The Mongolian capital city of Karakorum was flowing with diversity. Representatives from all walks of life came from the many corners of Eurasia. Some were master artisans and craftsmen who, because of their skill, were forced to relocate to the Mongolian capital city and serve the Empire. A few of their many tasks may have consisted of jobs to create fanciful decorations to complement the palace, such as metalsmith William of Paris and his silver tree in the mid-1250s. Scribes were also important guests to Karakorum since the Mongolian royalty were not keen on record-keeping, testimony to their more fluid nomadic roots. Other guests included those of monks and priests representing many different religious denominations. The surplus of different religious groups was a byproduct of the Mongolian Empire’s emphasis for religious tolerance which fostered the growth of a pluralistic empire up until Kublai Khan made his preference to Buddhism known in the late 1260s under the Yuan Dynasty.
While the Mongolian capital city was mostly inhabited by foreigners, most ethnic Mongolians resided beyond Karakorum’s walls. Outside, would be thousands of Mongolian yurts, tent-like dwellings that allowed for frequent movement, lined up across the steppes, all surrounding the royal yurt. Most Mongolian inhabitants surrounding Karakorum included women raising young children or tending to the herds as most men were out conquering territory with their bows. As for the royal family, the Khatun, or queen, and her self-elected court, would conduct most imperial matters within the royal yurt rather than the capital palace within Karakorum. And though outside the walls, the local Mongolian nomads were never beyond a week’s reach from Karakorum. It is apparent that while most people who lived in Karakorum were foreigners, its inhabitants included people that lived beyond the city walls.