Mongolian+Conquest+-+The+Last+Great+Nomads

Espirit Chart: Mongol Empire

Economics: Mongol Survival depended on the well being of the herds of goats and sheep they drove from pasture to pasture according to the seasons(contrary to popular belief, Mongols were not Hunter-Gatherers, but Herders).As such, they were heavily dependant on the strength of their horses, who were not only used for herding, but also for war, and for hunting wild animals.Their staple foods were meat and milk products provided by their herds, occasionally supplemented by grains/vegetables gained through trade with sedentary people.They also traded their hides and dairy products for jewelry, weapons, and cloth made in more urban areas. Social:Similar to the early Arabs, the basic unit of mongol society was the Tribe, which was divided into family-related clans whose members would work together on a regular basis. Both mongol men and women were trained in the arts of horsemanship, and were expected to learn as soon as they were able to walk.When threatened by external enemies or preparing for raids, clans and tribes would be combined in great confederations, which could last for months or even years based on the power of the leaders.These leaders were elected by the free men of the clan.While women exercised family influence, and could speak in tribal councils, men dominated leadership positions. Politics: Being that Mongols were heavily dependant on the strength of their tribal leader, it was common practice to abandon or betray tribal leaders if they showed signs of weakness.Such signs of weakness were age, becoming mentally feeble, and large scale mindset of betrayal. The leader expected to be betrayed when they grew weak, and the supporters were not expected to feel remorse for this betrayal.A strong leader was expected to quickly build up a following of chiefs from other clans, and their strength was measured through bravery in battle, hunting ability, and leadership skills(forging alliances and attracting dependants). Interactions: First, the Mongol armies under Genghis Khan attacked the Tangut kingdom of Xi Xia in northwest China, whose ruler was then forced to declare himself a vassal of the Khagan. Then, afterwards, the Mongols set to conquer the powerful Jin kingdom which the Jurchens of Manchuria had established in North China. In these campaigns, the mongol armies were first confronted with large fortified cities, and were often thwarted by the intricare chinese defenses.In general, the mongols thought little of the people of opposing towns, taking the strongest and most intelligent, selling the rest of the inhabitants into slavery and burning other structures to the ground. Religion:Although Genghis Khan followed shamanist beliefs which were handed down through his ancestors, Khan occasionally asked Taoist magicians for an elixir which would make him immortal.Genghis Khan was also known for allowing freedom of religion throughout his empire. The native religion of Mongolia is, like the language, related to the Turkish tradition and would also have similarities with the Tibetan Bön. In general this religion is referred to as shamanism (Heissig 1980). Rather often shamanism refers to a specific form of this religious phenomena present in Siberia, and although there is a relation with this form it is not the same (Heissig 1980: 6). Above this `shamanism´ implies that a religious specialist is needed and central to it’s faith and practices while in fact it is an animist religion with an arsenal of beliefs and practices in which a shaman not necessarily is involved. ([]) Though the mongols eventually converted to Buddhism after the death of Genghis Khan. Intelligence/ Innovation: Mongolian innovation was largely devoted to their seige engine and increasement of military prowess. Being that their army was purely cavalry, their speed made raiding much easier.The Mongol army was divided into Tumens, or groups of 10,000 warriors. These were further divided into groups of 1000,100, and so on.Local leaders were responsible for training their cavalrymen, who were further divided into heavy and light cavalry, and scouts. Combined with masterful mongol strategies, Light infantry was first used to draw out the enemy's main forces, which were then caught by a devastating pincer maneouvre when the heavy cavalry rushed out of hiding. Technology: In order to overcome intricate Chinese fortifications, Mongols developed strong war technology such as bamboo rockets which spread fire, battering rams, and catapults which fired rocks.These were made due to captured Chinese engineers and artisans who created these devices in exchange for their lives.Mongolian bows were especially strong, and on average had a range of 350 yards. In contrast, the European Longbows had only about 250 yards of range.Due to Genghis Khan's massive spying network, Mongol warriors were able to copy the greatest military achievements of other cultures, including bronze cannons, exploding arrows, and other gunpowder projectiles.
 * As an empire, they encouraged free trade,and conquered lands were expected to pay tribute based on their level of resistance during invasion.
 * The economy flourished in the sense that the actual speed of trade was increased.
 * It was socially acceptable to have multiple wives, if it was possible to support them.

Piratepad discussion: []

Notes on Yuan Dynasty: Soon after Ogedei was elected as the great Khan, the mongol advance into China resumed, with the objective of conquering the Song dynasty, and the army was directed by Kublai Khan.After this conquest, the Yuan Era began in China. A new social structure was quickly established, with Mongols at the top and their central asian and Muslim allies right below them. These two classes occupied most of the high level bureaucratic jobs.Below them were the native Chinese and minorities from the south.Thus, ethnic Chinese and minorities controlled the Yuan bureaucracy at local levels, but they could only exercise power on higher levels by advising the higher-up mongols. Mongol women during this period remained largely separate from Confucian-style chinese culture, refusing to practice footbinding, or be subserviant to men. This was exemplified by Kublai Khan's wife Chabi, who was not only an important confidant on political and diplomatic matters, but also promoted Busshism in the higher levels of the government. Chabi played a major role in the reconciliation of the ethnic Chinese population and the Mongol conquerors, convincing Kublai that harsh treatment of the remnants of the Song Dynasty would only anger the native population. Like Genghis Khan, Kublai and Chabi had very cosmopolitan tastes.For example, Muslims designed and supervised the building of his Chinese-style imperial city and proposed new systems of efficient tax collection. In addition to Muslims,Kublai welcomed travelers and emmissaries from foreign lands into his court, for example Marco Polo.Khan was also very accepting of foreign ideals and was particularly interested in the topic of religous debates, like his grandfather Genghis before him.These efforts, (especially in part due to Marco Polo) helped pique european interest in Asia, helping to inspire navigators such as Christopher columbus. Despite Kublai's efforts to gain the trust of the ethnic chinese populace, they were never particularly reconciled to Mongol Rule. The vast majority of Chinese bureaucrats viewed Kublai( and following descendants) as barbarians whose traditions endangered Chinese values. Kublai's refusal to institute examinations as a method to administrative office prevented confucian scholars from dominating politics. The favoritism he showed to Mongol and other foreign officials further alienated the scholar gentry class.To add insult to injury, Kublai also spent a great deal of time bolstering the power of the Artisan and Peasant classes. The Yuan dynasty in China was relatively short-lived, especially considering the military power of the Mongols. By the end of Kublai Khan's reign, song Loyalists were raising revolts in the south, and popular hostility towards the foreign overlords was being expressed more openly. In part due to the death of Chabi and his son, the Mongol administration under Kublai had grown lax in later years. Descendants of the Khan were uninterested in the tedium of administrative affairs, and many Muslim or Christian officials used the opportunity to enrich themselves, bringing public unrest to boiling point.Many secret societies were formed, such as the Order of the WHite Lotus. Eventually, chaos erupted and the mongols who could escape retreated to central asia.Soon after, Ku Yuanzhang emerged to found the Ming dynasty, which would control China for the next 300 years,