III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
A. Russia and Rule from Afar1. Mongol Rule in Russia• After the defeat of the Kievan Rus, • the Mongols of the Golden Horde made their capital at the
mouth of the Volga, - which was also the end of the overland caravan route from
Central Asia.• the Mongols ruled Russia “from afar,” - leaving the Orthodox Church in place - and using the Russian princes as their agents. • the main goal of the Golden Horde was to extract as much tax
revenue as possible from their subjects.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
2. Rise of Moscow• Prince Alexander of Novgorod had assisted the Mongols in
their conquest of Russia,• As a result, the Mongols favored Novgorod and Moscow
(ruled by Prince Alexander’s brother). • Mongol conquest led to devastation of the Ukrainian
countryside • caused the Russian population to shift from Kiev toward
Novgorod and Moscow,• Moscow emerged as the new center of the Russian
civilization.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
3. Effects of Mongol Domination• Historians Debate:• Negative effect on Russia, - bringing economic depression and cultural isolation• The Kievan state was already declining when the Mongols
came, - over-taxation of Russians under Mongol rule was the work
of the Russian princes, - Russia was isolated by the Orthodox church, - the structure of Russian government did not change
drastically under Mongol rule.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
4. End of Mongol Rule in Russia• Ivan III, the prince of Moscow, ended Mongol
rule in 1480 and adopted the title of tsar.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
B. New States in Eastern Europe and Anatolia1. Europe Divided• Europe was divided• the political forces of the papacy and those of
the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1212-1250).
• As a result,• Eastern Europe—particularly Hungary and
Poland—faced the Mongol attacks alone.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
2. Teutonic Knights• German speaking
Christian order of knights• “Northern Crusade”• Goal was to Christianize
the Slavic population of Northern Europe
• Defeated by Mongols and Alexander Nevskii in 1242
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
3. Mongol Conquest in Europe• The Mongol armies that attacked Europe were actually an
international force • including Mongols, Turks, Chinese, Iranians, and Europeans • led by Mongol generals. • “Mongol” armies drove to the outskirts of Vienna, striking
fear into the hearts of the Europeans• the Mongols withdrew in December 1241 so that the
Mongol princes could return to Mongolia- elect a successor to the recently deceased Great Khan
Ogodei.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
4. Cultural Exchange• Despite widespread fear of Mongol invasions,
Europeans did learn from their contact with the Mongols
- Diplomatic passports, coal mining, movable type, advanced metallurgy, mathematics, gunpowder, and canons
Read: Journey to the Land of the Tartars
The Human Record, pages 426-4301. How does William of Rubruck characterize the
Mongol lifestyle? 2. Describe the Mongol diet. Analyze why the Mongols
eat what and how they do?3. How does William of Rubruck characterize the status
of Mongol women?4. Based on this evidence, do you think that Rubruck
had a positive or negative attitude toward to Mongols? Be specific in supporting your conclusion.
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
5. Lithuania• Maintained independence by cooperating
with Mongols• Period of political centralization and military
strengthening• Dominated neighbors, Poland and the
Teutonic Knights
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
6. The Balkans• Independent well organized Kingdoms arose in
uncertainty of Mongol chaos and Byzantine collapse• Serbia• Archbishop became an independent patriarch• King Stephan Dushan (1308-1355) crowned “Tsar of
the Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians and Albanians”• Kingdom disappeared after defeat by the Ottomans
at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389
III. Regional Responses in Western Eurasia
7. The Ottoman Empire• Established a state in Anatolia• Took advantage of declining power of
Mongols and the Byzantines• Captured Constantinople in 1453.
IV. Mongol Domination in China
A. The Yuan Empire (1279-1368)1. Conquest (1206-1271)• Mongols conquered the Jin, Tanggut and
Southern Song Dynasties• In 1271, Khublia Khan declared himself
emperor of a unified China- Yuan Dynasty
IV. Mongol Domination in China
2. Mongol adapt Chinese Practices• Kubilai Khan gave his oldest son a Chinese
name• Confucian scholars participated in education
of the Khan’s children• Buddhist and Daoist leaders invited to court
IV. Mongol Domination in China
3. Bejing• Yuan Dynasty capital city• Terminus (end) of silk Road• Created closed Imperial complex- The “Forbidden City”• More Chinese than Mongolian
IV. Mongol Domination in China
4. Unification• Mongols unified China- Had been divided among
Tangutt, Jin and Southern Song Empires
• Each had different languages, writing systems, forms of government and culture
• The Mongols encouraged traditional Chinese government and culture
• Permanent reunification of China
IV. Mongol Domination in China
5. Social Ranking• Legally defined based of race and function1) Mongols- Warriors2) Central Asians and Middle Easterners- Census takers and tax collectors3) Northern Chinese4) Southern Chinese
IV. Mongol Domination in China
6. Mongol Government• China divided into provinces- Government officials centrally appointed• Tax farming• Use of Western Asian officials- Census- Tax collecting• Confucianism weakened• Status of merchants and doctors elevated
IV. Mongol Domination in China
7. Trade and communication• Horse based courier system maintained close
communication within empire• Roads were policed and safe• China reconnected to the Silk Road • cities and ports prospered• trade recovered• merchants flourished
IV. Mongol Domination in China
8. Urban Life• flourishing mercantile economy led the
Chinese gentry elite to move into the cities• where a lively urban culture of popular
entertainment, • vernacular literature,• and the Mandarin dialect of Chinese
developed
IV. Mongol Domination in China
9. Rural Life• cotton growing, spinning, and weaving were
introduced to mainland China from Hainan Island
• Mongols encouraged the construction of irrigation systems
• farmers in the Yuan were overtaxed and brutalized while dams and dikes were neglected
IV. Mongol Domination in China
10. Effects of Mongol Rule• Yuan period China’s population declined by perhaps as
much as 40 percent, • with northern China seeing the greatest loss of
population, • while the Yangzi Valley actually saw a significant increase.• Possible reasons for this pattern include:• warfare, the flooding of the Yellow River, north-south
migration, and the spread of diseases, including the bubonic plague in the 1300s.
