Pu03c_The Mongols
Pu03c_The Mongols
Mongols
R03c_Ch.12: Doing Business with East Asia.
R03c_Ch.12: Doing Business with East Asia
The readings provided below reveal a bit about the important facets of doing business with East Asia. Knowledge and skill, which may only come from experience and trial/ error, was necessary to master the climatic conditions and nurture regional contacts.
While reading the passages below, open a map of the target regions on your computer screen. Try to find the places mentioned as you analyze the text.
When you’re done, respond in complete sentences to the question(s) at the end.
Reading #1
Climate and Trade
“The monsoons greatly facilitated trade in Southeast Asia. The prevailing winds are to the northeast during summer, and to the southwest during the winter. Thus merchants were able to organize their maritime trade based on these seasonal rhythms of changing wind patterns. Merchants awaiting the shift in prevailing winds needed safe ports for their ships and products. These ports soon developed into major centers of Southeast Asian wealth, culture, and political power.”
Source: Jay P Anglin and William J Hamblin, Harner Collins College Outline of World History to 1648, New York, Collins Publishers, 1993, p.300.
Reading #2
The development of trade in Asia and the Middle East
“In the Abbasid period, the great center [of commerce and trade] for the whole of the East was Baghdad, to be replaced after the eleventh century by Cairo, while the distant countries of the Muslim West also had their own activities, though in smaller scale. From Iraq and Persia their ships sailed to the Yemen and on to East Africa, where they went behind Zanzibar and the Comoro Islands. Sailing eastwards, they reached India and eventually Malaysia and China (Canton).
The Hindus and Chinese, for their part, occasionally visited the Muslim ports, or, more often, came to Ceylon or Malaysia to meet merchants from the West. After the disturbances in China that led to the massacre of the merchant colony in Canton at the end of the ninth century, these intermediate-meeting places became customary for a time although direct links with China were gradually re-established. Merchandise brought to Iraq was largely absorbed by the court and the wealthy local aristocracy; a certain proportion however was sent on by caravan to the ports of Syria or Egypt, destined for the Christian and Muslim countries of the Mediterranean; some goods were also sent by land or sea from Syria direct to Constantinople, and from there re-distributed to eastern Europe and Byzantine Italy.”
Source: P. M. Holt, Ann K S Lambton and Bernard Lewis, eds., The Cambridge History of Islam Vol. 2, London, Cambridge at the University Press, 1970, p.323.
Question(s) to Ponder:
1. To be successful in commercial/ merchant activities with East Asia, what two skills and/ or bits of knowledge do you believe is critical?
2. If you look at a map of the regions discussed, where would be the perfect place for an enterprising person, like yourself, to setup you business and reap wealth from the commerce?
3. In the 13th and 14th C., the Mongols unified the land mass and all land/ sea routes within the Asian region. Now, East and West are connected like they have never been before, or since. During the sharp rise in commercial and cultural exchange that will occur, identify who (EAST or WEST) you believe will benefit most from the exchange and why.
FilmQ03c_Ch.12-The Mongols
FilmQ03c_Ch.12: The Mongols
CCSS/ NYSS…
How to Use Video as a Source
Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.
Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data are ‘more valuable together’ than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise the volume while ‘blacking out’ the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.
As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.
Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use ‘slow motion’ or ‘rewind’. Therefore, maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you’re looking away from the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events. Targeted notes use key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete sentences.
Organizational Tip: Vertically divide your sheet of paper (where you’ll write your responses). On the ‘left’ half, take targeted notes for each question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the ‘right’ half of the sheet).
Your responses to these film questions will form the foundation of, or supplement, your notes for these lessons. While the focus of the film clips is the Mongol conquest and rule, pay attention to the forces of human interaction that can turn conquerors into the conquered. Here too one can see that oft repeated phenomena reminiscent of Hindu wisdom- “from the ashes of destruction comes a rebirth”.
SOURCE: CNN’s Millennium Video Series: The 13th Century: Century of the stirrup, narrated by Ben Kingsley. CNN Productions, Inc. ©1999 [3 clips for a total of ~36 min.]
Context: Mongols and other steppe Nomads of East and Central Asia (North and West of the Great Wall);
Cities of Karakorum, Beijing, and Samarkand (Modern Mongolia, China, and Uzbekistan);
c. 12th – 14th C.
