1. Do Empires collapse due to internal or external factors?
What made the Mongols so successful? List at least 3 reasons
Note: Tomorrow you will receive a review sheet for the MIDTERM on Thursday April 14th. It will cover ALL TOPICS SINCE FEBRUARY

2. Chinggis Khan is the transliteration of the name in Mongolian
Chinggis Khan is the transliteration of the name in Mongolian. The old style spelling, Genghis Khan, is a transliteration from Persian.

3. Mongolian Conquests Greatest Extent of Their Empire
Modern Territory Ruled: China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus.
Parts of Russia, Pakistan, India, Syria, Myanmar, Romania, and Poland.

4. Mongolian Conquests Division and Decline 1279 - 1294
Modern Territory Ruled: China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova.
Parts of Russia, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Myanmar, Romania, and Ukraine.

5. The Mongolian Horse and Saddle
Resources for research:
click on Mongol Conquests on the right hand side of the page
Three pictures appear: the pictures on each side give information about the horse
From these pictures there are further references you can click on, for instance to:
Asian Topics in World History | Columbia University THE MONGOLS IN WORLD HISTORY
“All the Khan’s Horses” by Morris Rossabi Natural History, October 1994
Reprinted with permission from the author.
Why is the Mongolian horse important?
It was key to the ancient Mongolian invaders’ success because it could bear
riders for a much longer time that most horses could. To ride it, Mongolians use a tall saddle with a wooden frame that does not allow the rider to have much control over its gait. Therefore, the horse often chooses its own gait, usually a canter. This saddle also makes it easier for the horse to bear the rider’s weight, so the horse does not become tired as quickly.
The sturdy stirrup also made the rider more stable, which helped warriors shoot arrows while on horseback. Being able to shoot from horseback gave them a great military advantage over soldiers on foot.
Another advantage the horses gave the ancient Mongols was the ability to make hit-and-run raids on settlements. The horses could run for a long time,
and the people from the villages would not be able to keep up or last as long as
these horses could. The farmers could also not afford to leave their farms for as
long as it would take to catch the attackers on their horses.
BOGUS ALERT!: Some people have said that when ancient Mongolian warriors were campaigning or running, they didn’t have time to stop and cook their food, so they would place raw meat under their saddles and allow the heat of the horse to cook it for them. However, they actually ate dried and ground meat called when traveling. Mongolian riders may have been put slabs of raw meat under the saddles as a cushion for the horse’s skin.
How did the ancient Mongolians treat their horses?
They held their horses in high esteem because they knew how important the horses were to their military success as well as daily life.
Their horses even were part of their religion. They would scatter mare’s milk on
the ground before leaving on a military campaign in the belief that this would
help them be successful. Sometimes they sacrificed horses as part of a shamanistic ritual in the belief that the horses would help them travel to
heaven.
Describe the horse’s appearance.
Although it is short (the average wither height of males is 128 cm, females 127 cm), Mongolians do not like to have it called a pony.
Stocky build, with relatively short legs and a large head.
Very long mane and tail hair.
Tough hooves that are not usually fitted with horseshoes.
It is very hardy, meaning it is strong, healthy and tough.
During the winter its coat becomes very thick and shaggy. It is much like Przewalski’s horse which is rare and lives in the same area of the world.
What products come from this horse?
Milk to make airag or fermented mare’s milk, a popular drink. During the grass- growing season, mares are milked 4-5 times a day, producing 0.11 lbs of milk each time. Yearly production is 662 lbs of milk.
Meat.
Hairs from the long mane and tale are braided to make rope.
Hairs from the tail are used around the world to make violin bowstrings.
How is it used in daily life in Mongolia today?
Riding
Tasks of nomadic life, such as pulling loads, herding cattle. For carting, four horses, with a load of 4400 lbs, can walk km a day.
As a food source – yes they eat horse meat!
Racing – children only ride them in races at festivals. A full gallop carrying a child is over 35km.
How is it cared for?
It roams free, is not usually corralled.
It finds its own food by grazing.
It lives outside all year in all weather, from 30°C in summer down to -40°C in winter.
How many of these horses are there today?
More than 3 million

6. What’s the big deal about the Mongols?
In 84 years, from , they conquered the largest land empire the world has ever seen.
They did this without modern weaponry, transportation or communications.
Their army never numbered more than 200,000.

7. What factors led to the decline of the MONGOLS?
Based on the Documents, fill in the following chart (see back of your handout)
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL

8. Document #1 1. Why was it difficult to unite the Mongols?
2. Critical thinking time! How did Genghis Khan solve these problems?
3. Without strong leadership, what would you predict would happen to the Mongols?

9. Homework: Due Monday!
Write a letter to Kublai Khan advising him how to save his empire
Explain to him if you think it was internal or external factors that are leading to the decline of the Mongol Empire
Explain the similarities to the decline of the Mongol Empire to other Empires