IV. Mongol Domination in China
B. Scientific and Cultural Exchange1. Exchange of Goods • Between Yuan China and Il-khan Iran• China sent silks and porcelain west• Muslims oversaw engineering projects and
weapons manufacturing of Yuan armies
IV. Mongol Domination in China
2. Exchange of Ideas• Chinese ideas and technology- Astronomy, herbal medicine• Iranian ideas and technology- Observatory, doctors and medical text
IV. Mongol Domination in China
C. Fall of the Yuan Empire1. Collapse• Infighting among Mongol princes• Farmer rebellions• Zhu Yuanzhang led a military campaign that
destroyed the Yuan Empire• Founded the Ming dynasty
IV. Mongol Domination in China
2. Legacy• Cultural diversity- Mongols, Muslims Jews and Christians
remained in China• Mongols returned to Mongolia- Sense of Mongol unity
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
A. Korea from the Mongols to the Yi, (1231-1500)1. Mongol Domination• Korea’s leaders initially resisted the Mongol invasions• gave up in 1258 when the king of Koryo surrendered and
joined his family to the Mongols by marriage. • The Koryo kings then fell under the influence of the
Mongols, • Korea profited from exchange with the Yuan in which new
technologies: • including cotton, gunpowder, astronomy, calendar making,
and celestial clocks were introduced.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
2. Koryo Collapse• shortly after the fall of the Yuan• replaced by the Yi dynasty. • the Yi reestablished local identity • restored the status of Confucian scholarship
while maintaining Mongol administrative practices and institutions.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
3. Yi dynasty• Technological innovations of the Yi period include: • the use of moveable type in copper frames,
meteorological science, a local calendar, the use of fertilizer, and the engineering of reservoirs.
• The growing of cash crops, particularly cotton, became common during the Yi period.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
4. Military Technology• The Koreans were innovators in military
technology. • Among their innovations were: • patrol ships with cannon mounted on them,
gunpowder arrow-launchers, and armored ships.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
B. Political Transformation in Japan1. Attempted Mongol Conquest• The first (unsuccessful) Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274 made the
decentralized local lords of Kamakura Japan develop a greater sense of unity• the shogun took steps to centralize planning and preparation for the expected
second assault.• The second Mongol invasion (1281) was defeated by a combination of
Japanese defensive preparations and a typhoon - Kamikaze – Divine Wind . • The Kamakura regime continued to prepare for further invasions. • As a result:- the warrior elite consolidated their position in Japanese society, - trade and communication within Japan increased, - but the Kamakura government found its resources strained by the expense of
defense preparations.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
2. Collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate • The Kamakura shogunate was destroyed in a civil
war • the Ashikaga shogunate was established in 1338. • The Ashikaga period was characterized by a
relatively weak shogunal state and strong provincial lords
• who sponsored the development of markets, religious institutions, schools, increased agricultural production, and artistic creativity.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
3. Decentralization in Japan• After the Onin war of 1477, • the shogunate exercised no power• the provinces were controlled by
independent regional lords who fought with each other.
• The regional lords also carried out trade with continental Asia.
V. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
C. The Emergence of Vietnam 1. Political Division• Vietnam was divided between two states: • the Chinese-influenced Annam in the north• the Indian-influenced Champa in the south. • The Mongols extracted tribute from both states,
but with the fall of the Yuan Empire, they began to fight with each other.
. Centralization and Militarism in East Asia 1200-1500
2. Independence and Unification • The Ming Dynasty ruled Annam through a puppet
government for almost thirty years in the early fifteenth century
• until the Annamese threw off Ming control in 1428. • By 1500 Annam had completely conquered
Champa • established a Chinese-style government over all of
Vietnam.