How To Read The History Of The Mongol Empire

Transcription

1 Unit 5: The Mongol Empire The Mongols nomads of central Asia dominated world history during the thirteenth century. The Mongols invaded many postclassical empires and built an extensive cultural and commercial network. Led by Chinggis Khan and his successors, the Mongols brought China, Persia, Tibet, Asia Minor, and southern Russia under their control. Often portrayed as barbarians and destructive warriors, most of the peoples conquered by the Mongols lived in relative peace, enjoyed religious tolerance, and had a unified law code. The Mongol empire also opened trade routes and communication between different regions in Asia. As will see in this unit, the Mongols presented a formidable nomadic challenge to sedentary, civilized societies throughout Asia. In this unit, we will begin by examining who the nomadic Mongols were and what motivated their ambitious expansion. We will then turn our attention to specific Mongol rulers, the Mongol military machine, and the nature of the Mongol imperial system. We will also examine Mongol rule in China, called the Yuan Dynasty, and its impact on Chinese culture. Finally, we will study outsiders perceptions of Mongol rule and conquest. Unit 5 Time Advisory close This unit will take you 9 hours to complete. Subunit 5.1: 2 hours Subunit 5.2: 2 hours Subunit 5.3: 2 hours Subunit 5.4: 3 hours Unit 5 Learning Outcomes close Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to: Define key milestones in the rise of the Mongol Empire and the sources of its power. Describe some of the results of the cultural interactions that the spread of Mongol rule helped to promote. Identify some of the key factors that are used to explain the decline of Mongol power in Asia and Europe. 5.1 The Mongols Lecture: Harvard Extension School Distance Education: China: Traditions and Transformations : Lecture 17: The World Empire of the Mongols

2 Link: Harvard Extension School Distance Education: China: Traditions and Transformations : Lecture 17: The World Empire of the Mongols (Adobe Flash) Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this lecture by Harvard University Professor Peter Bol for an introduction to the rise of the Mongol Empire. Consider how the Mongol Empire compares to others that have been studied to date as well as the manner in which this material illustrates some of the processes of globalization cited in earlier resources Reasons for Conquest Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquests : What Led to the Conquests? Conquests : What Led to the Conquests? (HTML) PDF (p. 7-8) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 7) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this section to get a sense of what motivated the Mongol conquest of Asia Chinggis Khan Reading: Selections from Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquests

3 Conquests : Tribal Group vs. Mongol Identity under Chinggis Khan (HTML) Chinggis s Mastery of Organization and Military Tactics (HTML) Three Invasions Led by Chinggis (HTML) Chinggis s Successor and Further Expansion of the Empire (HTML) PDF (p.8-10) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 8) Instructions: Please read the entirety of these four sections in order to get a sense of Chinggis Khan s vision of Mongol identity, his military strategy, the many battles he fought, and those Mongol leaders who succeeded him Conquering a Vast Territory Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquest : How a Small Group of Mongols Conquered Such a Vast Domain Conquest : How a Small Group of Mongols Conquered Such a Vast Domain (HTML) PDF (p.10-11) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 10) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this section to learn of how and why the Mongols were able to bring so much territory under their control.

4 5.1.4 The Pax Mongolica Reading: Silkroad Foundation: Professor Daniel C. Waugh s The Pax Mongolica Link: Silkroad Foundation: Professor Daniel C. Waugh s The Pax Mongolica (HTML) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage, which discusses Waugh s contention that relative peace characterized the Mongol Empire in the wake of their military conquests. Note on the Text: Author, Daniel C. Waugh, is a professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. webpage above Empire s Collapse Reading: Columbia University: The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquests : The Collapse of the Empire Conquest : The Collapse of the Empire (HTML) PDF (p.11-12) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 11) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this section in order to get a sense of how the struggles among Mongol leaders led to a breakdown in power in the empire.

