The Mongols in China It Matters Because: In the 1200s, Mongols led by Genghis Khan conquered northern China & regions to the west, creating the world’s largest land empire.

I. Mongol Expansion A. Mongols - collection of nomadic tribes from Central Asia 1. Invaded & became 1st non-Chinese group to rule China, mid-1200s 2. Organized in family clans and followed herds on grassy plains of Asia called steppes 3. Mongols were excellent horsemen 4. Fought on horseback a. attacked with bows & arrows from distance b. fought with swords & spears close

I. Mongol Expansion B. In 1206, Mongol clans elected warrior named Temujin to lead & unite tribes 1. Temujin given title Genghis Khan (“strong ruler”) 2. His goal as ruler was to unify all the Mongolian tribes through conquest 3. In 1211 (during the Jin Dynasty), invaded N. China, captured Beijing, took control of Silk Road 4. He recruited many warriors to create a skilled fighting force 5. Under Genghis Khan, Mongols used terror tactics which became their biggest strength a. terror - cruel tactics to cause fear b. looted & burned cities, slaughtered & tortured women & children c. many groups surrendered without a fight Temujin mean finest steel - Khan was a chief of their Mongolian tribe – When he was nine we has sent to life with the tribe of his future wife Borte – a few years later he discovered that his father had been poisoned so he returned home to become the Khan – his family had been betrayed so he started his plot for revenge.

I. Mongol Expansion C. In 1227, Genghis Khan died, empire divided to his sons 1. Mongol conquests continued into E. & C. Europe, Persia 2. Took Baghdad, Syria, Palestine; held back at Egypt D. Genghis Khan’s Mongul empire became the largest land empire in history 1. Became wealthy taxing goods on trade routes 2. Gained gunpowder from the Chinese 3. Created a set of laws to effectively govern his people

II. Conquest of China In 1260, Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan becomes Mongol ruler 1. Completed conquest of China, using catapults 2. Declared himself emperor, ended Song Dynasty, in 1271 founded Yuan Dynasty (“yuan” means “beginning”) 3. Took five more years to completely conquer the Song Dynasty, by 1276 all of China was united under Kublai Khan’s rule A. Mongols in China practiced Buddhism Kublai Khan encouraged all faiths in empire to practice freely B. Allowed Chinese leaders to help govern during Mongol dynasty

III. Mongol Trading Empire C. Kublai Khan expanded sea trade with Korean-built ships 1. Mongols allowed Korean leaders to remain in control 2. Mongols tried two times to invade Japan & failed D. Built up infrastructure by building road, canals, establishing trade routes, and bringing in new ideas from foreign countries

IV. Marco Polo Marco Polo - Italian explorer & merchant Marco Polo’s father and uncle decided to travel the entire Silk Road directly to China – It took them 9 years Marco left for his first trip to China at 17 years old – His father and uncle were returning to see Kublai Khan – It took him 3 years to get from Italy to China He lived in China for many years Fascinated Kublai Khan with stories of his travels and traveled throughout China as a messenger and spy for Kublai Khan He was fascinated by the many different cultures and experiences in China – it was nothing like he had ever seen before. Upon returning to Italy his stories were eventually turned into a book by writer Rustichello