The Mongols and the Mongol Empire

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the nomadic steppe lifestyle, the rise and conquests of Genghis Khan, siege tactics, the division of khanates, and the Yuan Dynasty.

Steppe

A more arid prairie covering all of Mongolia and much of Central Asia that was home to nomadic groups such as the Turks, Huns, and Mongols.

Pastoralist

A person who relies on herding livestock to survive due to harsh weather conditions that prevent agricultural farming.

Yurt

A portable, circular felt dwelling traditionally used by nomadic pastoralists living on the Central Asian steppe.

Genghis Khan

The title meaning universal ruler taken by the leader who united the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and established the Mongol Empire.

Temujin

The birth name of Genghis Khan, born the son of a local clan chief whose family was abandoned in the wild after his father was assassinated.

Mongol Territory in 1206

The initial geographic domain of the unified Mongolian tribes established under Genghis Khan prior to external conquests across Eurasia.

Breach of the Great Wall

The military tactic where Mongols captured engineers from nearby villages to construct catapults, battering rams, and siege towers to penetrate Chinese fortifications.

Xi Xia

The Tangut kingdom in northern China that surrendered to the Mongols in 1210 and was forced to become a tributary vassal state.

Vassal State

A subordinate territory that maintains internal self-government but must pay taxes and provide military troops to a dominant ruling power.

Jin Dynasty

The northern Chinese empire attacked by the Mongols after Xi Xia, culminating in the sack of its capital Yanjing in 1215.

Khwarezmian Empire

The Persian empire destroyed systematically by Genghis Khan between 1219 and 1221 after its Shah humiliated Mongol ambassadors by shaving their beards.

Samarkand and Bukara

Prominent Persian cities within the Khwarezmian Empire that were captured and systematically destroyed during Genghis Khan's campaign.

Khanates

The four regional administrative divisions of the Mongol Empire established upon Genghis Khan's death for his sons: Chagatai, Golden Horde, Ilkhanate, and Great Khan.

Khanate of the Golden Horde

The Mongol division that governed Russia and Eastern Europe, pushing as far west as Vienna before a leadership succession crisis halted their advance.

Kublai Khan

The grandson of Genghis Khan who completed the subjugation of the Song Dynasty and became the first foreign ruler of China.

Yuan Dynasty

The imperial dynasty ruling China from 1271 to 1368 founded by Kublai Khan, characterized by Mongol adaptation to Chinese customs and the visit of Marco Polo.

Ivan III the Great

The Russian leader who unified the Russian people and drove out the Golden Horde Mongols, establishing the foundation of the modern Russian state.

Silk Road

The trans-Eurasian trade route network brought under total Mongol military protection, enabling rapid commercial transport and cross-continental cultural exchange.