Video Clip #1: Unity and Conquest
1. What elements of Mongol life (even today) do you believe proved beneficial in their 12th – 14th C. conquests?
2. Throughout history, ruthlessness and cruelty has been a weapon of conquering armies. Despite this view, how do modern-day Mongols view leaders like Chinggis Khan?*
3. The Mongols were never numerous. How did they compensate for this during or before battles?
4. How did the Mongols take advantage of the advancements and scholarship of those they conquered?
Video Clip #2, Part I: Pax Mongolica
5. Identify one distinct contribution of the Pax Mongolica\* in the following areas:
-Travel/ Communication
-Commerce
-Religious Toleration
Video Clip #2, Part II: Assimilation and Fragmentation of the Empire
6a. How did the Mongol nomadic lifestyle change by the time of Kublai Khan’s Yuan dynasty in China? (Provide at least 2 examples of change)
6b. In the long term, were these changes a positive or negative for the Mongol rulers of Eurasia?
Ponder (Video Clips 1 and 2)
7. Matthew Paris (English clergyman), William of Rubruk (a French Franciscan Friar), Marco Polo, Persian and Ming historians were all chroniclers of this period.
-Why should we group these people together?
-Why should we NOT group them together?
-Why should we be critical of their accounts of the Mongol conquest and rule?
Video Clip #3: Timur (the lame)*
When answering this question, don’t fail to consider: the environment, battle tactics, impact as rulers, historical impact, etc…
8. What similarities existed between Timur and…
-the Mongols of Chinggis Khan?
-the Mongols of Kublai Khan?
* Vocabulary
Chinggis Khan: In Western textbooks, the name has been corrupted to Genghis Khan
Pax Mongolica: Mongol Peace
Timur (the lame): In Western textbooks, the name has been corrupted to Tamerlane.
AN03c4_Ch.12-The Mongols
AN03c4_Ch12: The Mongol Empire- Collapse and Legacy
Timeline: 14th – 16th Century
FQ: Where did all the Mongol Conquerors Go?
Main Idea: The unique circumstances of the birth and growth of the Mongol Empire did not preclude it from suffering age-old afflictions. Local Mongol leaders increasingly reflected the culture and values of the peoples they ruled. Therefore, distinctions between Mongol controlled regions contributed to divisions within the empire. Like the Greco-Macedonian and Roman Empires, the Mongol Empire suffered from political intrigue, corruption and challenges to its central authority. Like its predecessors, the Mongol Empire shattered into smaller, independent Khanates.
CCSS…
I. Why didn’t the Empire Last Long?
A. Political bonds were personal and not legalistic/ bureaucratic. Loyalty was aimed at one charismatic leader. Where ever that leader went or whatever that leader did, he was followed by soldiers who swore loyalty to him [refer to the reading ‘Temujin becomes Ghengis Khan’].
B. No orderly transition of power. There were conflicting traditions of inheritance. At various times and under certain conditions- Youngest son, brother, or fittest may inherit. In any case, there was always a division of property among inheritors [Case Study: 10th C. Western Europe- Charlemagne’s grandchildren]. In addition, the traditional Khuriltai (grand council) that selected the next Grand Khan created a chaotic condition especially upon the death of the Grand Khan. Field commanders would return with the bulk of their forces to the Khuriltai leaving behind a small force that may embolden the conquered to rebel.
C. Khanates
1. Local Mongol leaders were given the title as Khan, but were subject to the overall authority of the Grand (Supreme) Khan. By the Mid to late 13th C., the mantle of Grand Khan fell upon the shoulders of Chinggis Khan’s grandson- Kubilai. He becomes the 5th Grand Khan (1260-1294), but ruled from the Mongol capital founded on the site of current day Beijing, China. He epitomized the Mongol transformation from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle. Culturally, politically and socially he and his subordinate khans were reflecting the values of the local population.
2. Kubilai’s failure to conquer Japan on two occasions weakened him militarily and tarnished his reputation in the eyes of his subordinates. Traditionally, leaders who lose many men in combat are disgraced. Remember, there were never many Mongol soldiers to begin with. It became increasingly difficult to keep the Khans in the farthest reaches of the empire from acting independently. Often, these independent-minded Khans (all relatives of Kubilai and descended from Chinggis) would embroil themselves in conflicting alliances with Europeans. Crusading Europeans become the ‘pawns’ in the Mongol power struggle.
