Mongols

Lived in the steppes of central Asia

Ancestors were a blue gray wolf that represented strong, hunters, packs, harsh climate, fight and a doe that represented gentle, beautiful, and tried to avoid conflict and let people surrender, settlers

Abbasids, Europeans, Persians, and Russians were the ones that told the Mongols stories and gave them a bad rep because they were all enemies with the Mongols

Mongols were pastorialists so they didn't farm and were nomadic. They were skilled horse riders they could even sleep on their horses and developed a strong relationship with their horses since age 3. They were related to the Xiongnu and the Turks.

Temujin was Genghis Khan's original name he conquers every Mongolian steppe tribe and founded Mongolia. He was born in 1162 the year of the horse. When he was born he came out of his mother's uterus holding a clot of blood showing he was viscious. His mother was kidnapped by his father so she was a merkid. He was a natural leader after his father was killed when he was only ten, his mom and his siblings were forced out of the tribe. They had to survive on their own by hunting rodents to survive. He also killed his older step brother because he was useless and bossy. This made him determined and strong because of his upbrining. He was even captured by a tribe when he was a teen but managed to escape. In 1206 he gives himself his title of Genghis Khan and starts to organize his empire.

Steppe diplomacy - The skill of political survival and dominance in the world of steppe nomads; it involved the knowledge of tribal and clan structure and often used assassination to achieve its goals.

Khanates - Regions (kingdoms)

Culturaldiffusion - Intermingled with new people and learned from them

The Mongols made only a couple of advancements including the spirit banner and bridges. They bartered, traded, fought by taking over other countries to get advancements. When Genghis Khan was going to fight a territory he always offered the group to surrender to him before attacking. If they surrendered no one would be killed and the Mongols had culturaldiffusion with the groups. Mongols go into Europe and Russia brought in culture gunpowder, printing press, paper, and medical techniques.

The Mongols use the Silk Road securing it and opening it up for them and other groups. They backed merchants, brought up old cities, and gave merchants tax breaks.

They used the postal service through horses, had standarized weights, and measures. They had primary school the soldiers weren't educated though so they used songs to remember battle plans, and soldiers ate things high in protein (meat only). Army was kept in units of 10 soldiers, used psychology warfare and propaganda to scare away enemies. They brought huge drums to make the army seem bigger. Each warrior has four horses each. The Mongols kept educated people alive that they attacked to use in their empire.

They conquered twice the territory of the Romans in 50 years, they used the shortbow weapon, and catapults.

Pax Mongolia - Time of peace in the Mongol empire

Mongols were good at conquering but not at administrating. Ogodei, Genghis Khan's third son ruled land after Genghis died.

China:

Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson takes it over in 1271-1368 it was hard to conquer because of topography (desert, mountains, plateaus, barbarians, and Great Wall). He claimed the mandate of heaven and created the Yuan dynasty but Chinese still looked at him as an outsider barbarian ruling. Kublai Khan liked the Chinese's taxation technuques (brought in $), makes Bejing capital city, liked the concept of worshipping ancestors (Genghis Khan), promoted Buddhism, Daoism, literature, art, music, and poetry. Kublai Khan doesn't like Confucianism (he didn't value education) he cared more about strength, courage, and loyalty. He moved into Bejing and lived in the Yurt with guys, girls, and animals and the Chinese thought this was crazy. The Mongols had women advisors and horsemen and Mongols weren't allowed to marry Chinese women.

Persia:

Ruled by Abbasids before 1st Mongol invasion was by Genghis Khan and failed. Then Hugleu, Genghis Khan's other grandson finished the job in 1258 by assassinating the last Abbasid caliph and captures him in a Persian rug; having his horses trample him. Mongols then went into Bagdhad and murdered as many Abbasids as possible. The fall of the Abbasids was a turning point for the Islamic empire because it ends the empire when the Mongols destroy it. The Mongols give them heavy taxes, but Mongols convert to Islam, and assimilate into Persian culture, although they destroyed the qanats leading to long term irrigation drought, can not water crops, and converted the fields for wine eventhough the Persians didn't drink alcohol.

Russia:

Batu, Genghis Khan's other other grandson took over land there and created city states. He never went and lived there but he collected taxes, used it as a base to conquer other territories. He tapped into Asian trade, Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Russians didn't like the rule but ultimately helped them in the long run. Mongols left the territory to conquer Italy, Germany, Austria, and Poland after Batu died but if they had stayed European culture wouldv’e been completely different