1. Mongol Empire Mini-Unit

2. Overview Introduction Timeline Geography Background Genghis Khan
Mongol Military
Government & Culture
Pax Mongolica
Downfall
Legacy
Mongol Empire Vocabulary List
khan
Karakorum
ordu
Yam
Yassa
Kurultai
Silk Road
Ain Jalut
Kublai Khan

3. Introduction
The main idea of this mini-unit is to see the impact that the Mongols had on the world
They were very unlikely candidates to ever be a major empire, but under the leadership of Genghis Khan, they changed the world forever

4. Timeline Genghis Khan (1206 – 1227) Ogedai Khan (1227-1241)
Power Struggles ( )
Kublai Khan ( )
Khanates & Decline (1294 – 1368)
Fall and Relict States ( )

5. Background The Mongol culture was originally a nomadic horse culture
The Mongols were also very tribal, with frequent raids and clashes between tribes and small groups
Their environment was perfectly suited to train their warriors as durable cavalry soldiers
The Mongol culture was not “civilized” before Genghis Khan’s reforms

6. Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan “rose from obscurity” (he was born an ordinary person who made himself into one of history’s most influential leaders)
He promoted meritocracy, not aristocracy
He first united the Mongol tribes, then led them to conquer large parts of Central Asia
He also brought order and discipline to the entire culture in a short amount of time

7. Mongol Military
Based on cavalry; horse archers were their key component
Leadership & loyalty were a result of the yassa system (meritocracy)
Organization was superb, based on decimal system
Their speed and mobility was unmatched by any of their opponents
They were vicious, cunning opponents who would win using any means necessary (psychological warfare, terror, distractions, etc.)

8. Mongol Culture
The Mongol culture was sometimes called “parasitic” by historians: they produced little of their own, compared to other empires
However, they encouraged the advancements and arts of conquered peoples, and facilitated trade through tolerance and cultural exchange

9. Mongol Government
Beginning with Genghis Khan, yassa laws that enforced strict order in the empire
Trade was encouraged, so it could be taxed
Foreigners were conscripted to serve in various parts of the empire
The yam system of relay riders helped them keep control over the empire through fast communication
One weakness was succession: by law, the Kurultai had to meet to elect a new khan; this stopped several conquests at inopportune times

10. “Pax Mongolica” An unprecedented era of peace and trade in Asia
Trade led to advances in art, science, and public works
This also led to Mongol tolerance of cultures and religions, for the sake of trade and peace within the empire
This cultural exchange led to a greater connection between the different parts of Asia (most notably, through the Silk Road)
Even Europe began to desire trade with Asia

11. Downfall of Mongol Empire
Main Idea: The transition from uncivilized to empire was probably doomed to fail at some point….
Failed conquests of Japan, Indonesia, and the rest of the Middle East cost $$ and manpower
Civil wars and power struggles erupted between the different khanates, especially over succession (old tribal ways)
Gradually, the Mongols assimilated into the cultures they had conquered, as their political and military power faded away

12. Legacy
Much of the academic thinking about the Mongol Empire has changed recently
They were not simply bloodthirsty savages, as earlier historians thought.
Their methods of conquering were barbaric, but as rulers they were surprisingly tolerant
They promoted cultural exchange and connections between East and West
They destroyed the remnants of the old feudal system ways in Asia
They had a severely negative impact on the Muslim world, in particular by completely destroying Baghdad in 1258 (the academic and cultural center of Islam at the time)
They killed millions of people throughout Asia (perhaps as many as 60 million in China alone!)
Historians have argued that they made the Muslim culture of the Middle East and the nation of Russia both extremely xenophobic
Their conquests and trade directly and indirectly inspired Europeans to seek trade with the “Orient” (Polo, Columbus, etc.) which led to the eventual rise of Western Europe