Nomadic empire

nomads are arguably quintessential wanderers organised

in family assemblies with a relatively undifferentiated
economic life and rudimentary systems of political
organisation.

The term ‘empire’, on the other hand, carries

with it the sense of a material location, a stability derived
from complex social and economic structures and the
governance of an extensive territorial dominion through an
elaborate administrative system.
 The Mongols
In the 1200s a nomadic people called the Mongols burst forth from Central
Asia to create the largest land empire in history.

Nomads from the Steppe Fierce Warriors

• Vast steppes, grasslands, stretch • Like Huns, Turks, the Mongols

across north-central Eurasia, home
to nomadic peoples
• Steppes too dry for farming
• Nomads relied on herds of
domesticated animals
• Often traded; but also swept down
on settlements, took what they
wanted
emerged as powerful nomadic
people on Central Asian steppes
• Herded sheep, goats
• Skilled with horses
• Accustomed to living in harsh
environment, competing for scarce
resources
• Tough people, fierce warriors
The Mongols were a diverse body of people, linked
by similarities of language to the Tatars, Khitan and
Manchus to the east, and the Turkic tribes to the
west.

Classification of mongols

→ Pastoralists
→ Huntergatherers
 Mongol Empire
•Empire was first
divided into four (1865)

different sections called

khanates.
• Each was ruled by a
single khan, and all were
overruled by a “Great
Khan.”

(“Arts”)
Rise of the Mongols
Mongol groups formed complex federation,
often tied together by marriage alliances.

When normal trade relations were interrupted,

nomads tended to make war on settled
agriculturists.
 Reasons for Mongol Success
 Excelled in warfare
– Horse riding ability
– Properties of their bows
– Tactics: Retreat, turn, flank, destroy
– Fear and terror
 Adaptability
– Adapted new weapons to suit their need
– Adapted different tactics to different defenses
 Inclusiveness
– Would offer protection for surrenders
– Would use local religions to suit the needs of their
conquests (Buddhism & Islam)
Impact of the Mongol
Genghis unifies much of Eurasia
Alters balance of power,
imposes political control as
well as cultural
Opened up lines of direct
communication between East
Asia and Europe – Transaction =
trade, technology, religion.
Reaches height and conquered
more then half of Asia
The Mongol Peace
• Mongols built empire with brutality, ruled peacefully
• Tolerated local beliefs, ways of life, allowed local rulers to stay in power as
long as they paid tribute to Mongols
• Some Mongols adopted aspects of more civilized cultures; Mongols in
Central Asia, Persia, adopted Islam

Stability in Asia
• Mongol Empire established peace, stability across Asia
• Some historians call period Pax Mongolica, “Mongol Peace”
• Guarded trade routes across Asia, allowed trade to increase; people, goods,
ideas flowed across Asia
• Some believe Black Plague spread from Asia to Europe during period
What were the positive aspects of the Mongol
conquests?
cultural exchanges
trade increases & is safe
artisans & commerce flourish
peace in Asia
exchange of ideas
brought new military knowledge(gunpowder)
Mongols favoured peasants( taxes reduced)
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (1162-1227), who is still mentioned frequently in
Mongolia. He consolidated the Mongol tribes and led them to
create by conquest perhaps the largest empire in the history of the
world. He fought successful military campaigns from Poland and
Hungary to the west and to the border of Vietnam in the southeast.

In 1206 the Mongols named him Genghis

Khan, or Universal Ruler.
The Unification of the Mongols
Before 1200, the Mongols were not joined together in a
single group; population b/w 1.5 and 3 million
Tribes often went to war against each other
Disunity came to an end after 1200 due to the rise of a
warlord named Temujin (Genghis Khan)
He had been born into a family that had been disgraced
during a clan dispute, but he still managed to become an
important tribal leader as an adult
In 1206, he did what no one else had been able to do: he
united the dozens of Mongol tribes under one authority
The Universal Ruler
Genghis Khan was a world
historic butcher. He
slaughtered untold numbers,
ranging into the millions. As far
as can be determined, his
campaigns, coupled with the
resulting famine and disease,
eliminated one-fourth of the
population of China, from 80
to 60 million.
The Genghis Khan 's Army
Facts About Genghis Army
well discipline
speed & mobility of troops
Built in small, very structured troops that was able to
defeat huge armies
Army was known for great horsemen
army included heavy & light cavalry
harsh discipline( punishment & rewards for conduct)
Used gunpowder & cannon during wars
Weapons and equipments used by
army
What was the nature of the military
organization established by Genghis Khan?
 train from a young age
 variety of weapons
 all cavalry
 tumens – 10,000 warriors, then divided again by 10’s
 commanders at each level responsible for training,
arming & discipline
 heavy & light cavalry
 scouting parties
 messenger force
 spies
 strong discipline
 map makers
 best armed, trained, experienced, mobile & disciplined
army in world
What was the nature of the administration of the
Mongol Empire established under Genghis Khan?
 consulted Confucian scholars on how to govern China
 Muslim engineers to build weapons & improve trade
 Daoist holy men on elixir’s
 admin framework drew on Muslim & Chinese
bureaucrats
 script developed for language
 legal code
 peace brings better trade, artisans, scholars
 tolerant of other religions
 open to new ideas
 build world where diverse people live together
Where does he stand?

CONQUERERS (square miles they conquered)

1. Genghis Khan (1162-1227) 4,860,000

2. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) 2,180,000
3. Timur (1336-1405) 2,145,000
4. Cyrus the Great (600-529 B.C.) 2,090,000
5. Attila (406-453) 1,450,000
6. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) 1,370,000
7. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) 720,000
The Mongols after Genghis Khan

We can divide Mongol expansion after Genghis

Khan’s death into two distinct phases:
The first which spanned the years 1236-42 when
the major gains were in the Russian steppes,
Bulghar, Kiev, Poland and Hungary.
The second phase including the years 1255-1300
led to the conquest of all of China (1279), Iran,
Iraq and Syria.
 Ogedei khan

The new great “khan” was Genghis’s 3rd son, Ogodei

Under his rule the empire reached tremendous
proportions
He built capital: Karakorum
In east, they had almost taken over all of China (they will
eventually take the Song in the 1260’s) and in 1231 he
forced Korea into tributary status
Calls his nephew, Batu, and the general Subudei to
conquer as much of Europe as possible.
 They conquered most of Russia and the Ukraine
Overextension and Breakdown of the Mongol
Empire
Soon began to break apart after its size and
power peaked
The last khan who truly ruled over a united
Mongol Empire was Mongke.
Died in 1260, civil war broke out between
Genghis Khan’s nephews and grandsons
The empire’s 4 largest units became
independent states
Independent states after mongke

Golden Horde

Great
Chagatai Khanate
Khanate

Ilkhan
Khanate
Map of Mongolia Today
(a)The Onon River in northeastern (b) Youngsters racing at a summer
Mongolia, where a boy named Temujin was festival
born