Download
1 / 34
340 likes | 494 Views
The Mongols. Creating an Empire. The Mongols. Mongols were nomads who lived in north China steppe (area of dry grassland) along with Huns, Turks, & other tribes; Mongols used horses & raised cattle & sheep; were excellent warriors. Chinese Steppe. The Mongols.
E N D
The Mongols Creating an Empire
The Mongols • Mongols were nomads who lived in north China steppe (area of dry grassland) along with Huns, Turks, & other tribes; Mongols used horses & raised cattle & sheep; were excellent warriors
The Mongols • Around 1200, a Mongol clan leader named Genghis Khan (“universal ruler”) unified the Mongols under his leadership. • For the next 21 year, he conquered much of Asia.
Genghis Khan • For the next 20 years, Genghis Khan led a campaign of terror throughout Central Asia, destroying cities and slaughtering people.
Genghis Khan 3 factors that contributed to his success: • Well-organized army with experienced fighters. • Genghis Khan was able to outthink & outwit his enemies. • Used cruelty as a weapon. It convinces others to surrender without a fight.
Genghis Khan • He died in 1227, but his successors continued to expand the empire. • Under Genghis’s son and grandsons the Mongols conquered: - China - parts of Korea - Russia - threatened Eastern Europe
The Mongol Rulers • In 1260, the empire was divided into 4 areas called khanates: - Mongolia and China - Central Asia - Persia - Russia
The Mongol Rulers • The rulers of these areas gradually adopted the culture of the people they ruled. (examples: West became Muslim, China took on Chinese culture) • This contributed to the splitting of the empire.
Mongol Rulers • Tolerant rulers in times of peace. Rarely imposing their beliefs on others. • Imposed stability, law and order across Eurasia. • Provided safety and trade between Europe and Asia which led to the Pax Mongolica.
Pax Mongolica • Means “Mongol Peace” • The Mongols guaranteed safe passage for trade caravans, travelers, and missionaries throughout their empire. • Trade between Europe and Asia was extremely active. Many Chinese innovations reach Europe for the 1st time.
Pax Mongolica • Some historians also believe that the bubonic plague that devastated Europe in the 1300s was first spread by the Mongols. • The disease might have traveled along trade routes to have been passed by infected Mongol troops.
Kublai Khan • Grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, took power in 1260. • In 1279, Kublai Khan finally defeated the Chinese army and became the first foreigner to gain complete control of China.
Kublai Khan • He founded the Yuan dynasty that ruled China for about 100 years. • His dynasty united China for the first time in several hundred years and open China to trade with the west. (Making him one of China’s greatest emperors.)
Kublai Khan • The Mongols did not disrupt Chinese government or culture, they adopted it. • Kublai Khan adopted Chinese culture and built a new capital city in Beijing. He enjoyed living the luxurious life of a Chinese emperor.
“I have heard that one can conquer the empire on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback.” - Kublai Khan’s Chinese Advisor
Kublai Khan’s Empire • Mongol ways would not work in a sophisticated civilization like China. • To rule his empire, Kublai Khan continued Chinese practices. v.
Kublai Khan’s Empire • Mongols had little in common with their Chinese subjects. • The Mongols kept separate identities, lived apart from the Chinese and obey different laws.
Kublai Khan’s Empire • They kept the Chinese out of high government positions, but retained Chinese officials to serve locally. • Most high positions went to Mongols or foreigners. The Mongols believed that foreigners were more trustworthy since they had no local loyalties.
Marco Polo • The most famous European foreigner to visit China during this time was a young Venetian trader , Marco Polo.
Marco Polo • He arrived at Kublai Khan’s court around 1275 and Polo ended up serving the Khan for 17 years. (Remember Kublai liked to give government positions to foreigners.) • Kublai recognized his “merit and worth” and sent him on special missions around the empire.
Marco Polo • Polo returned to Venice in 1292. • During a war in Venice he was later captured and imprisoned. In prison, he told the full story of his travel and adventures in China. • Fellow prisoners recorded his tales, workings of Kublai’s government and aspects of Chinese life in his book, The Travels of Marco Polo.
Marco Polo • Polo described China’s fabulous cities, it fantastic wealth, and strange things he saw there. - He mentioned burning of “black stones” (coal) in Chinese homes. • His book was an instant success in Europe, but many didn’t believe a word of it.
End of Mongol Rule • In the last years of Kublai Khan’s rule weakness began to appear. • His armies and navies suffered defeats in their expansion efforts. • Heavy spending on wars, public works, and luxuries created resentment among the overtaxed Chinese.
End of Mongol Rule • Kublai Khan died in 1294. After his death the Yuan dynasty began to fade. - Succession issues caused conflict, 4 Khans in 8 years. - Rebellions broke out in many parts of China. - Economic problems and official corruption.
End of Mongol Rule • The Chinese rebels finally overthrew the Mongols in 1368. • The Chinese founded the new Ming dynasty
Kublai Khan’s Legacy Kublai Khans’ Legacy: • Rebuilt the Grand Canal. • Because of the Pax Mongolica, foreign trade increased, which took Chinese products like printing, gun powder, paper money, the compass, and playing cards to Europe. • He invited foreign merchants to visit China.
