1. Vikings, Mongols,and Disease

3. Viking Age ( 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

4. Mongols ( )
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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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