Vikings, Mongols,and Disease

Viking Age (795-1100 CE) Starting in Lindesfarne, England, Vikings began a 3-century stretch of dominating European and Mediterranean coasts Using their light and shallow longships, Vikings were able to sail across the sea, & penetrate deep into estuaries and rivers to raid and conquer locals Swift and fierce warriors, they were able to catch opponents off guard, and raid religious (Christian) sites and monasteries Also accomplished explorers, Vikings discovered and temporarily settled the Vinland (North America) for the first time

Mongols (1206-1368) After being united by Genghis Khan, the Mongol and Turkic tribes set on an Unparalleled expansion program, making the largest land-based empire in history They conquered the major civilizations of China, Persia, the Abbasid Caliphate, Central Asia, and the Kievan Rus Like Rome, they expanded without a plan, rewarding people with land and using new resources to continue conquering As they conquered, they used the defeated populations and their Tech to continue conquest (example: Chinese siege workers and tech) His son Ogedei continued conquest after 1227, and Kublai Khan conquered the Song Dynasty and established the Yuan Dynasty

Khanates After the death of Ogedei, the Mongolian Empire was so massive, it was split among grandsons into Khanates, and each area was ruled by a Khan Golden Horde, Il-Khanate, Chagatai, and Great Khanate As each area was conquered, tributes were collected as taxes, as well as the peoples used as human shields, soldiers, and slaves These grandsons argued and warred over succession, and created a great division among the Mongolian Empire At its height, these Khanates facilitated trade and development, enhancing all world trade, reinvigorating the Silk Road, and spreading tech and disease Unlike the Turks and other empires, the Mongols allowed religious freedom, and left no lasting legacy in the areas they conquered

The Black Death (1300s) After the Mongols had conquered China, Central Asia, The Abbasid Caliphate, and Eastern Europe, they connected trade extensively Originating in China in 1331, the bacteria Yersinia petris spread along the trade route via fleas on rats By 1347, The Plague had reached the Byzantine Empire, Italian city-states, and the Middle East (E. Africa by 1407) With 50-90% death rates, over 1/3 of Europe & China died—especially in urban areas Society was horrified, and art (writing and painting) took an apocalyptic tone, focusing mostly on death and despair

Impact on Urban Life Negative High death tolls caused labor shortages in Europe, and wage conflicts between workers and employers City life was also substantially diminished, as well as interregional trade as Mongolians soon lost control of their empire Positive Employment opportunities for women (labor shortage) Fall of trade (Mongols) and anti-Islamic attitude spurred desire for Europeans to find their own path to Asia