The Mongols

    • Canal: A human-made river.

Geography of the Mongols

  • Mongols inhabited the steppes: Flat, treeless grasslands.

  • Lifestyle:

    • Nomadic; lived in tents.

    • Herded and cared for animals.

  • Became renowned as:

    • The best horsemen globally.

    • Fierce fighters.

Chinggis (Genghis) Khan

  • Title: Khan - meaning Mongolian ruler or king.

  • Achievements:

    • United all Mongol tribes.

    • Created an unstoppable army that first crossed the Great Wall, invading China and subsequently all of Asia.

Military Advances

  • Stirrup: Enhanced control for mounted archers, allowing horsemen to direct their horses effectively.

  • Mongol cavalry:

    • Highly mobile army, able to travel 80 miles a day.

    • Deadly mounted archers capable of killing enemies from great distances.

The Great Hunt

  • Annual event where the Mongol army would surround an 80-mile area and drive animals to the center.

  • Utilized as a battle tactic, similar to tactics in warfare.

Tactics and Tricks

  • Strategies employed by the Mongols:

    • Lured slower armies out to surround and annihilate them.

    • Used catapults against fortified cities.

    • Cities that surrendered peacefully would be spared, while resisting cities faced massacre.

Pax Mongolia

  • Similar to the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire established peace, allowing the Silk Road to thrive.

  • The Mongol Khans became very wealthy due to the increased trade by 1279.

Kublai Khan

  • Grandson of Genghis Khan.

  • Adopted Chinese culture:

    • Military primarily Mongolian;

    • Government made up of Chinese officials.

The Grand Canal

  • Grand Canal: A man-made river connecting key regions in China.

  • Length: 500 miles.

  • Major undertaking linking the capital Beijing with two main rivers in China:

    • Yellow River

    • Yangtze River

  • Key provinces connected:

    • Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Sichuan, Yunnan.

Marco Polo

  • Traveled the entire Silk Road from Venice to Beijing (1271-1295).

  • Met Kublai Khan, impressed by:

    • Chinese cities, use of gunpowder, and coal for heating.

  • Journeyed through regions:

    • Gobi Desert, Persia, India, Arabia, and South Vietnam.