“The Legend of the Khans” The Mongol Empire “The Legend of the Khans” Mongolia is located in Central Asia, north of China Early Mongolia was controlled by many nomadic tribes led by warlords Mongolian culture revolved around hunting, fishing, fighting and the horse.
Genghis Khan Temujin was born in one of the more combative areas of Mongolia Many of his family members died in battle or were killed by in-fighting within the tribe.
Genghis Khan Temujin’s wife was kidnapped by a rival tribe He was a skilled leader who He recruited the best soldiers and military minds to be in his inner circle Temujin proclaimed he was the rightful leader of the known world He created a new government and destroyed all tribes that did not demonstrate loyalty to him. In 1206 he became Genghis Khan, which translates into Universal Ruler
New Laws New Mongolian Order Kidnapping of women is forbidden All children are legitimate Women could no longer be sold into marriage The stealing of animals is a capital offense Regulation of hunting to the winter time New Mongolian Order Genghis Khan created a supreme officer of the law to oversee trials and introduced record keeping, put the native language into written form, and created an official seal
Conquering China Genghis thought it was his destiny to conquer the world China was a powerhouse in peril In 1211, the Mongols crossed the Yellow River and seized Northern China
Mongol Attacks Khan used a divide and conquer method to obtain military victory in China Many Chinese communities feared the Mongols, so Genghis showed them benevolence and adopted them into his new empire Those who opposed were ravaged with terror and bloodshed The Mongols would start a battle with a rain of arrows The Mongol army would surround and enclose their enemy on horseback. Mongols wore silk shirts and light armor for quickness and to absorb arrow attacks
Military Conquests Genghis captured Afghanistan and Persia to increase trade Genghis captured Armenia and parts of Eastern Europe to open up access to the Caspian Sea The Mongols also captured Korea, parts of Russia, and Hungary The Mongolian Empire was the Largest Empire in history Genghis Khan attempted to invade Japan, but the Mongols were shipwrecked as they tried to sail themselves and their horses to Japan
The Mongol Empire
Next Generation Ogodei Khan took over for his father in 1231 He continued Mongol conquests and was at the gates of Vienna before his death in 1241
Kublai Khan Kublai Khan was seen as the next great Khan He stabilized Mongol government and territory Kublai Khan conquered China in 1259 and declared himself Emperor He named the new dynasty “Yuan”-which means “beginning.” Visitors from all lands were welcome to Kublai Khan’s court. A Christian from Europe, Marco Polo came from Venice, Italy. Marco Polo’s writings helped to increase trade with Europe and China. China prospered only under Kublai Khan, but not under the later Khans, or emperors who followed him. Kublai launched a new assault on Japan - a Mongol, Chinese and Korean force with 4,400 ships and 140,000 men, catapults, horses, combustible missiles, bows and arrows They were defeated by a hurricane (kamikaze winds) off the south coast of Japan
Mongol Success The Mongols found success due to their hands off policy of rule After they conquered a community, they did not disturb that community’s way of life Religious and Social Tolerance was a key factor in keeping the empire together The biggest change was the taxes went to the Mongols to fund their wars and to build a new infrastructure