Mongols

 

• Genghis Kahn (founder)

• yurts

• horseback riding

• strong fighters

• Genghis Kahn was a strategist

• Pax Mongolia  

• strong rule

• bubonic plague

• grew apart from each other

Genghis Kahn was the founder of the Mongol empire. The Mongols were a nomadic tribe who wandered the Steps to the north. During their time as nomads, they domesticated horses and became expert riders. The knowledge and tradition of horseback riding would then be passed through the generations of Mongols. One unique thing about them was that their houses were easily portable. These houses were called Yurts, and the Mongols had cities of them. This meant an entire city of Mongols could move to follow the food they hunted. The Mongols began to conquer more land under the rule of Genghis Kahn. Theor stirrups, combined with their already advanced horseback riding skills, gave them an advantage in battles. Genghis Kahn was also a brilliant military strategist. He would often tell his men to retreat, and when the enemy followed, they would be met by another army. The Mongols reputation spread fast through the ancient world. If cities surrendered, the Mongols would treat the people well, and with respect. If a city fought back, they would slaughter everyone except a messenger to pass the word on. The cities of Yurts proved to be another advantage in war times for the Mongols because the enemy would never know where the Mongols were, so they couldn't be attacked. The Mongol empire spread so far, and so fast, that it became the largest empire in human history. Once the Mongols conquered the majority of their land, they established government and infrastructure. The empire was split into four sections, with individual leaders, although they all reported to the Genghis Kahn. They began to trade with outsiders and established the Pax Mongolica, which granted safe trade to merchants. They traded silk, metals, and food. The Mongols took advantage of the infrastructure left behind by previous empires, such as the Silk Road and Grand Canal. Once the Mongols possessed silk, they used it as another layer of armor, which helped catch or soften the blow of arrows or spears. The Mongols adopted ideas from every conquered civilization, which advanced their technology. They had high quality armor and weapons for example. The Mongols never truly had a fall, but separated over time. The bubonic plague killed many Mongols, which prevented communication between the four sections. The Mongols in China began to see themselves as Chinese, while the Mongols in Russia saw themselves as Russian. For that reason, the Mongols grew distant from each other and were absorbed into the population, of where they lived.(Jason)