2.  Made up of many nomadic and sedentary societies (reciprocal relationship)  Many communities; leads to extensive trade networks  Skill with horseback warfare  Mongols were one of these groups

3.  Difficult to study, why?  Nomadic people of Eurasia- reciprocal relationships – many communities linked by trade  Great military  Horseback cavalry- bows and arrows  Adopted new technology  Well-organized

4.  Known for their brutality, but tolerant of religious beliefs; encouraged trade

5.  Main role was to unite the Mongol tribes  Penetrated China and India but did not conquer  His sons and grandsons expanded the empire to include Eurasia, and parts of Europe and the Middle East (conquered Baghdad and ended Abbasid domination)  Largest empire in history

6. “The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters” - Genghis Khan

8.  After Genghis dies, the empire is divided into four Khanates – what territories were not conquered?

10.  Kublai Khan- Genghis’ grandson  Restores and Reunites China  Highest government positions reserved for Mongols, but regional rulers allowed to govern  Bans civil service exam  Creates a strict hierarchical system – Mongols; non-Hans; N. Chinese; S. Chinese. India? Incas?  Increases status of merchants  Did not want to be absorbed by the Chinese

11.  Italian Traveler  Visits Kublai Khan’s court  Describes the use of paper money, coal, frequent bathing  Also the luxurious design of the Great Khan’s palace  Some historians doubt he ever went…

13.  Plague  Economy  Administration  Internal security

14.  Great at warfare, not at administration and nation-building  Absorbed into other cultures; adopted religions and customs  Mongol fall paves way for the Ottoman Empire and the Russian state to rise  Also leads to dominance of Indian Ocean trade network – why?

15.  Facilitated trade- Silk Road- controlled all parts  Spread Black Death – most important long- term result

16.  Bubonic plague – spread by traders from China to Europe; often along Mongol routes but not exclusively  At its height, it killed one in three people  Altered political institutions (helped end the feudal system in Europe)  Some regions (Europe, China) were devastated, others (India) were not

17. Timur the Lame (Tamerlane)  Jagadai  Expands Islamic territory (attacks Delhi Sultanate 1398 and severely weakens it)  Makes Persian an official language of Islam

18.  Mongols convert to Christianity/Islam  Russian princes cooperated with Mongols in exchange for local autonomy  After Mongols fall, Russia enacts strict policies as a reaction to Mongol rule (like China)

19.  Begins in 1300s  Fall of Mongols opens the door to Ottomans (power vacuum)

20.  1368 – the Ming dynasty takes power  Adopt “Neoconfucianism” - Confucianism mixed with Buddhist and Daoist influence – to help obtain capable govt. administrators

21.  Traditionally closed off to trade and exploration (has many natural resources; increase in cash crops)- foreign policy based on tribute  Zheng He- admiral in the new Ming navy – makes journeys to India and Africa  Yongle  In 1433, the Ming voyages mysteriously stop ◦ Confucianists, internal problems, frontier security

24.  Yi dynasty in Korea  Mongols attempt to conquer Japan (1281)  Typhoon wipes out much of Mongol fleet (“kamikaze”)  Ashikaga Shogunate- 1338- decentralized feudalism again- warring Daimyo ◦ Zen becomes popular