1. 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

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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