, Mongols were a collection of feuding tribes and clans How did he do it? Father was a minor clan leader and murdered when Genghis was a child When he grew up, he organized a small following and allied himself with more powerful leaders Shifted his allegiance when necessary, betrayed allies, won many military victories. Reputation as a great leader followed

CHINGGIS KHAN

Chinggis Khan 1206 CE the Mongol tribal assembly recognized Temujin as Chinggis Khan (Great Leader) Expansion of Mongol rule began: Attacked China in 1209 starting a long 50 year war of conquest Along with his sons and grandsons (Ogodei,Mongke, and Kubilai) created an empire that covered China, Korea, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and parts of eastern Europe The limits of the Mongol Empire were established at places where they were NOT victorious in battle

How and why did the Mongol Empire exist? No great plan of conquest: it sort of just happened Chinggis Khan saw it as his mission to unite the whole world Mongols were always outnumbered by their enemies but almost always won Good luck, maybe? China was divided into rival Song empires, the Islamic Abbassid Empire was declining, Russia was disunited Key to Mongol success: their army.

Mongol Army As Chinggis conquered other Mongol clans these men were scattered throughout his army defusing rebellion An imperial guard and a mentality of unity was fostered If any soldier deserted in battle his entire unit was killed Leaders shared the same life as warriors with no luxuries or status Created good tactical plans: encirclement, deception, retreat Incorporated many conquered peoples into the army

Reputation and Street Cred Mongols always allowed for surrender before besieging a city or attacking an enemy If this occurred things remained peaceful Any resistance would result in the total destruction of the enemy Strategies: Systematic taxation and accounting Communication and relay stations to move news and info along Began a centralization of Mongol government

Reputation Encouraged commerce along overland routes in Eurasia as beneficial to Mongol needs, primarily through taxation Gave lower spots in administration to Muslim and Chinese officials across the empire Practiced religious toleration: Mongols were pretty casual about religion for the most part except in the Middle East where they converted to Islam

MONGOL EMPIRE AT ITS GREATEST EXTENT C.1300

Mongols and China By 1279 China had been completely conquered by the Mongols after a long and difficult struggle In the north this struggle was destructive, but in the south the fall of the Song dynasty was less violent In the south, Mongols had learned to accommodate the local people; landowners were guaranteed possession for support Unification under the Mongols gave them the Mandate of Heaven in many Chinese eyes

Mongols and China Since Mongols did not know how to run a civilization they had to use Chinese practices and techniques Kubilai gave himself a dynastic name: Yuan (Great Beginnings) Established a new capital- Khanbalik (now Beijing) Kubilai made himself a patron of the people (in a sense) and adopted many policies and values that made him look like a good Chinese emperor

KUBILAI KHAN

Mongols and China But, Mongols did not become Chinese. Their rule was harsh and exploitative and foreign Relied on foreigners FOR administration, bypassing the traditional Confucian bureaucracy Most Mongols did not learn to speak Chinese Mongol law discriminated against Chinese Chinese were shocked by the freedoms and actions of Mongol women In 1368, a rebellion forced the Mongols out of China

Mongols and Persia Persia was attacked twice, once in 1220, and successfully in 1250’s Mass destruction of cities, infrastructure, and commerce Abbasid Empire ended with the destruction of Baghdad in 1258 Destroyed the ancient qanat irrigation system which still has not been repaired to this day Shook many Persians faith in Islam; how could these infidels have been successful?

Mongols and Persia Unlike in China, the Mongols in Persia soon began to take up Persian ways of doing things Used the Persian bureaucracy Many Mongol elites learned to speak Persian Many Mongols converted to Islam Persian laws were still enforced Some Mongols even took up farming Mongol ruled ended in 1330’s

Mongols and Russia Russia was composed of independent city states like Novgorod and small kingdoms like Moscow. They were disunited and unable to respond to the Mongol challenge in the mid 1200’s Much destruction, slaughter, and deportation of Russian workers Russia was integrated into the Mongol Empire as the Khanate of Kipchak or the Golden Horde Mongols did not occupy Russia; collected tribute and taxes and remained on the steppes outside Russia proper; from here they continued to raid and pillage the Russians

Mongols and Russia Some Russian rulers prospered under Mongol rule The Russian Orthodox Church also flourished Moscow and its prince became the primary tribute collectors for the Mongols, giving its ruler more and more power, eventually Moscow became the core area of a new Russian state Russians copied some Mongol ways particularly visual forms of government Russia broke free of the Golden Horde by the late 15th century

Mongols and the wider world Although Mongol rule was brief in most places, it also stimulated change across the face of Eurasia Promoted trade and production even though they did not do either Kept the trade routes open and even improved them as well as protecting merchants along the routes This trading “circuit” was crucial to the economy of much of Eurasia/Africa. Even after the end of Mongol rule, Europe and the Middle East were eager for trade with other regions of the continent

Mongols and the wider world Culture and exchange in the Mongol world: Many artisans and educated people were forcibly relocated by the Mongol rulers Mongol religious tolerance and support for trade attracted thousands of foreigners to their realm Much exchange of ideas and technology: westward flow of Chinese technology and art (painting, printing, gunpowder, weapons, compass, furnaces for metal working, medical techniques) Muslim astronomy spread to China, crops and plants were exchanged and found new homes; Europe was the biggest gainer from these exchanges

Mongols and the wider world: THE PLAGUE Spread along Mongol trade routes Plague broke out in China in 1331 and reached Middle East and Europe by 1347 By 1409 reached East Africa Many died: perhaps ½ of Europe’s population and 1/3 of the population of the Middle East. The death toll in China is unrecorded but was probably on the same scale India and Sub Saharan Africa were much less impacted by plague

Mongols and the wider world: THE PLAGUE Effects: In Europe: undermined serfdom and the feudal system; perhaps encouraged technological innovation as an attempt to compensate for the loss of people; created more employment opportunities for women and lower class persons Plague was the primary reason for the destruction of the greater Mongol Empire

Mongols and the wider world: Population fell and trade was reduced for this reason as well as a fall in production The Mongol Empire relied on taxation from trade and as this fell so did the various regions of the Empire By 1450 Mongols had lost control of most of what they had conquered a century before

Consequences With trade routes no longer safe or open Europeans (who had become used to the goods from trade) set out to find sea routes to reestablish trade with Asia European naval technology, much improved by contact with the Middle East and China, gave them an advantage Europeans were much like Mongols: they were peripheral people to the great civilizations, less economically developed, and who learned to loot and plunder wealthier, if less ruthless, civilizations.

EUROPE HEADS OUT INTO THE WORLD