7.3 Mongolian Empire.notebook

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November 05, 2014

Apr 20­4:56 PM

Mongol Empire­ The Mongols were groups of tribes that lived in an area of Asia known as the steppe­ At first, they were divided into clans (tribes) that lived a nomadic/pastoral lifestyle­ Once the all the Mongol clans were united by Genghis Khan, they created the largest land empire in history, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to Western Europe (Russia)

Apr 20­5:04 PM

Geography of the Eurasian Steppe

• The steppe experiences severe temp. changes ­ ­57* F. in winter, 96* F. in the summer• Some areas of the steppe receive about 4" of rain/year

** The nomadic movements of the Mongols followed a predictable path based on the changing of the seasons

Apr 20­5:30 PM

Rise of the Mongols­ For centuries, the Mongol people lived in the eastern steppe in loosely organized clans­ Around 1200, Temujin sought to unify the clans under one ruler to create the Mongolian Empire

Temujin defeated the Mongol clans one by one, and eventually was given the title Genghis Khan or 'universal ruler'

The Mongolian Soldier­ Expert horsemen (stirrup)­ Could travel up to 120 miles/day by horseback­ Used silk underarmor­ Weapons: lance, daggar, bow & arrows

Apr 20­5:47 PM

Genghis Khan’s Tax Laws:• If you do not pay homage, we will take your prosperity.• If you do not have prosperity, we will take your children.• If you do not have children, we will take your wife.• If you do not have a wife, we will take your head.

Apr 20­5:48 PM

The Mongol Empire­ Genghis Khan died in 1227 AD­ For the next 50 years his successors continued to expand the Mongolian Empire­ 1260 = Mongolian Empire was divided into four Khanates­ In 1279 AD the Mongolian Empire reached its peak, controlling most of Asia, Russia, and parts of the Byzantine Empire

Feb 6­12:40 PM

Mongols as Rulers­ Many areas that the Mongols invaded never recovered from the devastation­ The Mongols often times let the conquered areas keep their own culture, as long as they paid tribute/taxes­ In many cases the Mongols would assimilate to the culture of the people they conquered

7.3 Mongolian Empire.notebook

2

November 05, 2014

Apr 21­7:41 AM

Pax Mongolia­ The Golden Age for the Mongol Empire; translates into 'Mongol Peace'­ Lasted from the mid 1200's ­ mid 1300's­ Across their empire, the people experienced a time of economic growth, & political stability

Trade increased between Europe and Asia along the silk roads­ Gunpowder was introduced to Europe at this time­ Bubonic Plague was spread from Asia ­­­> Europe

Apr 21­7:51 AM

Kublai Khan­ The grandson of Genghis Khan; took over the Khanate of the Great Khan in 1260­ In 1279, he was able to take over the Chinese and he established a dynasty of his own; known as the Yuan Dynasty­ He was able to unite China for the first time in 300 years­ He tolerated Chinese culture and made very few changes to their government­ ** Tolerated (almost preferred) foreigners and encouraged trade

Apr 21­7:57 AM

The Impact of Marco Polo­ During the Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo traveled to China in 1275­ Stayed in Kublai Khan's court for 17 years­ His stories and writings were published when he returned to Italy; this caused many Europeans to become interested in Asia (increased trade [again])