Week 6 - The Mongols

Question 1

Temujin: Chinnghis Khan (1162-1227)

Answer 1

Origins partly mythologised
Military and political skill - diplomacy, alliance making, dividing spoils, disrupting old clan influence, defeat of rival leaders
Name means fierce ruler

Question 2

rapid expansion

Answer 2

Exploiting disunity of opponents
Tactics - terror, mass deportations, tribute, diplomacy, trade, tolerance of non-threatening local practices
Rapid adaptation and adoption of useful practices such as paper money, writing and walled cities

Select conflicts
Siege of Zhongdu 1215
Capture of Bakhara 1219
Siege of Kiev 1240
Siege of Baghdad 1258
Capture of Damascus 1260
Battle of Ain Jalut 1260 - briefly forced Franks and Mamluks to be at peace

Question 3

After Chinnghis: women and power

Answer 3

No clear tradition of succession
Conflict between matriarchs
Fragmentation among cousins
4 Khanates (divide empire in four)

Question 4

major forms of trans-civilisational exchange

Answer 4

Mass movement of people
Redistribution of languages, religions, scripts, knowledge and technology
Administrative practices such as taxation and record keeping
Trade in luxury goods and essential products not on the steppe
Diplomacy/tribute

Question 5

the move to missions

Answer 5

The need to act - pleas for assistance from Hungary, Bohemia etc., Weakness of European military resistance
Want mongols to help in the crusades if converted
Positive attitudes - legends of Prester John (mythical ruler, think he was Christian), christian populations within Mongol Empire
Pope Innocent IV tries conversion diplomacy

Question 6

Marco Polo: a favoured foreigner

Answer 6

A family of Venetian merchants
Existing mongol trade links
Detailed description of journey, goods, trade practices
Trade to the Great Khanate of Qubilai Khan
Serves as governor of Yangzhou
Reports on wonders of China

Question 7

a fatal exchange

Answer 7

The black death
Dispersed with the mongol expansion
Probably originated in the Mongolian steppe and moved by trade networks and exchange
Begins in 13th century
Significant animal interaction with horses and rats (zoonotic)
Major population displacements
Truly global pandemic
Spread by flees and imported goods

The impact: western evidence
30-50% of population died
Horrifying symptoms
Death within hours and days
Time of terror
Occurred in less documented places as well
Might have caused the decline of some empires

Question 8

evaluating impact

Answer 8

Violence, population displacement, pandemic
Cultural exchange, artistic and architectural influences
Religious tolerance
Expansion of trade
Availability of luxury goods

Question 9

“Mongol-Papal Encounter: Letter Exchange between Pope Innocent IV and Güyük Khan in 1245-1246”

Answer 9

• letters brought by group of bearers; bearers meet others on the way, counterparts, mediated exchange between principals
• power struggle? trying to get other side to convert for personal motives (stop killing Christians/evangelical motives - khan using exchange of religious worldviews/knowledge of Xtn religion in a mocking way/against pope ‘according to your religion, …. therefore ….’
• Pope’s perspective dominant: 2 letters and written first
• khan’s letter responds to an interpreted message - from others’ reports?
• religious worldviews, each attempting to convert the other (in a psychological sense)
• war, loss/gain of territory, wealth, , ‘brain drain’, displacement of people and goods, trade route control…

Question 10

Nasawi: The Khorezmshah’s Downfall

Answer 10

• Describes events that led to the downfall of relations between Mongols and Khorezmshah and the subsequent
  break out of war, and annihilation of the Khorezmshah
• Exchange of gifts to improve relations, however relations between the people were suspicious
• Example of diplomatic relations
• Was the Mongols intention originally to build positive relations with the Khorezmshah or was it destined from the start that they would invade as they had done previously

Question 11

Abaqa Khan to Lord Edward

Answer 11

• Format: Letter
• Christian language and invocations used by the writer representing Abaqa Khan endear them to the Mongol’s goals diplomatically. E.g. “Saracen”; “infidels”; “by the grace of God”
• Gives Mongols control over Muslim core territory and opens up trade e.g. Mediterranean, as well as Africa via defeat of Mamluks (Egypt).
• Enables Mongols to contact/transplant Frankish tech and ideas they deem useful
• Christians get control of more Holy land as well as expelling Muslim states, furthering their religio-colonial goals
• By interacting amicably through diplomacy and offering military aid, Mongols open up Christian nations as potential tributaries/trade partners/invasion frontiers
• Christians ‘spend’ less Christian lives by essentially outsourcing their crusade.