Who were the Mongols? Read about the Mongols & write 3 facts that you learned from the reading

1. Who were the Mongols? Read about the Mongols & write 3 facts that you learned from the reading

2. Who were the Mongols? The Mongols were among the numerous nomadic tribes who lived in Central Asia

3. Who were the Mongols? The Mongols lived in the harsh climate of the Eurasian steppe, an area with little rain & extreme temperatures Mongol life centered on herding animals, especially horses Mongols lived as nomadic clans, constantly searching for better pasture lands

4. Who were the Mongols? As a result of their lifestyle, the Mongols were tough warriors who occasionally raided nearby settlements

5. Genghis Khan From 1200 to 1206, a clan leader named Genghis Khan unified the Mongols Genghis Khan built a powerful Mongol army & began a 21-year conquest of Eurasia

7. Under Genghis & later khans, the Mongols conquered… Russia Korea Central Asia China the Islamic Empire

9. How did the Mongols create this massive empire? Mongol soldiers were excellent horsemen; Used the horse saddle to shoot arrows while riding

10. How did the Mongols create this massive empire? If an enemy refused to surrender, Genghis would order the death of the entire population As the Mongol reputation spread, many towns surrendered to Genghis without a fight Genghis was a brilliant military organizer & strategist, but his greatest tactic was terror & fear

11. “In the countries that have not yet been overrun by them, everyone spends the night afraid that they may appear there too.” (Arab historian)

12. The Impact of the Mongol Empire The Mongols were merciless in battle, but tolerant as rulers Mongol khans (rulers) often adopted parts of the culture of the people they conquered In the East, Mongols embraced Chinese culture In the West, Mongols converted to Islam

13. The Impact of the Mongol Empire Chinese technologies like gunpowder & the magnetic compass reached Europe But diseases like the plague (Black Death) reached Europe too Mongol khans brought stability & order to Eurasia The era from the mid-1200s to the mid-1300s is called the Pax Mongolica (“Mongol Peace”) During the Pax Mongolica, the Mongols guaranteed safe passage across the Silk Road As a result, trade & cultural diffusion increased between Europe & Asia

14. After the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire was divided into 4 major khanates each ruled by a son or grandson of Genghis The Mongol destruction of Kiev increased the importance of Moscow in Russia The khanate in Persia helped control the Silk Road The Mongols were the first non-Muslims to rule over the Islamic Empire

15. After the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire was divided into 4 major khanates each ruled by a son or grandson of Genghis But the most significant khanate was the Mongol rule over China In 1279, Genghis’ grandson Kublai Khan became the first foreign leader to rule China

16. Kublai Khan Kublai enjoyed Chinese culture so much that he moved the Mongolian capital to China Kublai Khan began a new era in China called the Yuan Dynasty But, he excluded the Chinese from serving in high gov’t offices & relied on foreigners to serve in his government

17. Kublai proved to be a good emperor for China Under Kublai, foreign trade with China increased due to the Pax Mongolica He built roads & extended the Grand Canal to help improve transportation in China

18. Marco Polo In 1275, a European merchant named Marco Polo visited Kublai Khan’s court Kublai was so impressed with Marco Polo that he employed him in the Yuan gov’t for 17 years When Marco Polo returned to Italy in 1792, his stories of China increased European demand for Asian trade

19. By the time of Kublai’s death in 1294, the entire Mongol Empire was growing weak In 1480, under Ivan III Russia gained independence from Mongol rule & started the Romanov Dynasty In 1370, the Mongols lost control of Central Asia In 1368, the Chinese overthrew the Mongols & started the Ming Dynasty In 1330, the Mongols lost control of Persia

20. Who were the Mongols: The “Makers of Peace” OR the “Devils’ Horsemen”? Document 1: Although originally nomads, the Mongols were very pragmatic about adopting useful innovations and readily assimilated advanced siege technology. And they were superb gatherers and users of military intelligence. Document 2: Conquered areas were generally left under native governors. China was the exception; there the Mongols tended to use outsiders whenever possible. Religious tolerance was important in consolidating rule. Document 3: Once asked what he enjoyed, Genghis Khan supposedly said: "The greatest joy a man can know is to conquer his enemies and drive them before him. To ride their horses and take away their possessions. To see the faces of those who were dear to them bedewed with tears, and to clasp their wives and daughters in his arms"

21. Who were the Mongols: The “Makers of Peace” OR the “Devils’ Horsemen”? Document 4: The Mongol unification of a vast area had made it possible for the first time to travel safely from Europe to China. This incredible window of trans-Eurasian contact lasted only a few decades but its impact was profound. Gunpowder, the compass, a siege machine called the trebuchet, possibly the concept of the clock escapement, and the concept of printing came to Europe. Document 5: Abdullah Wassaf, a Persian historian once said: "They swept through the city like hungry falcons attacking a flight of doves, or like raging wolves attacking sheep, with loose reins and shameless faces, murdering and spreading terror...beds and cushions made of gold and encrusted with jewels were cut to pieces with knives and torn to shreds. Those hiding were dragged...through the streets and alleys, each of them becoming a plaything...as the population died at the hands of the invaders."

22. Who were the Mongols: The “Makers of Peace” OR the “Devils’ Horsemen”? Document 6: They received warnings from their neighbors before the attack: "These terrible strangers have taken our country, and tomorrow they will take yours if you do not come and help us.” Document 7: Mongol battle tactics were a result of their lifestyle. Between their nomadism and their traditional clan warfare, they received constant practice in riding and archery. Unlike the cumbersome European armies of the time, the Mongols traveled very light and demonstrated extraordinary endurance, living off the land and often spending several days at a time in the saddle. Their mobility—up to 100 miles a day—was unheard of by armies of the time.

23. Who were the Mongols: The “Makers of Peace” OR the “Devils’ Horsemen”? Document 8: To the Mongols, resistance and rebellion was countered by ruthless annihilation. In the conquest of Persia, these strategies amounted to "Resist, and you die; cooperate, and you will be better off." This attitude wasn't entirely restricted to the Mongols; the prevailing rule of war was that a besieged city could obtain surrender terms, but if the city resisted and forced the issue to the bitter end, it would bear the consequences. Document 9: Iraq in 1258 had agriculture that was supported by a canal network thousands of years old. Baghdad was one of the most brilliant intellectual centers in the world. The Mongols filled in the irrigation canals and left Iraq too depopulated to restore them. Document 10: Women in Mongol society enjoyed a high status and rights that were rare for that time and much later.

24. Who were the Mongols: The “Makers of Peace” OR the “Devils’ Horsemen”?