mongolian national folklore ensemble, “praise of altai mountains,” voices of the steppe
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Mongolian National Folklore Ensemble, “Praise of Altai Mountains,” Voices of the Steppe. The Rise of the Mongols. The East Asian Cycle of Relations between Nomads and Settled Peoples . Steppe peoples need goods produced by settled agriculturists - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mongolian National Folklore Ensemble, “Praise of Altai
Mountains,” Voices of the Steppe
The Rise of the Mongols
The East Asian Cycle of Relations between Nomads and
Settled Peoples • Steppe peoples need goods produced by
settled agriculturists• Settled agriculturists have some use for
steppe goods
• Strong Chinese state, plus a strong steppe empire, followed by,
• Simultaneous collapse, followed by,
• Conquest of North China by a foreign (Manchurian) dynasty, followed by,
• Restoration of native Chinese dynasty and rise of a Steppe Empire
• Ch’in and Han (221 BC- 220 AD)
• Sui and T’ang (581-907)
• Sung (960-1279)
• Hsiung-nu (209 BC - 153 AD
• First Turkish, Second Turkish, Third Turkish (552-840)
• Mongols
Chingiz Khan’s Unusual Rise
• Usual paths to power in the steppe– Hereditary rulers of
established and united tribes
– Reorganizers of a disintegrating nomadic state
– Election
Chingiz Khan’s Unusual Rise - 2
• Chingiz does not fit these patterns– His tribe is often disloyal– Not a secondary founder of a decaying nomadic
state– Not elected, until already master of the steppe
The Bases of Chingiz’s Power
• Personal followers (nökod)– Distrust of relatives– Requires daring military
feats• The army
– Cuts across tribal lines– Personal guard– An artificial tribe
• 1206: a critical juncture
War with China
• 1211: massive raids in North China• Failure of the raids• Adoption of Chinese military technology• Policy of conquest
The Dar al-Islam
• Khwarazam-shah (‘Ala’ al-Din Muhammad II)
• Weakness of the shah’s position– Army (composed of Qipchaq Turks) unreliable– Poor relations with Persians– Poor relations with the Sunni ulema
• The Caliphate, dominant in Iraq• Saljuq Turks
The Turn West
• Conquest of Kara-Khitai, 1218• Conquest of Transoxiana and Khurasan,
1219• Mongol policies
– Systematic massacre: Herat, Nishapur, etc.– Goal punishment, not conquest
• Russia and the battle of the Kalka, 1223
The Turn West
• Conquest of Kara-Khitai, 1218• Conquest of Transoxiana and Khurasan,
1219• Mongol policies
– Systematic massacre: Heart, Nishapur, etc.– Goal punishment, not conquest
• Russia and the battle of the Kalka, 1223
From Raids to Conquest
• Conquest of Russia, 1236-1242• Push into central Europe• The White, or “Golden” Horde• Iran and Mesopotamia
– Hülegü– Baghdad 1258– Damascus, 1260
• China , 1279
