Owen Versteeg
Programmer, student, quadcopter pilot. Also a developer of Reveal.js on GitHub.
The Mongol Empire:
its' history, impact, and legacy
By Owen Versteeg, Robbie Murdza, and Gerret Margolis
~ Important ~
dates · names · places · thesis
Introduction
(Thesis)
The Mongol Empire was the most powerful empire in the world in its time, stretching from the Middle East to Europe to the far East of China. Its fast and efficient transfers of ideas and goods through the large empire were crucial to its survival.
The Mongol Empire was able to unite the cultures and ideas of Europe, Asia, Russia, and the Middle East because of their powerful horses, diverse leaders, and unique political structure.
Unfortunately, the Empire was marred by its' sexual abuse of women, its lack of leadership, and a custom of mass-murdering those who did not yield to it. Because of this, the Empire fell.
Early History
- The Mongol Empire was officially founded in 1206 with the crowning of Genghis Khan (born Temujin)
- With this came a progressive new law code, new military leaders, record-keeping, and higher literacy (in Uyghur script) which united cultures that previously did not communicate.
- The Empire then attacked empires in what is now Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and China (now western Xia & Kievan Rus').
- The Mongol Empire then expanded westward for 21 years until the death of their ruler Genghis Khan in 1227
Expansion Under Ögedei
-
In 1239, 2 years after his father Genghis's unfortunate death at age 66, power passed to Ögedei Khan (born
Ögedei.)
- The Persian empire fell in 1231 thanks to many factors including the Mongol general Chormaqan and the Yam route.
- The Jin Dynasty, Georgia, and Armenia were soon defeated.
- A Mongol envoy to Korea died in 1231, causing conflict ending in 1241 with Korea ruled by the Mongol general Bog Wong.
- Much of Europe was in the process of being conquered when Ögedei died at age 55 of alcoholism in 1241.
The Empire Splinters
- After Ögedei's death, the Empire splintered. Despite Ögedei's specification that his son Shiremun succeed him, Güyük came to power in 1246. He tried to reduce corruption but these efforts ended when he died in 1248 at 42.
- Möngke was crowned in 1251 and died in 1259 after invading China further.
- Kublai and Ariq Böke and Möngke's forces, still loyal after his death, battled in a huge civil war starting in 1261. This civil war ended with the once-great Mongol Empire in four main pieces: the Golden Horde (ruled by Nogai), the Yuan Dynasty (ruled by Kublai), the Chagatai Khanate (Chagatai) and the Ilkhanate (ruled by Hulagu).
Cultural Impact
(on their time period)
- The Mongols were somewhat responsible for a decline in the quality of the art of the world. They preferred portraits of horses to people, and were not as artistic as other societies.
- However, they made the 1st world history (Jami' al-tawarikh, late 13th-early 14th century) & had fairly good schools.
- Their main cultural impact came from the massive amounts of trade that occurred through their huge empire. Ideas that previously would have stayed in China now spread to the Middle East and Europe, and cultural diversity increased.
Economic Impact
(on their time period)
- The Mongols' economic impact was huge, as one of the main functions of their empire was trade. The Mongols' efficient transportation, which began in 1207, made exchange of goods between two cultures as apart as night and day easier.
- Example: It takes my family & me a day to drive from here to NYC by car. It'd also take a Mongol Yam rider a day - on horse.
- The Mongols also were fairly liberal in what they allowed to pass through their borders, increasing their economic impact. They were religiously diverse, and thus religious artifacts could pass through unharmed - unlike in other regions.
Military Impact
- The Mongols had a hugely effective military. Despite its' relatively small size of ~100,000, it was extremely effective and could strike quickly because it rode on horseback - thus it could outstrip any warning messengers coming to a city.
- The Mongols destroyed the art of katana making for about 200 years (starting 1274.) During the time they were at war (or uneasy with) Japan, the Japanese made so many katanas to for defense that the quality plummeted - to the point that Japan does not recognize any katanas from that time period in their archives.
- The Mongols crippled almost all world militaries by spreading the Black Plague - which made countries weak to invasion. China had the most deaths, and the Mongols took advantage of this.
Cultural Legacy
- The Mongols left behind a massive and detailed history of the world, believed to be the first of its' kind. 20 copies were made and amazingly a few survived. These give invaluable information on early history.
- The Mongols spread Chinese technologies to Europe, allowing European scientists to use many Chinese technologies, advancing science by hundreds of years.
- The Mongols left behind a series of relatively tolerant mini-Mongol empires that would continue to exist for hundreds of years after - some of which carry the same Mongol tradition of religious diversity, violence, and abusing women.
Genetic Legacy
- One of the most well-known facts about the Mongols is that Genghis Khan and his children abused so many women (he had over 3000 "wives" at a time, which increased during an invasion) that his genes are present in 0.5% of the world population.
- This is the largest percent for a known individual.
- In Asia today (as well as for the past hundreds of years) being a descendant of Genghis Khan would win you free political prestige, as being related to Genghis is very prestigious - however, not in China, where Genghis did most of his sexual abuse.
Artifacts
This painting (One Day in Mongolia) shows a typical Mongol village. The people in this photo are erecting a Ger, performing religious rituals, and preparing for battle. They had very little wood since they lived in the Steppes - plains where there are barely any trees.
It's important to note the presence of horses in this painting - they're being used by the Yam riders & by a small group of soldiers.
This sword is a 13th-14th century kaskara. Kaskaras are fairly common swords; their use began in the late 13th-early 14th century in the area near the Middle East. Their use declined for some time and then peaked again in the 19th century.
This kaskara was renovated twice - in the 1600s and in the 1800s. These renovations are evidenced by the modern patterns and nails. It was used until the 1800s, which decreased its value substantially.
Conclusion
Obviously, the Mongol Empire was the most powerful empire in the world while it lasted and possibly of all time. The Mongol Empire allowed ideas, religions, and products to move through its' swift transportation system easily.
Despite its' faults, such as sexual abuse of women, rampant slaughter of dissidents, and constant warfare against small nations, the Mongol Empire was able to unite several conquered empires into one using its' powerful horses, brilliant leaders, and unique political structure.
mongols
By Owen Versteeg
mongols
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