5 Subunit 5.1 Assessment Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Reading Questions for Subunit 5.1" Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Reading Questions for Subunit 5.1" (PDF) Instructions: Once you have worked through all of the assigned resources in the subunit above, please open the linked PDF and respond to all questions. When you are done--or if you are stuck--please check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "Guide to Responding to Reading Questions for Subunit 5.1" (PDF). 5.2 The Mongols in China The Mongols Influence on China Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquest : What was the Mongols Influence on China? Conquest : What was the Mongols Influence on China? (HTML) PDF (p ) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 12) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this section, which questions whether the Mongols influence on imperial China was destructive or beneficial Kubilai Khan in China

6 Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquest : Kubilai Khan in China Conquest : Kubilai Khan in China (HTML) PDF (p. 13) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 13) Instructions: Please read the entirety of this section on Kubilai Khan s rule in China Life in China under Mongol Rule Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquest : Selections from Life in China under Mongol Rule Conquest : Selections from Life in China under Mongol Rule : For Peasants (HTML) For Artisans (HTML) For Merchants (HTML) Legal Codes (HTML) Civilian Life (HTML) Religion (HTML) Culture(HTML) PDF (p ) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 13) Instructions: Please read all of these links to get a sense of the way of life in China during Mongol rule.

7 5.2.4 Beginnings of Mongol Collapse Reading: Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Mongol Conquest : Selections from Beginnings of Mongol Collapse Conquest : Selections from Beginnings of Mongol Collapse : Military Successes and Failures (HTML) Public Works Failures (HTML) PDF (p ) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 18) Instructions: Please read both of these links to learn about the internal and external pressures that drove the Mongol Empire toward collapse. 5.3 The Pastoral-Nomadic Life of the Mongols Nomads Reading: Selections from Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Pastoral-Nomadic Life ; John Masson Smith, Jr. s Dietary Decadence and Dynastic Decline in the Mongol Empire ; and Morris Rossabi, All the Khan s Horses

8 Link: Selections from Columbia University s The Mongols in World History: The Pastoral Nomadic Life Introduction (HTML) Sheep: A Source of Bounty (HTML) Goats (HTML) Survival of the Flocks (HTML) Yaks and Oxen (HTML) Camels (HTML) Horses (HTML) Mare s Milk (HTML) Traditional Clothing and Jewelry (HTML) The Portable Home: The Ger (HTML) PDF (p ) (At the bottom of the right column, select link "Transcript (PDF)" and scroll down to page 18) John Masson Smith, Jr., Dietary Decadence and Dynastic Decline in the Mongol Empire, Journal of Asian History, vol. 34, no. 1, 2000 (PDF) HTML Morris Rossabi, All the Khan s Horses, Natural History, 1994 (PDF) HTML Instructions: Please read all of these links to get a sense of the features that defined Mongol nomadic life. You will need to download the PDFs of the two articles by John Masson Smith, Jr. and Morris Rossabi, respectively. Click the link on the title of each article to download these. Please read these articles, one about the Mongol diet and one about the importance of the horse in Mongol culture.

9 5.4 Perceptions of the Mongols Persian Views Reading: Michigan State University: David Morgan s "Persian Perceptions of Mongols and Europeans Link: Michigan State University: David Morgan s Persian Perceptions of Mongols and Europeans (HTML) Google Books Instructions: Please read this entire text for information on how the Persians perceived Mongol invaders. Note on the Text: This excerpt is from Chapter VI of Stuart B. Schwartz (ed) Implicit Understandings: Observing, Reporting, and Reflecting on the Encounters Between Europeans and Other Peoples in the Early Modern Era, which is published by Cambridge University Press (1994) The Mongols and Christian Europe Reading: Michigan State University: Robert Marshall s Selections from Storm from the East: from Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan Link: Michigan State University: Robert Marshall s Selections from Storm from the East: from Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan (HTML) Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to get a sense of how medieval European Christians perceived the Mongol conquests of Asia and the Middle East. Note on the Text: These selections from Chapter 5: From Prester John to Cultural Strangers comes from Marshall s textbook Storm from the East: from Genghis Khan to Khubilai Khan, which is published by University of California Press (1993).

10 Reading: Stetson University: Correspondence between Roman Pope and Great Khan Link: Stetson University: Correspondence between Roman Pope and Great Khan (HTML) Instructions: By the middle of the Thirteenth Century Mongol armies had penetrated into Central Europe. These events inspired a response from Pope Innocent IV who dispatched emissaries to the Great Khan in As you will find in the subsequent exchange of letters included on this page, Pope and Khan appeared to have very different views on how one should interpret the commands of Heaven. Assessment: Pearson Education s World Civilizations: AP Edition: Chapter 14, Multiple Choice Quiz Link: Pearson Education s World Civilizations: AP Edition: Chapter 14, Multiple Choice Quiz (HTML) Instructions: Please take the assigned multiple choice quiz on this webpage in order to assess your understanding of the empire built by the Mongols. Click the Submit Answers for Grading at the bottom of the webpage to link to the answer key.