Chapter 18: Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration

Vocabulary

• Kamikaze: Kamikaze literally translates into “divine winds”. These are what the Japanese people called the monsoon winds that destroyed thousands of Mongol warships. 

• Yuan Dynasty: The Yuan Dynasty was the proclaimed Mongol Dynasty in China. This was created by Khubilai Khan, after he conquered the Song Dynasty in Southern China in 1279. This dynasty collapsed in 1368. 

• Khubilai Khan: One of Chinggis Khan’s grandsons. He was considered one of the most talented rulers that descended from Temujin. An active supporter of Buddhism, Khubilai Khan also allowed support for Daoism, Islam, and Christianity throughout his ruled territory. 

• The Ottomans: Another group of nomadic peoples that were prevalent between 1000 and 1500 (C.E.). The first ruler of these peoples was named Osman. The ottoman conquests took place after the Mongols had already disappeared and were temporarily slowed by Tamerlane. However, they regrouped and conquered and controlled a large portion of Eurasia. 

• Chinggis Khan (Temujin): A minorly noble born ruler who united all the Mongol tribes into a single a confederation. He was a master in steppe diplomacy. Chinggis Khan literally translates into “universal ruler”. 

• Tamerlane: A ruler who earned his name because he walked with a limp, he modeled himself after Chinggis Khan. He used steppe diplomacy to raise his position in society, which was originally minor nobility. The territory he ruled over included much of the Middle East, and the land west of India and south of Russia.

• The Golden Horde: The Golden Horde was a Mongol tribe that conquered Russia between 1237 and 1241. They also led conquests into Eastern Europe. 

• Bubonic plague: The bubonic plague was an epidemic disease that plagued the Mongol territories. This was spread through the extensive trade and communications throughout Eurasia, and also through the Mongol tribe’s conquests. 

• Zheng He: Zheng He was a Chinese eunuch admiral. He led seven naval expeditions which were meant to establish the Chinese culture throughout the Indian Ocean basin. Zheng He was a Muslim from Yunnan in southwestern China and became a trusted advisor of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. 

Focus Question #1

            Compare and contrast Mongol rule in Persia and China.

            Mongol rule in Persia and China was similar in that they were both controlled by the Mongols for long periods of times. However, the two contrasted in that the Mongol’s rule over Persia was brutal and at first they destroyed the vast majority of large Persian cities, while their conquering of China took many years and in which rule was not as strict.

            The Mongols, in response to Persians murdering Mongol merchants, diplomats, and envoys, marched from China to Persia to take revenge. Chinggis Khan led his army and wreaked havoc all over Persia. They obliterated Persian city after Persian city. This was done to make sure that no resistance was raised to challenge the Mongols in their rule over Persia.

            China, on the other hand, was conquered at two different times. Northern China was conquered before Chinggis Khan led his conquest on Persia, while Southern China was conquered by Chinggis Khan’s grandson, Khubilai Khan. The conquests in Northern China began with raids in 1211, and by 1220, the Mongols had the majority of Northern China under their control.

            At that time, Southern China was still under the control of the Song Dynasty. However, the Song capital at Hangzhou fell in 1276, and by 1279 all resistance to the Mongols throughout China had been defeated. Thus, Khubilai Khan dubbed himself emperor and created the Yuan Dynasty, which lasted for almost a century.

Focus Question #2

            To what extent did social structures in nomadic societies differ from settled peoples?

            Social structure in nomadic societies varied from those in settled communities in the way that nomadic social structure tended to be very simple while settled people’s social structure was generally more complex.

            Nomadic social structure was divided into two groups; noble and commoner. To become noble, you must win recognition as a leader, which allowed for nobles to organize tribal and clan alliances. Nomadic nobles, however, did not partake in affairs such as governing, because most tribes looked after themselves and preferred to not be interfered with. But in times of war, nobles possessed authority over forces and dealt harshly with those who did not obey.

            Nobility was frequently being gained and lost, because although it was inherited, it could be lost if the said noble was not performing at the appropriate level of leadership for the clans and tribes under their control.

            This differed from settled peoples in the ways that settled communities have more variety of occupations which allows for more social levels. A prime example of the complexity of settled communities’ social structure is that of the caste system in Hinduism. The caste system does not allow for people to move between the different castes – where you’re born, you stay for your entire life – and has more then just two different groups. Along with those groups, come sub-castes which make the system even more complex, creating a larger difference between nomadic social structure and that of settled peoples.