Genghis Khan & The Mongols

• A collection of small nomadic tribes

• Located in Central Asia

• Very skilled horseman(archers on horses), and able to survive harsh weather conditions

  • Making them extremely mobile 

• At its height, stretched from East Asia all the way to Europe

• Largest contiguous empire in history!!!

• Had strong military tactics

• Creating an elite military force

• Meritocrocy; military positions or just positions in general based on merit, not family status (this is what made the mongol empire so strong)

1215- Invaded into china, leading to the Yuan dynasty

• Due to that, established peace & safety along the silk road

• Destroyed 2 Silk Road trade cities(Samarkand&Bukhara)

• Allowed people to practice their religions freely

• The Golden Horde; mongol khanate emerged after death of Ghenghis Khan

: led conquests to take over more of Europe and Russia area

• After conquering an area, they would adopt practices and cultural ideas into their own 

Cultural assimilation; taking 1 idea and having everyone adopt that idea

• Creating a mail system(Yam) facilitated communication

• Adopted & Promoted the use of Mongolian script

Pax Mongolica(13th-14th centuries

• Period of time with stability and peace

• Big network of trade routes

• Encourage travel and trade

• Enforced law 
  

Genghis(Temujin) Khan

• Rough childhood

• Made him a stronger leader

• United all mongol tribes under 1 rule

• Captured a lot of land my military conquest

• Either take over, or create alliances depending on the land and people’s value

• Various means of unifying the nation

• His real name is Temujin
  

Decline

• Empire divided into Khanates which led to power struggles

• Individual interests

• New leaders weren’t as strong

• External forces such as the Black Death