Chapter 17: Turks & Mongols

Turks & Mongols Both groups were nomads Roots go back to hunter-gatherers This chapter represents interrelations between settled and nomadic peoples.

Nomadic Society Domesticated animals, but not farmers Lack of rain in central Asia doesn’t support large-scale agriculture Migratory patterns to follow pastureland Turks lived in Yurts Rudimentary artisan achievements Reliance on trade for manufactured goods

Nomadic Society Two social classes: nobles & commoners Governance basically clan-based Charismatic individuals become nobles, occasionally assert authority Unusually fluid status for nobility Hereditary, but could be lost through incompetence Advancement for meritorious non-nobles

Military Organization Large confederations under a khan Authority extended through tribal elders Exceptionally strong cavalries Mobility Speed

Nomadic Religion Early religion revolved around shamans Supernatural powers Communicated w/gods & nature spirits

Nomadic Religion By sixth century adopted Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Islam, Manichaeism Conversion to Islam in tenth century due to Abbasid influence Turks responsible for spread of Islam into Anatolia and India.

Turkish Empires Saljuq Turks Persia & Anatolia Ghaznavid Turks Afghanistan & Northern India

Why are they historically significant? Mongols “The Mongols made no technological breakthroughs, founded no new religions, wrote few books or dramas” Why are they historically significant?

The Mongols and Eurasian Empire Built the largest empire in history stretching from Poland to China 13.8 million square miles 100 million people Chinggis/Genghis Khan

Who were the Mongols? From the steppes of eastern central Asia Nomadic peoples United under the leadership of Temujin a.k.a Chinggis Khan

Steppe

Strong Equestrians and Archers The Mongols were oriented around extreme mobility. They carried their houses with them, drank their own horse's blood to stay alive, and could travel up to 62 miles per day. They had an elaborate priority-mail-system which allowed orders to be transmitted rapidly across Eurasia. Mongol archers were very deadly and accurate Their arrows could kill enemies at 200 meters (Over 600 feet)

Chinese depiction of Chinggis From Temujin to “Universal Ruler” Born 1167, Orphaned at 10 “Mastered the art of steppe diplomacy” Personal courage, loyalty United Mongol tribes into a single confederation 1206 made Chinggis Khan Chinese depiction of Chinggis Khan

Political & Military Organization Formed military units that broke down tribal loyalties Awesome archers Large, quickly moving armies Effectively used psychological warfare

The wisdom of Chinggis Khan: “Man’s greatest 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 wives and daughters…”

Mongol Rule Nomadic invasions and migrations tested the military and administrative strengths of settled societies. When Mongols collapsed a government, they often adapted the existing administration structures to their purposes.

Chronology of the Mongol Empire 1206-1227 Reign of Chinggis Khan 1211-1234 Conquest of northern China 1219-1221 Conquest of Persia 1237-1241 Conquest of Russia 1258 Capture of Baghdad 1264-1279 Conquest of southern China

Shortly after Chinggis Khan’s death, his empire split into four Khanates

China: the Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368 Most famous ruler: Khubilai Khan Government administered by Mongols and non-Chinese advisors Allowed religious freedom but dismantled Confucian exam system Prohibited Chinese from learning the Mongol language. Khubilai Khan

Other Mongol Rule Golden Horde Didn’t occupy Russia hegemony in Russia until mid-fifteenth century Persian Ilkhanate Massacred over 200,000 poor administrators Over time assimilated into the culture Except in their own homeland, they were out of power in about 90 years

“Pax Mongolia?” Under the Mongols, there was unprecedented long-distance trade Mongols encouraged the exchange of people, technology, and information across their empire Weatherford: the Mongols were “civilization’s unrivaled cultural carriers…” Marco Polo en route to China