1. The Mongol Empire

5. China and the Mongols
The most difficult conquest for the Mongols (70 years)
Reunite China
Wanted to extract wealth from China
Ended up accommodating Chinese culture and gov’t.
Began the Yuan Dynasty
Moved the capital to Beijing

7. Khubilai Khan tries to invade Japan, Vietnam, and Java – ALL FAIL

8. By 1368 the Mongols were forced out of China
The GOOD:
Khubilai Khan (1271 – 1294) improved roads, lowered some taxes, supported peasant agriculture
Used Confucian rituals
Religiously tolerant (all Mongols were)
The BAD:
Did not become “Chinese”
Relied on Muslims to help rule
Discriminated against the Chinese
Forbade intermarrying
By 1368 the Mongols were forced out of China
End of the Yuan Dynasty

9. Persia and the Mongols The Mongols won quickly and brutally
Baghdad in 1258 – 200,000 killed
Mongol rule was a disaster for Persia
Heavy taxes
Migration of Mongol animal herds into the area destroyed crops/land
Irrigation networks neglected = fertile lands wasted

10. Mongols in Persia transformed themselves :
Used the Persian system of gov’t
BECAME MUSLIM
Learned Persian and settled into agriculture
Mongol dynasty fell in 1330, they stayed and became part of Persian society.

11. Russia and the Mongols They suffered the worst Large scale slaughters
artisans/women – deported into slavery
From the Mongol point of view Russia:
Not on good trade routes
Primitive economy
Not worth it to occupy Russia
Never became Russian or even tried

14. The Mongol Empire as a Eurasian Network

15. Toward a World Economy Mongols promoted trade for taxes
Way to get money from more developed civilizations
Mongols brought stability to trade routes
Brought China and Europe closer together
China was key to both the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean Trade

16. Cultural Exchange Chinese technology moves west
Gunpowder, printing, compass, high-temperature furnaces
Europeans gained the most from the Mongol cultural exchanges
Less advanced than Middle East/China
Got the benefits of the Mongol exchange without the consequences (death, destruction, etc.)

17. The Plague: A Eurasian Pandemic
A.K.A. the Black Death
Starts in Central Asia in the early 14th century
In China by 1331 and Western Europe by 1347
½ of Europe's population died during the initial outbreak (1348 – 1350)
1/3 of the Middle East's population

21. Impact of the Plague Created labor shortages in Europe
Survivors want higher wages = peasant revolts
Greater interest in technology
Fostered future growth
By 1350 the Silk Road is pretty much gone
Encouraged Europeans to take to the sea for trade
Become the DOMINANT force for the next 500 years

22. On the back of a sheet in your notebook
Answer the following questions using the handout Codega just gave you:
What was the advantage for the Mongol rulers of promoting the movement and exchange of goods, peoples, and ideas within and beyond their empire? How did they do the promoting?
Identify those consequences of the Mongol conquest that you consider historically significant, and explain the reasons for your choices. Which consequences do you consider most significant? Why?