3. Several Khanates became economically and politically powerful enough to exert their independence.(1) Two of these were the Golden Horde Khanate of Central Asia (Russia) (2) and the Persian Khanate.
Later (14th -16th C.), Timur the Lame (3) expands the area formerly known as the Persian Khanate into Saudi Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. The capital city of his growing empire becomes Samarkand. Later still, and after the collapse of Timur’s Central Asian empire, Babur (4) reintroduces Mongol rule to the Indian subcontinent- this time his descendent’s will become the Mughals (5) of India.
II. Mongol Impact (6)
A. Global in breadth; ‘Ushered in global history’.
B. East met West with a lasting impact socially, economically, politically on both sides. Knowledge spanning the sciences, philosophy, and technology traversed the empire.
III. Summary: Why it matters today.
From the violence of the invasions to the stability of the Pax Mongolica, the Mongols contribute mightily to a new era of achievement in Asia and Europe.
Footnotes:
1. Trade route activity, plunder, and political alliances contributed to this.
2. Largely what is now Russia. Note that Mongol assimilation on a biological level paralleled the cultural. There may have been a genetic legacy left by the Mongols in the populations of Russia and Eastern Europe=\> the Absence of an alcohol metabolizing gene.
3. Europeans corrupt this to Tamerlane
4. Another Mongol descendant.
5. Corruption of the name
6. The impact stretches into the field of biology. Genetic impact => Absence of alcohol metabolizing gene in Mongols and their offspring in conquered areas (Ex. Portions of Russian and Eastern European populations carry this genetic mark).
Resources:
– Map of Eurasia
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Film: CNN’s Millennium Series- The 13th C.: Century of the Stirrup
– Lecture by Prof. Morris Rossabi, Columbia Univ. 28 Sept. ’00 (Stuyvesant H.S.), Author of _Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times_
AN03c3_Ch.12-The Mongols
AN03c3\_Ch12: The Mongol Empire- Pax Mongolica & Yuan Dynasty
Timeline: 13th – 14th Century
FQ: To what extent did Mongol rule contribute to future economic, cultural, and social exchange within Eurasia?
Main Idea: The Mongol Empire becomes a cross-continental bridge uniting East with West. As emperor of China, Kublai Khan encouraged foreign trade. Economic innovations are introduced to encourage and facilitate commerce and cultural diffusion soon thrives. Over time, Mongol hegemony contributes to the safe & speedy travel of people, goods, and knowledge.
CCSS…
I. Vocabulary
Pax Mongolica: ‘Mongol Peace’. A term similar in meaning to the Pax Romana. A period of peace and economic stability brought about by the stability and strength of the Mongolian imperial government.
II. Pax Mongolica: 13th C. version of “The Pax Romana”?
A. Law Enforcement: Patrol major routes. Safe to travel and transport goods.
B. Commercial Innovation: “Post Towns” established along major trade routes. They become commercial centers along remote stretches of Silk Road paths.
C. Currency: Replaces specie as a medium of exchange. Merchants can travel without the weight and worry of inconsistent exchange rates for gold and silver.
D. Post Riders: In emergencies, these messengers of the Khans can travel 300 miles in a day. It aids in governing the vast territories under Mongol rule.
III. East – West Exchange
A. Technology:
1. Firearms: Gunpowder applications.
a. Handheld weapons
b. Cannon and Mortar.
2. Compass
3. Explosives
a. Bombs
b. Grenades
B. Paper Money: Accelerates feudal Europe’s abandonment of manorial system. Economically and politically, land’s value is diminishing as specie-backed mediums of exchange gain importance.
C. Eastern Scholarship: Eastern philosophies, precursors to the natural sciences, flow westward. They fuel changes in both science and religion. (1, 2)
D. Chronicles: Mongol tolerance of foreigners offers an opportunity for visitors to record events and sites during the Pax Mongolica. Among these, we must include Marco Polo, Fr. William of Rubruk, and Ibn Battuta.
IV. Summary: Why it matters now.
The influence of Chinese ideas on Western civilization began with the Mongols’ encouragement of trade.
Footnotes:
1 Roger Bacon, 13thC. Franciscan Friar who is credited with being an early adopter of empiricism and the scientific method.
