Lecture on the Mongols

Overview

• First of two lectures on the Mongol Empire.
• Focuses on the Mongols' formation and expansion.
• Mongols created the largest contiguous empire in history.

The Medieval World Pre-Mongols

• China

  • Song Dynasty most advanced.
  • Technologically superior: gunpowder, artillery, sophisticated armies.
  • Divided between Northern steppe nomads (Jin) and Southern Song Dynasty.
  • Part of Silk Road trade network.

• Middle East

  • Fragmented under Abbasid Caliphate.
  • Rise of the Turks (steppe nomads) with significant influence.

• Europe

  • 12th-century administrative revolution.
  • Lacked military and bureaucratic reach compared to China.

Rise of the Mongols

• Mongolian Steppe

  • Harshest environment: poor, dry, cold.
  • Least respected group on the steppe.

• Genghis Khan (Temujin)

  • Born 1156, prophesied by Mongol shaman to inherit the world.
  • Unites Mongol tribes by force.
  • Declared Genghis Khan in 1206: "Great Khan."
  • Starts conquests with Western Xia and Jin.

• Mongol Conquests

  • Attack and subjugate Western Xia using innovative military strategies.
  • Targeted Jin Empire for insult, used prolonged warfare tactics.
  • Launched dual campaigns against Jin and Khwarazmians.
  • Ruthless warfare tactics: sieges, destruction, psychological warfare.

Expansion and Tactics

• Strategy and Tactics

  • Speed due to superior horses and horsemanship.
  • Powerful bows capable of piercing iron armor.
  • Utilized terror and psychological warfare.
  • Advanced military strategies: multiple roving advances, feigned retreats.

• Expansion Beyond Asia

  • Conquered Eastern Europe, Russian kingdoms, and beyond.
  • Siege of Kiev and total destruction of the city.
  • European panic as Mongols approached.

Decline and Division

• Post-Genghis Khan
  • Ogedai Khan continued expansion but died without an heir.
  • Mongol Empire fractured into four khanates.
  • Infighting among successors led to civil wars and disunity.

Impact and Legacy

• Immediate Effects

  • Devastating death toll: 40 million (11% of world population).
  • Largest contiguous empire ever, significant territory control.

• Pax Mongolica

  • Period of peace and stability across Eurasia.
  • Encouraged trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road.

• Long-term Impact

  • Spread of the Black Death to Europe.
  • Paved way for European dominance by disrupting Middle Eastern powers.

Conclusion

• The Mongols fundamentally changed the political landscape of Eurasia.
• Next lecture will cover the aftermath and division of the Mongol Empire.