Wait For It...The Mongols!: Crash Course World History #17

Summary

This Crash Course World History episode explores the Mongol Empire's complex legacy, challenging the stereotype of brutal barbarians while acknowledging their rapid conquests and vast territories. It highlights Genghis Khan's rise, military innovations, and the empire's contributions to trade, communication, and cultural exchange. However, it also addresses the Mongols' brutality, the impermanence of their rule, and their potential role in spreading the Black Death, offering a nuanced view of their historical impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Mongols are often stereotyped as brutal and bloodthirsty warriors, but this view is an oversimplification.
• 🌍 The Mongol Empire rapidly conquered vast territories, surpassing the Roman Empire's land acquisition in a much shorter time.
• 🔍 Recent historical perspectives highlight the Mongols' role in shaping nations like Russia and Korea, and their contributions to international law and trade.
• 🐎 Nomadic herders, like the Mongols, migrate based on climate conditions to sustain their flocks and often live near settled communities for trade.
• 💪 Pastoralists tend to be resilient and egalitarian, with women having more social equality compared to agricultural societies.
• 🤴 The rise of the Mongols to world dominance began with Temüjin, who would become Genghis Khan, and his innovative leadership strategies.
• 🏆 Genghis Khan's military success was built on meritocracy and integrating conquered peoples into his own tribe, winning loyalty and expanding his empire.
• 🏰 Despite their nomadic lifestyle, the Mongols adapted quickly to siege warfare and adopted technologies like gunpowder to aid in their conquests.
• 🛣️ The Mongols revitalized trade along the Silk Road and established a safe and efficient communication network through the yam system.
• 🍽️ The empire facilitated the spread of cuisine and cultural practices across Eurasia, influencing the diets and lifestyles of conquered peoples.
• 🕊️ The Mongol Empire was known for its religious tolerance, allowing followers of various faiths to coexist and prosper within their territories.
• ⚔️ However, the Mongols were also ruthless conquerors, with Genghis Khan's definition of happiness reflecting a brutal approach to warfare.
• 💔 Their empire was short-lived and eventually assimilated or replaced by local cultures and practices, including adopting agriculture.
• 🤖 Lack of interest in artistic patronage or permanent architecture meant the Mongols left less of a lasting cultural impact beyond their administrative and military achievements.
• 🦠 The Mongols' extensive trade networks may have inadvertently facilitated the spread of the Black Death, impacting Europe and other regions.

Q & A

What is the common stereotype of the Mongols?

The common stereotype of the Mongols is that they were brutal, bloodthirsty, and humorously mustachioed warriors riding the plains, wearing fur, and eating meat directly off the bone.

How did the Mongols' conquests compare to the Romans in terms of speed and scale?

The Mongols conquered more land in 25 years than the Romans did in 400 years, controlling more than 11 million contiguous square miles.

What is one claim made by a historian about the Mongols' impact on the feudal system and international law?

One historian claimed that the Mongols 'smashed the feudal system' and created international law.

What are the three key things to remember about nomadic herders?

Nomads migrate according to climate conditions to feed their flocks, they generally don't produce manufactured goods and thus need to trade, and they tend to be tougher due to living in harsh conditions.

Why were Mongol women relatively more egalitarian compared to other societies?

In pastoral societies like the Mongols, when both men and women must work for the social order to survive, there tends to be less patriarchal domination of women.

What was significant about Genghis Khan's rise to power and the unification of the Mongols?

Genghis Khan rose to power by proving his military mettle and uniting the Mongol confederations through a civil war, promoting people based on merit and bringing lower classes of conquered people into his own tribe.

How did the Mongols choose their rulers?

The Mongols chose their rulers through a general council called a kurultai, where supporters of a candidate would show up on their horses, effectively voting with their presence.

What were the four major Khanates that emerged after Genghis Khan's death?

The four major Khanates were the Yuan Dynasty in China, the Il-Khanate in Persia, the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia, and the Khanate of the Golden Horde in Russia.

How did the Mongols adapt to siege warfare and the use of gunpowder?

The Mongols adapted to siege warfare by interrogating prisoners to learn techniques and adopted gunpowder, likely introducing it to Europeans, and even built ships for naval warfare.

What are some of the positive impacts the Mongols had on cross-Eurasian trade and communication?

The Mongols reinvigorated the Silk Road, developed a system of way stations and riders for quick communication known as the yam system, and facilitated travel with bronze passports.

What are some of the criticisms and negative impacts of the Mongols' conquests?

Criticisms include their brutal conquest methods, destruction of entire cities, the short-lived nature of their empire, lack of interest in artistic patronage or architecture, and potential responsibility for the spread of the Black Death.