Mongols and CC Exchange

Question 1

What factors made agricultural living difficult in Asia?

Answer 1

Arid; no rivers or rainfall; little agriculture.

Question 2

Describe pastoralist lifestyle

Answer 2

Moved around often; no large scale society: sought land for horses to graze; served as intermediaries of trade.

Question 3

Describe society of Turkish people

Answer 3

Divided into two classes of the nobles and the commoners; status could change due to leadership and bravery in war; less patriarchy because women tended to animals.

Question 4

Describe culture of Turkish people

Answer 4

Interacted with settled people often; very mobile; many animals; no agriculture; lived on animal products.

Question 5

Describe religion of Turkish people

Answer 5

Initially devoted to native Shaman religious leaders; close contact with natural/magical spirits; became acquainted with other religions; mass conversion to Islam when conquered Persia.

Question 6

Turkish interactions with Abbasid

Answer 6

Saljuqs live don edge of Abbasid realm; traded and joined armies; became pre-eminent leaders.

Question 7

Turkish interactions with Byzantine

Answer 7

Migrated to Anatolia for its riches; defeated Byzantine army; seen as liberators; transformed Anatolia into Islamic society

Question 8

Turkish interactions with Sultanate of Delhi

Answer 8

Led by Mahmud of Ghazni; plundered Punjab and Gujarat; gained dominance w/ army; Hindu kingdoms prevented expansion; practiced iconoclasm.

Question 9

How did Chingiss Khan rise to power

Answer 9

Lived in poverty after father died, learned alliance and conquest; became leader of his tribe and conquered all surrounding ones; united Mongols into single confederation; allied with people but betrayed them later.

Question 10

How did Chinggis Khan organize political and military structures?

Answer 10

Broke up tribes; forced people to fight in army; chose leaders based on merit/loyalty; trained efficient cavalry and archers; used psychological warfare and siege tactics.

Question 11

Describe psych. warfare

Answer 11

Kill wealthy and upper class; generate fear by brutally killing one person; drive people to starve locked in city; forced towns to surrender out of fear.

Question 12

Describe Mongol conquests

Answer 12

N China, C asia, Persia; took over Jurchen capital in north China and soon entire region; shattered Persian army, broke Qanats, and massacred when Turkish Shah rejected diplomatic trade offer.

Question 13

Describe Chinese Mongol empire after Chinggis Khan

Answer 13

Khubilai Khan consolidated Chinese region, conquered S China at capital, sponsored cultural development, founded Yuan dynasty, installed foreign governors, dismissed confucian civil service system, only collected revenues

Question 14

How did khanate of Persia fall?

Answer 14

Persia: Overspending, overexploitation of peasantry, paper money failed due to loss of value, no commerce, factional gov’t struggles.
Bubonic plague led to depopulation and labor shortages

Question 15

Describe Russian Mongol empire after Chinggis Khan

Answer 15

Golden Horde overran Russia, took pastureland, extracted tribute from cities;

Question 16

Describe Persian empire after Chinggis Khan

Answer 16

in Persia ilkhanate was formed when Baghdad was captured in siege and massacre, expanded throughout empire, allowed Persians to remain local governors in exchange for tribute, mass Mongol conversion to Islam.

Question 17

How did khanate of China fall?

Answer 17

China: paper money lost value, factional struggles in gov’t, assassinations, civil war, chronic rebellion, Bubonic plague led to depopulation and labor shortages.

Question 18

What happened to Mongol empire after death of Chinggis Khan?

Answer 18

Divided into China, C Asia, Persia, and Russia; ambition and conflict between four regions;

Question 19

How is Mongols history being revised?

Answer 19

We have much more access to information within the recent 15 years, so many more viewpoints can be taken about the Mongols besides the traditional one. The traditional belief is that Mongols were savage barbarians, but with more information we can see the lasting effect they had on the world and the good they did. They allowed for cc exchange, protected trade routes, and and supported religion as well as the arts.

Question 20

How are Mongols the exception?

Answer 20

• didn’t build anything/no monuments
• first nomadic group to establish empire
• never established own cities. instead got from conquest
• didn’t have own language or religion; they adopted them from conquered peoples.

Question 21

How was CC exchange accelerated during this era?

Answer 21

• Communication system with horseback riders to relay messages.
• Excellent conquerors with military tactics.
• Secured trade routes; increased trade, diplomacy, and religion between regions.
• Resettlement integrated skilled workers where needed. Ex: Uighur Turks served as admins because of literacy; census.

Question 22

How did Tamerlane fill the political vacuum post-khanates?

Answer 22

Was a charismatic leader and brave warrior; took Chinggis Khan as his model; defeated tribes through alliance or conquest; conquered Persia, Afghanistan, Golden Horde, and N India. Empire collapsed after death due to loose tribal organization

Question 23

How did Osman fill the political vacuum post-khanates?

Answer 23

Emerged from group of Turks who migrated to Anatolia following Mongol conquest; declared independence and began conquering at expense of Byzantine; conquered Balkans peninsula, Byzantine empire (Constantinople), SW Asia, SE Europe, and N Africa.