The Mongol Empire

Why would a Russian guy in the 1800’s paint this image of the Mongol invasion of Russia? (This is a POV question).

THE MONGOL EMPIRE

China and the Mongols (1271-1368)

The most difficult conquest for the Mongols (70 years)Reunite ChinaWanted to extract wealth from ChinaEnded up accommodating Chinese

culture and gov’t.○Began the Yuan Dynasty○Moved the capital to Beijing

Khubilai Khan tries to invade Japan, Vietnam, and Java – ALL FAIL

The GOOD:Khubilai Khan (1271 – 1294) improved roads, lowered

some taxes, supported peasant agricultureUsed Confucian ritualsReligiously tolerant (all Mongols were)

The BAD:Did not become “Chinese”Relied on Muslims to help ruleDiscriminated against Han ChineseForbid intermarrying

By 1368 the Mongols were forced out of China○ End of the Yuan Dynasty

Persia and the Mongols (1256 – 1335) The Mongols won quickly and

brutallyBaghdad in 1258 – 200,000 killed

(maybe) Mongol rule was a disaster for Persia

Heavy taxesMigration of Mongol animal herds into

the area destroyed crops/landIrrigation networks neglected = fertile

lands wasted

Mongols in Persia transformed themselves :Used the Persian system of gov’tBECAME MUSLIMLearned Persian and settled into

agricultureMongol dynasty fell in 1330, they

stayed and became part of Persian society.

Russia and the Mongols 1240- 1502

Worst experience (that’s saying something!)Large scale slaughtersartisans/women – deported into slaveryFrom the Mongol point of view Russia:

○Not on good trade routes○Primitive economy○Not worth it to occupy Russia○Never became Russian or even tried

THE MONGOL EMPIRE AS A EURASIAN

NETWORK

Toward a World Economy Mongols promoted trade for taxes

Way to get money from more developed civilizations

Mongols brought stability to trade routesChina and Europe closer togetherChina was key to both the Silk Road and

the Indian Ocean Trade

Cultural Exchange Chinese technology moves west

Gunpowder, printing, compass, high-temperature furnaces

Europeans gained the most from the Mongol cultural exchangesLess advanced than Middle East/ChinaGot the benefits of the Mongol exchange

without the consequences (death, destruction, etc.)

The Plague: A Eurasian Pandemic

A.K.A. the Black Death Starts in Central Asia in the early 14th

centuryIn China by 1331 and Western Europe

by 1347○½ of Europe's population died during

the initial outbreak (1348 – 1350)1/3 of the Middle East's population

Impact of the Plague

Created labor shortages in EuropeSurvivors want higher wages = peasant revolts

○ Helped to undermine serfdomGreater interest in technology

○ Fostered future growth By 1350 the Silk Road is pretty much gone

Encouraged Europeans to take to the sea for trade○ Become the DOMINANT force for the next 500

years

On the back of a sheet in your notebook

Answer the following questions using the handout Codega just gave you:What was the advantage for the Mongol rulers of

promoting the movement and exchange of goods, peoples, and ideas within and beyond their empire? How did they do the promoting?

Identify those consequences of the Mongol conquest that you consider historically significant, and explain the reasons for your choices. Which consequences do you consider most significant? Why?