AP World History The Mongols ( 3 rd Periodization)

Mongols (Around CE)  Basic Characteristics 1. Pastoral Nomadic Group 2. Originated in the Central Asian Steppes 3. Would create the world’s largest empire to date 4. Clan-Based Society (They were homies ) 5. Organized based on bloodlines 6. Genghis Khan ( Responsible for united various Mongol tribes) 7. Greatest Strength was their mobility (WHAT!!!!!!!)

It’s all about male mobilization  Every Male from had to serve in army and was rewarded with captured goods ( Yes, they stole from people they conquered, and gave it back to the people that originally took it- of course if the Khan didn’t want it)  Military Strategy- retreat, as if they were beat and the turn around and resume attack ( They were “tricksters”)  Masters of psychological warfare ( They liked to mess with people)  Great Genghis Khan quote: “Submit and Live. Resist and Die”

The Mongols on the Move  Under Khan the Mongols forced themselves onto settled societies  Central Asia  Tibet  Northern China  Persia  reached present day Beijing  Afghanistan  Khan dies and his empire is divided amongst his four sons  HORDES

1279- Grandson Time  Kublai Khan defeats the Southern Song Dynasty and for the 1 st time ever in history, China was under foreign rule ( this would not last)  Khan created a Chinese-Style dynasty ( He knew the Chinese people would mess him up, if they didn’t)- takes the name YUAN  Fixed and regular tax payment system  Strong central government  Foreigners ( not Chinese  ) were employed in the bureaucracy)  For now: Bye-bye civil service exam  The Chinese were subject to different laws and were consciously separated from the Mongols.

Grandson #2 Hulegu  defeats the Abbasid Caliphate  Mongols employed local bureaucrats in the gov’t and converted to Islam by  Local rulers were permitted to Rule, as long as they delivered tax revenue and maintained order.  Mongol culture mixed with conquered people  As they moved West, they met their first and only major defeat ( remember they were strong- you did not want to mess with them).  Armies of the Malmuks- a slave dynasty in Egypt defeated in 1260 and stopped the Mongols from penetrating that region.

The Golden Horde: Russia  Mongol Ruler Batu- conquers and rules Russia while leaving in place a large number of local rulers.  Heavily taxes peasants- but they were collected by Russian Bureaucrats.  Trade was supported, and although they were Muslim and conversion was encouraged, missionaries were allowed to Visit!

The Pax Monglia  Peak of Mongolian Power: huge areas of Asia and Europe were under one rule, there was a period of Mongol Peace.  For almost a century ( That’s almost a 100 years people)- Mongol Rule united Two continents and allowed for relatively safe trade and contacts between very different cultures.  How you Ask? Well maybe- They eliminated Tariffs!  Trade on the Silk Road reached its greatest height (NOT JUST GOODS!)  Paper Money ( Thank you Chinese!)- was used throughout the Mongol Empire  Mongols converted to or adopted local religions ( or lets just say at least they were religiously tolerant)

Time to say goodbye Mongols  The Mongolian Empire does Decline in spite of their generosity in lifting Tariffs and tolerating religions.  From Once again the Mongol are on the Move- they got greedy- and invaded Japan.  Typhoon winds destroyed their fleets both times  The Japanese believed these Kamikaze or sacred winds had protected them.

Final Mongol Thoughts  They were successful conquerors but poor administrators  Overspending let to inflation in different corners of the Empire  The Death of Kublai, left them with weak and ineffective leadership.  Rivalry among successors of the great Khan further destabilized the empire and vast domain was divided amongst generals  By most of the Mongols huge territory had been re-conquered by other armies.