2 Francis of Assisi, a Franciscan Friar who saw all things in nature as sure signs of God’s existence and work.
Resources:
-Map of Eurasia
-Ibn al-Athir: The Tatars \
-World History: Patterns of Interaction
-Film: CNN’s Millennium Series- The 13th C.\_Century of the Stirrup
-The Human Record textbook: ‘Travel in the Age of the Pax Mongolica’, read pages 426 – 430.
-The Human Record textbook: ‘Traveling the Silk Road’, read pages 431 – 435.
-Lecture by Prof. Morris Rossabi, Columbia Univ. 28 Sept. ’00 (Stuyvesant H.S.), Author of _Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times_
AN03c2_Ch.12-The Mongols
AN03c2_Ch12: The Mongols
Timeline: 13th – 14th Century
FQ: To what extent were conditions favorable for a Mongol invasion of Eurasia?
Main Idea: The rapidity and extent of Mongol conquests was amazing. Clearly there must be an explanation for such military prowess, particularly from a people who traditionally lived in divided tribal groups. For our purposes, we will occupy ourselves with discussions centered on three pivotal topics as they relate to the focus question.
First, the Mongols and the Central Asian nomads of the steppes were unified for the first time. Second, the Mongolian lifestyle consisted of many activities and skills that had direct military applications. Thirdly, opponents, like the Khwarazemid Empire and Europeans, failed to counter Mongol military tactics with innovative tactics of their own. Politically, these two targets of Mongol expansion were fragmenting at the time when Mongols were unifying.
CCSS…
I. Mongol Lifestyle & Military Applications
A. Horsemanship
B. Herds provide all needs
C. Constant & Rapid Travel
D. Survival under Harsh Conditions
II. The Great Hunt
An annual exercise instituted by Chinggis Khan to be conducted during times of peace. It sharpened the daily skills of Mongolian nomads. Emphasis was placed on using those skills for military application.
A. Strengthened Morale
B. Reinforced the value of teamwork.
C. Established discipline
D. Developed and practiced ways to Communicate Silently
E. Tested a Mongol’s Horsemanship
F. Learned to accomplish a mission with limited resources (Ex. Not permitted to use weapons)
III. East Asia is Divided
A. Xia vs. Jin
B. Sung vs. Xia/ Jin
IV. Europe is Caught Unprepared
A. Military
1. Lessons of the Crusades were not learned.
2. Castles & burghs reflects Europe’s siege mentality.
3. Heavily armored Knights reflect Europe’s limited cavalry use
B. European Fragmentation (Disunity)
1. Christian vs. Muslim (Crusades)
2. Pope vs. Monarch (Frederick II, Holy Roman Empire)
3. Monarch vs. Monarch (Frederick II of Holy Roman Empire & King Bela of Hungary)
4. England vs. France
5. Monarch vs. Aristocracy
6. Western ‘Catholic’ Church vs. Eastern ‘Orthodox’ Church
7. Turk vs. Byzantine Greeks
8. The Reconquest (La Reconquista)
V. Summary: Why it matters now.
The Mongols built the largest unified land empire in world history.
Resources:
-World History: Patterns of Interaction
-Slide Presentation
-Film: CNN’s Millennium Series- The 13th C.: Century of the Stirrup
-Assorted Readings (Excerpts: The Devil’s Horsemen, by James Chambers)
-Lecture by Prof. Morris Rossabi, Columbia Univ. 28 Sept. ’00 (Stuyvesant H.S.), Author of _Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times_
AN03c_Ch.12-The Mongols
AN03c_Ch12: The Mongols
Timeline: 12th – 13th Century
FQ: Who are (were) the Mongols?
Main Idea: The Mongols, a nomadic people from the steppe, conquered settled societies across much of Eurasia. Unfortunately for us, much of their story prior to the 15th C. is dominated by the writings of others (Europeans, Persians, Abbasid Caliphate, Chinese, etc.). These accounts are predominantly descriptions of the atrocities committed by Mongols on their victims. The descriptions may be exaggerations, but the evidence is too strong to classify all as such. These accounts will paint the Mongols as genocidal barbarians. While the hatred of Mongols has abated over time, one should expend a bit of suspicion on the identification of a disease by an ethnic group (Down Syndrome => Mongoloid).
In the short time we’ve been together discussing history, brutality perpetrated on one human by another is an all too common occurrence. The builders of empires have resorted to brutal tactics to achieve their political, social or economic goals for millennia. The Mongol conquests were not acts that were committed in a ‘vacuum’. There were underlying causes for the expansion of Mongol hegemony beyond the traditional borders of the steppes. Let’s ask ourselves some questions about why these people did what they did and changed the world in the process.
