Questions to address in group• How did the Mongols govern the regions

of their empire?

• How did the Mongols impact regions of the empire?

• What was the nature of cultural exchange in the empire?

• How did Mongol rule impact the future? Positive/ Negative

• How and why did perceptions of the Mongols vary?

The The MongolsMongols

Last Last Nomadic Nomadic ChallengeChallenge

ss

Mongol Empire Mongol Empire Under Under Genghis Genghis ((ChinggisChinggis)) Khan Khan

• Nomadic herders

• Social division

• Confederations

• Leadership - merit

How important was Genghis Khan to the success of the Mongols?

Mongol Empire Under Chinggis (Genghis) Khan

• Building the war machine

–Best cavalry and weapons

• Mongols Under Chinggis Khan

–Resisting cities destroyed/cooperating cities pay tribute/ conq. N. Chinese areas

- battle tactic – attack with cavalry, feign retreat draw enemy into trap

• "The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them bathed in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters"

• -GENGHIS KHAN

Life Under Mongol ImperiumLife Under Mongol Imperium

• How/ why were the Mongols successful in creating an empire?

• What would it have been like to live in the Empire?

Mongol Empire Under Mongol Empire Under Genghis Khan – Genghis Khan – Pax MongoliaPax Mongolia

–Fearsome yet tolerant - religion

–Open to new ideas –

–Advisors diverse

–Law code

–Peace and commerce to Eurasia

Death of Genghis Khan (1227 CE)

–Empire divided

Mongols drive westward…Mongols drive westward…

• How did the Mongols conquer eastern Europe & western Asia?

Mongols Drive West – Mongols Drive West – the Golden Hordethe Golden Horde

• Kiev and Novgorod differences

• Tatars/Tartars; “from hell”

• Russia under Mongol rule

– Vassals and tribute

– Moscow prospers - tax collectors

Mongol influence on Russia –

– Military, politics and isolation from west;

Mongols &Mongols &IslamIslam

• Why didn’t the Mongols conquer the rest of Europe?

• How did the Mongols impact the Islamic world?

• How did the adoption of Islam impact the western Mongol states?

II. Mongols Drive WestII. Mongols Drive West• Mongol Incursions and Retreat in Eur.

–Western view of Khan -

–Death of Ogodei (the great Khan)

• Mongol Assault on Islam –ILKHAN Empire

–Conquered Islamic Persia

–Conquered Islamic “Abbasid” Iraq

–Defeated by Turkish Malmuks / Battle of Ain Jalut - 1260

–Khan of Golden Horde converts to Islam

Mongols in ChinaMongols in China

• How did the Mongols impact government and social structure?

• How did the role/status of Mongol women compare to the Confucian tradition?

Mongols in China –

Yuan dynastyYuan dynasty• What was the impact of the

Mongols on China?

• What was the impact of China on the Mongols?

• How did urban life evolve?

Mongols in ChinaMongols in China• Khubilai Khan defeats Song

• Mongol cultural distinction by law

• Refused Civil Service exams

• New social order among elite: Mongols Nomadic and Islamic allies N. Chinese S. ChineseCentral govt positions: Top groups

Local admin: bottom groups

Yuan cont’dYuan cont’d• Gender Roles and Culture

–Mongol women refuse Confucianism – no footbinding!

–Helped artisan & merchant classes; merchants: privileges

• Cities flourish…

• Confucian scholar gentry hated it!

• But also helped the peasants

• However:• included Confucian values and

ideals in laws• standardized the government• tax farming (burden to the peasants

– esp in the beginning)• districts for the purpose of census

taking and administration/ broke down distinctions of Tanggut, Jin & Song

• Increased prestige for merchants

• Technology booms

• Silk road and maritime trade boom

• Created unified China

• Paper $ (again)

• Idea of elementary education

• Mongol Tolerance–Open to new ideas and all

religions

–Welcomed foreigners

• Muslims, Daoists, European Christians, Persians

• Ibn Battuta & Marco Polo

Polo Bros greet Khubilai

ImpactImpact

• What was the overall impact of the Mongols on China?

• Mongol impact–40% decline of Chinese population –Social upheavals–Caused pop. movement to south– poverty & infanticide – Mandarin language–Black DeathBlack Death spread throughout

empire & beyond (14th century)– Perhaps 16 million descendants of Ghengis

Khan!…

Other…Other…• New military knowledge to

Europe and Asia

• Increased trade and cultural contact

• Trading empires later used for European expansion

• But again…transmitted Black Death

Mongol Interlude interrupted!Mongol Interlude interrupted!

• Brief Time of Timur/ TamerlaneTimur/ Tamerlane

–Turk from noble clan (though Mongol wannabe)

–Didn’t bring same positive effects as Mongols

• Cultured & violent; pyramids of skulls…

• How was the Ming similar to and different from the Yuan?

• What did the Ming accomplish?

• Why did the Ming eventually isolate themselves?

Ming Dynasty Ming Dynasty 1368-15001368-1500• 1368- established by former soldier,

bandit, and Buddhism monk Zhu Yangzhang Hongwu

• organized dynasty into highly centralized military empire

• Hongwu sought 1st to remove any remaining Mongol influences in China–Trade and the economic system was

impacted–Removal of the paper money economy

• Yongle – cap back to Beijing;

• Re-instituted civil service exam – led to many elite withdrawing from business

• Ming rulers kept the Mongols in position of interpreters and kept many of the innovations introduced during the Yuan Dynasty

• Agric never rose to Song level

The Forbidden city or Imperial Palace of the Ming Emperors

Ming porcelain

Zheng HeZheng He• Ocean voyages: 1405-31.

–Chinese Treasure Junks

–Effective Muslim ambassador to Middle East

–twofold mission:

–see what the outside world had to offer and gain prestige for the Ming

–visit Chinese merchants and ensure their alliance to the emperor

Model of Zheng He’s junk

Comparison to Columbus’s vessel

• Expense, attacks by northern nomads and disregard for merchants led to the end of end of naval explorationnaval exploration

• Isolation…Isolation…• Korea & JapanKorea & Japan begin to begin to

eclipse China in eclipse China in technology…technology…

Developments in East AsiaDevelopments in East Asia• Korea – failed to defend from

Mongols (20 yr war!); became Mongol state but was stimulated by it;

• 1392-1910 - Yi/ Joseon (Chosun) dynasty; hangul; cotton production

• Vietnam – pd tribute; during Ming Annam conq. & unif w/ Champa = vietnam; kept conf. phil. but more rts for women

•Korean Turtle ship

• Japan – Mongols fail to conquer: Kamikazi; built defenses; new shogunate;

• Zen warrior elite

• Superior steel

• Regional wars begin late 1400’s – last ca. 100 yrs; ag. Shogun & each other

Japanese Noh theater

Same mask/diff anglediff emotion