A brief history of the Mongol Empire for use in Global History and Geography 9R

1. The Mongols
Unit 3.2

2. Rise of the Mongols
• Nomads from central
Asia
• United by Genghis Khan
• Fierce warriors; used
bow and arrow on
horseback
• Stirrups led to advanced
horseback tactics!
• Introduced cannons
from China

3. Genghis Khan
• Born as Temujin in
1100s
• Warrior and leader
• United Mongol tribes
• Conquers land from
Korea to Persia
• Renamed “Genghis
Khan” = World Emperor

5. Copy these questions:
1.Who joined the Mongols in their fight
against China?
2.How did Genghis Khan cripple China’s
capitol, Beijing?
3. How did silk play an important role in
battle?
4.What did Genghis Khan do to Chinese
prisoners of war?

7. Copy These Questions
1.What did Genghis Khan create for the first time
in Mongol history, in contrast to a nomadic
lifestyle?
2.What advancements did Genghis Khan take
from other cultures?
3.What did the Persians send back to Genghis
Khan which caused him to retaliate?
4.What did Genghis Khan believe was his destiny?
5.Did Genghis Khan achieve his destiny?

9. Mongol Goals
• Create a big empire
• Make as much money as possible off of
conquests

10. Mongols in Europe
• Attacked Russia,
Hungary, and Poland
• Batu controlled the
Golden Horde in Russia
from 1236 to 1241as a
tolerant ruler
• Mongols kept Russia
isolated from Western
Europe

11. Mongols in the Middle East
• By the 1300s Tamerlane gained control of
Russia, Persia, Mesopotamia, and India

12. Mongols in China
• 1279, Kublai Khan
dominates China,
Korea, Tibet, and parts
of Vietnam
• Continues to rule those
areas a tributary states
• Established the Yuan
Dynasty
• Moved capital to Beijing
• Gave top government
and military jobs to
Mongols

13. Mughal India
• Founded by Babur
(claimed descent from
Tamerlane) in 1526
• Golden Age under
Akbar the Great, an
absolute ruler who
preached religious
tolerance.
• Defeated by the
British in 1857

14. Life under the Mongols
• As they conquered
the Mongols looted,
pillaged, and
terrorized
• As leaders they
practiced tolerance as
long as the
conquered people
paid tribute
• Mongols promoted
peace and trade

15. Effects on Russia
• Ruled for 250 years
• Created a tradition of
absolute rule
• Isolated Russia from the
West,  Russia being
centuries behind Europe
• Eventually overthrown
by Ivan the Great
• Ivan the Terrible rules
as a tyrant

16. Pax Mongolia and Global Trade
• Period of political stability resulting from
Mongol rule
• Silk Road gets a face lift
– Mongols provide safe passage along the silk
road
– Gunpowder, porcelain, papermaking, and
windmills all flow west
• Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta
– Safe travel  exploration

17. Effects on China
• Yuan dynasty lasts 150 years
• Established a new capital in Beijing
• Created a period of stability known as the
Pax Mongolia
• Put Mongols in key positions in the
government and military
• Cleaned up the Silk Road making trade safe
and prosperous
• Welcomed visitors like Marco Polo and Ibn
Battuta

18. Fall of the Mongols
• Empire was too large and diverse to govern
effectively
• Often relied on conquered people to run
things
• Death of strong leaders like Genghis, Batu,
and Kublai Khan left the empire weak
• The Mongols were nomads, they didn’t have
a civilization, this put their empire at a
disadvantage from it’s start!

19. Take notes on the video below!
Questions will follow!

20. 1. Where did the Mongols come from?
2. On which two continents did the Mongols conquer
territory?
3. What technology helped the Mongols in their
conquests?
4. Who united the Mongols?
5. Which Mongol conquered Russia?
6. Which Mongol conquered China?
7. Which Mongol created the Mughal Empire?
8. Which person ruled over the Mughal’s golden age?
9. The period of peace and stability within the Mongol
empire is known as the…
10. Even though they had a giant empire, the Mongols
never built a c…