CCSS…
I. The Mongol conquests were not acts that were committed in a “vacuum”. There were underlying causes for the expansion of Mongol hegemony beyond the traditional territorial borders. Among the causes for us to consider include…
A. There were climatic & economic causes for Mongol expansion.
B. Amazingly, a nomadic people achieve a high level of unity.
C. Cultural traits were ‘translated’ into military tactics.
D. The centuries-old conflict between nomadic & sedentary lifestyles came to the fore on a global scale during this era. (China vs. Mongolia, Agriculture vs. Pastoralism, Sedentary vs. Nomadic)
II. Vocabulary: Refer to Crossword Puzzle
III. Human – Environment Interaction
A. No tomb culture developed. Burials were conducted by leaving the corpse within reach of animals- which will consume the corpse. (Sky Burial)
B. As Sustenance: Camel regurgitated food, ‘beef tartar’, drank blood, milk & by-products. [Ask Mr.V for a description]
C. Women nursing orphaned lambs.
D. Seasonal migrations to new pastures.
IV. Commerce and the Survival of Nomadic Peoples
Ponder: Animal herding provides the essential needs of many non-agricultural societies. However, there are other items societies have come to desire that animal herds cannot provide. Create a list of ‘needs’ that are met by herding animals. Contrast this list with another that includes items that are not derived from animals, but have become ‘essential’ because of the quality of life improvement it provides. How are the items in this second list acquired?
A. Provided by Herd…
1. Clothing and shelter (Yurts/ Gur) in the form of leather.
2. Food in form of meat, milk.
3. Transportation for individuals.
4. Work: Pull carts, carry cargo.
B. Acquired via Commerce…
1. Agricultural needs (food, feed, cloth, etc…)
2. Need for manufactured goods:
a. Practical: metallic tools, metallic or wooden utensils, wooden or ceramic/ clay container vessels.
b. Aesthetic: Luxuries for personal use (w/ social status implications) or gift giving (w/ cultural implications).
Ponder: What could cause distress in a society such as this?
V. Extraordinary Conditions in the 12th – 13th C.
A. Harsh climate/ natural disasters ( 1 1/2 degree drop in avg. climate temp.)
B. Loss of trading partner(s) (China ends trade contact w/ Mongols.)
VI. Mongol Unification and Recourse
While the Sung, Jin, and Xia dynasties (10th-13th C) strive to divide the nomadic tribes by playing one against the other, one Mongol leader was working hard to unify. This man unified the nomadic peoples of the steppes for the first time in history.
A. Chinggis Khan (Temujin): Born ~1165 CE. and elected Grand Khan in 1206 AD. Greatest achievement was unifying nomadic tribes of the steppes north of the Great Wall. He was very skilled in diplomacy and pursued alliances based on ‘blood brotherhood.’ Alliances were broken and replaced by new ones when it was in his interest.
B. Raids: These were organized to be of short duration against nearby targets. Conducting raids is an activity found in other nomadic cultures throughout the world. Among these cultures we would include Native American and Arabian peoples.
C. Women play a Commanding Role
1. Duties ranging from household, herding, to politics were open to women, freeing men to serve in the army.
2. 1241: Grand Khan dies and for 6 years their is turmoil. During this period there were two female rulers. Women were important to Mongol success and they exercised tremendous leverage in society (right of divorce, hold property, serve in leadership positions, etc.). One of these women is Sarghahtani Beki (Mother of two Grand Khans: Mongke and Kublai). She establishes Mongol policy of religious toleration.
VII. Summary: Why it matters now.
The Mongols built the largest unified land empire in world history.
Resources:
-Assorted Readings, Map of Eurasia
-World History: Patterns of Interaction
-Film: CNN’s Millennium Series- The 13th C.: Century of the Stirrup
-The Mongol Derby (mongolderbyblog.theadventurists.com)
-The Mongol Rally (www.theadventurists.com/the-adventures/mongol-rally).
-Listen to the MacWorld Podcast: Extreme Tech in the Middle of Nowhere. (www.macworld.com/article/2047605/extreme-tech-in-the-middle-of-nowhere.html)
-Lecture by Prof. Morris Rossabi, Columbia Univ. 28 Sept. ’00 (Stuyvesant H.S.), Author of _Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times_
US Citizenship 