The Mongol Empire and the Modern World

Essential Question: How did Eurasian empires grow over time, and how did their expansion influence trade and communication?

Quote:

  • Matthew Paris

    • From the Chronica Majora (1240)

  • Paris had no firsthand knowledge of the Mongols

  • Wrote from the safe vantage point of a Benedictine abbey in England

  • Most writers of the time focused on Mongol atrocities

KEY TERMS BY THEME:

  • Government: Northern China and Central Asia

    • Mongols

      • A group of nomadic pastoralists from Eurasian Steppes who, under Genghis Khan, founded the largest contiguous land empire in history, impacting global connections and cultural exchanges

      • Left destruction and chaos in their wake

      • They had a quest for blood and treasure

      • Mongols sparked a period of interregional connection and exchange at a level that the world had not experienced in a thousand years

    • Khan

      • A ruler or leader, particularly a sovereign or chieftain, often used to describe rulers of the Mongol Empire and related origins

    • Kuriltai

      • Also spelled qurultai

      • A gathering or council of Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans, often used for making major political or military decisions, such as selecting a new ruler or declaring war

      • Where Temujin (a.k.a. Genghis Khan) was elected khan of the Mongolian Kingdom

    • Genghis Khan

      • Mongolian warrior-ruler, one of the most famous conquerors of history, who consolidated tribes into a unified Mongolia and then extended his empire across Asia to the Adriatic Sea

      • Founder of the Mongol Empire

      • One of historyʻs most influential conquerors

      • Born 1162, near LAke Baikal, Mongolia—died August 18, 1227

      • Genghis Khan translates to “ruler of all”

    • Khanate

      • A region or state ruled by a khan, a Mongol or Turkic supreme tribal leader, often elevated by the support of their warriors

      • Another word is kingdom

    • Pax Mongolica

      • The period of relative stability and increased trade and cultural exchange across Eurasia during the 13th and 14th centuries, facilitated by the vast Mongol Empire’s control over a large territory

      • Mongolian peace

  • Government: Russia and Western Europe

    • Batu

      • The grandson of Genghis Khan and the founder of the Khanate of Kipchak (also known as the Golden Horde), a western part of the Mongol Empire that controlled Russia and parts of Eastern Europe

      • Son of Khan’s oldest son

      • Led a Mongolian army of 100,000 soldiers into Russia, which at the time was a loose network of city-states and principalities

    • Golden Horde

      • A Mongol Khanate that emerged in the 13th century, encompassing parts of Eastern Europe and Russia, and played a significant role in the expansion of Islam and trade routes

      • Russian designation for the Ulus Juchi, the western part of the Mongol empire, which flourished from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century

    • Moscow

      • The capital of Russia, a city with a significant history, and a center of political, cultural, and economic power, particularly during the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union

  • Government: Islamic Heartlands

    • Hulegu

      • A Mongol ruler who conquered much of Southwest Asia

      • A grandson of Genghis Khan

      • Founded the Ilkhanate of Persia

    • Il-khanate

      • A Mongol khanate that ruled Persia (modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of Turkey) and gradually converted to Islam

  • Government: China

    • Kublai Khan

      • The fifth khan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1260 to 1294

      • Known for founding the Yuan Dynasty in China, integrating Mongol and Chinese cultures, and expanding Mongol territory

    • Yuan Dynasty

      • A period in Chinese history when the Mongols, led by Kublai Khan, ruled China, marking the first time a foreign power controlled the entire territory, and it significantly impacted China’s social, political, and economic structures

      • The first foreign-ruled dynasty in Chinese history to commandeer all of China

    • Zhu Yuanzhang

      • 1328-1398

      • Known as the commoner who led a rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty in 1368

      • Founded the Ming Dynasty, establishing Nanjing as its capital and reigning as the Hongwu Emperor

    • Ming Dynasty

      • The last Han Chinese dynasty in China, succeeding the Yuan Dynasty

      • Known for restoring traditional Chinese culture, centralized government, and significant naval expeditions

      • 1368-1644

  • Environment: Asia

    • Gobi Desert

      • A vast, arid region in Central Asia, spanning parts of Mongolia and China

      • Known for its harsh climate, isolation, and historical significance as a trade route and a barrier

  • Technology: Warfare

    • Siege weapons

      • Military devices and strategies used to overcome or destroy fortifications, such as walls, castles, and bunkers, during sieges

    • Cannon

      • A military weapon, specifically a type of large, muzzle-loading artillery

      • Played a significant role in warfare throughout history, from the early modern period onward

  • Culture: Writing

    • Uyghur alphabet

      • A version of the Arabic alphabet used to write the Uyghur language, primarily by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China

  • Society: Revolt

    • White Lotus Society

      • A variety of religious and political groups that emerged in China, initially associated with Pure Land Buddhism, and later involved in rebellions against ruling dynasties, particularly the Qing Dynasty

  • Society: Disease

    • Bubonic plague

      • A devastating pandemic caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted through fleas on rodents, that swept through Europe in the 14th century, leading to significant societal and demographic changes

      • A deadly bacterial infection marked by high fevers, headaches, and engorged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin