The Mongols SWBAT: understand who the Mongols were and follow the path of the Mongols as they conquered settled societies across much of Asia. Focus: You will receive page reading of the Mongol Empire. You are to read this and be ready for discussion

Who were they? Nomadic people north of China Skilled on Horseback Fierce fighters Courageous Ruthless

Where did they live? The Steppe Open grassland They were pastoralists – they herded animals Clans develop – they usually shared a common ancestor

Genghis Khan He defeated his clan’s rivals one by one He unified the clans under his control Next 21 years – conquered much of Asia 4 reasons why he was so successful Brilliant Organizer Excellent Strategist Used latest weaponry Used cruelty and terror tactics Died of illness in about 1227

The Empire His sons continued to expand his empire (see page 298 in the book) By 1260, the empire was divided into 4 parts ruled by descendents A Mongol Peace lasted from

Kublai Khan’s Empire Genghis’s grandson He ruled over all of China Founded the Yuan Dynasty that lasted until 1368 Pushed foreign contacts and trade with Europe He was emperor of China and lived richly

Failure to Conquer Japan Tried twice to invade Japan in 1274 and again 1281 The first time failed The second time – sent a fleet of 150,000 warriors that was destroyed by a typhoon The Japanese called it kamikaze, or “Divine Wind”

Governing China Mongol rulers kept the highest positions but gave the Chinese local positions that were carefully watched Kublai Khan supported foreign trade which exported porcelain, printing, gunpowder, and silk

End of Mongol Rule The empire started to fail with a series of military defeats that were costly in men and money There was a lot of resentment among the Chinese peasants over the wealth of the Mongol leaders

Who is Marco Polo? Polo was an Italian trader that worked for Kublai Khan for 17 years Polo had most of his stories gathered into a book which shared for the first time what life was like in China Europe did not believe that China was the most advanced civilization of the time

The Mongol Empire Activity You will receive a 2 sided reading about the Mongols. This gives you much information about them. Activity: You have the choice of one of two activities. Choice 1: You can create a flow map of 5-6 points of Mongol rule and major events Choice 2: You are to create a bubble map of 5-6 main points, people, or events that describe the Mongols, who they are, and their empire

Ticket to Leave Answer the following question What characteristics of Mongol culture do you think contributed to their military success? Explain