Throughout history there have been many great empires that have existed. They rose and fell as time passed, but the impact they had on the world remained. One of these great empires began in the steppes of Mongolia in the thirteenth century and it forever changed the world. An empire of humble beginnings, the Mongolian Empire grew to become the largest contiguous land empire in human history at its peak. Unlike other great empires, the Mongols do not leave the world with any great architecture, books, or art, however they would generate intercontinental trade in Eurasia, revolutionize warfare, give rise to new nations, and affect history in many other ways.
The Mongolian Empire started out as central Asian nomadic tribes that were constantly at odds with one another. It wasn’t until one man, Temujin, convinced these tribes that if they could stop fighting and just join forces that they could not only grow rich, but they would be able to conquer the known world. Temujin was born around 1162 in the Kenti mountains, but by 1206 at the age of 40 he was given the title Genghis Khan, meaning great leader or great warrior. It was because of Genghis Khan’s ideas and military structure, along with the belief that he was truly meant to conquer the world that the Mongols became so successful. By this time he has built four great field armies, totaling 120,000 men. It is with these four field armies that Genghis Khan created a legacy twice the size of Rome, establishing an Empire that would dominate from 1206 to 1368.
Genghis Khan’s military was much like a modern military with the central ideas being speed, rooting out the enemies weak points, and shock. Speed was essential to the Mongols. Their strength, born from their nomadic lives of hunting and herding, lie in riding and archery.The Mongols traveled very light and demonstrated extraordinary endurance, living off the land and often spending several days at a time in the saddle. Living off the land freed Mongol soldiers from supply trains, considerably adding to their speed. Such endurance and speed enabled them to cover greater distances than was ever achieved before by any other army. The revolutionary organization of leadership gave this army an advantage over its opponents. Leadership was not inherited as was common at the time. Instead it was earned, and depended upon ability and merit, making it possible for anyone to rise to the top of the ranks. Leaders also had the ability to make real time decisions to compensate for changing circumstances. No longer were commanders forced to go down with a sinking ship because of standing orders.
Superior communication resulted in a remarkable ability to coordinate over great distances. The Mongols were excellent spies. They sent people ahead of their armies, often up to a year at a time in order to learn about their enemies, about the disposition of the enemy. The Mongols also developed a very sophisticated signaling system to convey weaknesses in the enemy’s front line, often over a ten mile front. It was the use of these signaling systems that allowed them to pinpoint weak point to apply all of their force, breaking through the enemy’s line and spilling through to the back areas. If successful this would result in the panic and cause the enemy to retreat.
Another tactic of the Mongols was to attack during the winter. This not only allowed for their horses to graze all summer so they wouldn’t have to worry about feeding while on the move. But there was another reason for attacking during the winter, and it is simply that no one wanted to fight. This is a psychological fact that the Mongols understood, no one wanted to die in the cold so they didn’t put up the same level of resistance that they would have during the warm summer months.
In addition to their speed, superior communication, and revolutionary distribution of authority, the Mongols were ruthless. This ruthlessness generated fear in their enemies aiding to the ease
The Mongols became the largest empire under the rule of Chinggis Khan. However after Chinggis’s death his vast realm was divided into four regional empires by his heirs. Two of the four regional empires was China which was ruled by the Great Khans and Persia, which is in the Middle East, was ruled by the ilkhans. In China and the Middle East, Persia, the Mongols had both a political and economic effect including administration, downfall of the economy and trade. One political effect the Mongols…
Baker 12/3/13 Throughout the time that the Mongols lived, they had accomplished many things. But many think it was because they were so barbaric and fierce to the people they conquered that they could have taken over all of Asia and Europe. But then others think the Mongols weren’t very barbaric at all, they just did what was necessary to them. See what you think with the following information whether they were as barbaric as people say. The Mongols had a very vast military of great numbers.…
Centralization and Militarism in East Asia Outline 1200-1500 A. Korea from the Mongols to the Yi, 1231-1500 1. Korea's leaders initially resisted the Mongol invasions but gave up in 1258 when the king of Koryo surrendered and joined his family to the Mongols by marriage. The Koryo kings then fell under the influence of the Mongols and Korea profited from exchange with the Yuan in which new technologies including cotton, gunpowder, astronomy, calendar making, and celestial clocks were introduced…
Katie Norris November 15, 2014 Block 3 Mongol Woman Witness Sheet Mongol women under the rule of Genghis Khan had a relatively high social status compared to other societies in Asia. There was a division of labor between men and women. The men were responsible for military, administrative, and trade affairs. Women’s main responsibilities were in the household where they would care for children, do housework, and cook. A Mongol woman often would tend for their own flock of sheep. When the men…
Claire Grable APWH 6 11-22-13 The Mongols There were some features of the Mongol empire that were different from what had occurred in previous civilizations, such as the enormous size of their empire, their tolerance of different religions, the equality of men and women and their global integration. Prior to the time they built their empire, pastoral people rarely banded together at all, but stayed in kinship groups that often competed with each other. Although other civilizations such as the…
was still valued during the Mongol rule *Traditional value such as Confucianism stayed intact Politics (State-building, conflict, Political structures, Empires, Revolts and revolution) *China was controlled by many empires and dynasties during the postclassical periods. *China was divided at the beginning of the Mongol Empire Changes *Mongol reunified China *Chinese officials held advisory and lower-ranking positions than the Mongols *Mongols incorporated huge number of…
nown during his childhood as Temujin, Genghis Khan was the son of a Mongol chieftain. He suffered a difficult childhood, and when his young wife Börte was kidnapped by a rival tribe, Temujin united the nomadic, previously ever-rivaling Mongol-Turkic tribes under his rule through political manipulation and military might. His most powerful allies were his father's friend, Kereyd chieftain Wang Khan Toghoril, and Temujin's childhood anda (blood brother) Jamukha of the Jadran clan. With their help,…
Mongol rule in China and the Middle East was similar in providing security, along trade routes and keeping the local government intact but differed in their treatment of the Arabs/Persians. Economic- Comparison Mongols provided security along the Silk Road. Increased trade, disease merchants, were safe, Mongols collected taxes, caught stealing=death. The Mongol expansion throughout the Asian continent from around 1207 to 1360 helped bring political stability and re-establish the Silk Road (via…
The Mongols rule had significant economic, political, religious, and agricultural effects on both China and the Middle East. Although the Mongol takeover in the Middle East was far more harsh and abrupt than the takeover in China; the assimilation of cultures amongst the Mongols and the Middle East is more apparent. Economical similarities and differences could be seen in both China and the Middle East following the Mongol rule. Both regions were taxed, however initially the Middle East Persians…
in the history of the world. These barbarians were the Mongols. Their conquest of civilized society was frightening. They tore down scores of great cities. They slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people. Civilized people lived in terror of them. Some believed that Mongols ate humans. Some believed that Mongol ponies were big enough to eat trees. It seemed that no story about the Mongols was too fantastic to believe. How were the Mongols able to conquer civilized societies? How did it all begin…