2.2

Genghis Khan

Mongol leader who united the nomadic tribes in 1206 and founded the Mongol Empire.

Traditional Mongol lifestyle

Nomadic pastoralism characterized by moving herds of livestock across the Eurasian steppes.

Factors in Mongol military success

Skilled horseback archery, strict unit organization, and rapid surprise maneuvers.

Mongol adoption of conquered technology

Incorporating foreign weapons and utilizing captured engineers to manufacture specialized siege machinery.

Pax Mongolica

A prolonged era of Eurasian peace and political stability that protected transcontinental trade and travel.

Mongol impact on Silk Road trade

Guaranteed security along commercial corridors, drastically reducing banditry and fostering economic exchange.

Mongol religious policy

Extending tolerance to various faiths, which earned subject cooperation and curtailed regional insurrections.

Golden Horde

Khanate established by Batu Khan that asserted control over Russian principalities through tribute collection.

Mongol administrative model in Russia

Indirect governance allowing native princes to retain local authority in exchange for regular tribute payments.

1258 Siege of Baghdad

Devastating assault led by Hulegu Khan that destroyed the metropolis and brought an end to the Abbasid Caliphate.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan who completed the conquest of China and established the Yuan Dynasty.

Sources of Chinese discontent under Yuan rule

Elevation of foreigners to civil service posts, rigid social segregation, and marginalization of Han scholars.

Cultural and technological diffusion via Mongol routes

Transmission of papermaking, astronomical data, medical techniques, and gunpowder weaponry across Eurasia.

Mongol contribution to the spread of the Black Death

Extensive commercial highways and troop deployments enabled the swift vectoring of infected fleas across continents.

Fall of the Yuan Dynasty

Overthrown in 1368 by a popular rebellion led by Zhu Yuanzhang, establishing the Ming Dynasty.

Dual legacy of the Mongol Empire

Facilitated unprecedented cross-continental connectivity and trade, but caused immense slaughter and urban devastation.