The Mongols built an empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. One of the richest parts of that empire was the land of the Rus - but how did the Mongols conquer it so quickly? This lesson examines how, as well as how the Mongols ruled their new territory.
!!!Who were the Mongols?
Perhaps no other group of invaders has changed history as much as the Mongols. Rising from the steppes of Central Asia, the Mongols quickly conquered China, Central Asia, Persia, and much of the Middle East, establishing the largest land empire in human history. All of this was done in a matter of a few decades. However, by the time the Mongols had arrived in Eastern Europe and Western Russia, it was already stretched to the limits. That
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strain would eventually provide some leniency for the Rus. [{Image src='mongol_empire.jpg' alt='Mongol Empire' caption='The Mongol Empire'}] !!!Capturing Russia In typical Mongol fashion, when the Mongols reached the edges of the Rus settlements, they sent messengers requesting peaceful submission and trade.
The Rus themselves were no strangers to such messengers, as they had once sent them to Constantinople demanding tribute. Upon reaching the main city of the Rus, Kiev, the messengers were executed. The message to the Mongols was simple - the Rus would never peacefully submit. That said, the Mongols really didn't leave the Rus too much choice in the matter. Within a decade, smoking ruins were all that was left of much of the Rus's cities, from great centers like Kiev and Novgorod to tiny trading posts like Moscow. The Mongols would suffer no insult, and would win, whether peacefully or through other …show more content…
means. [{Image src='ryazan.jpg' alt='Scene of a Mongol army conquering a Rus city' caption='Mongolians capturing a Rus city'}] !!!Mongol Trouble Far Away The Mongols had largely conquered the Rus by 1240, yet within twenty years they faced problems. Already split into four parts following the death of the founder of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, these four parts were each ruled by a son of the great leader. However, as sons died and split up their own domains, there was a decreasing willingness to follow the orders of a distant cousin. As a result, the empire finally split after civil war, with the __Golden Horde__ gaining power in the northwest, with the lands of the Rus as some of the most important holdings of that new state. !!!Ruling Russia That said, the Golden Horde proved to be surprisingly peaceful to live under.
For the dream of Russian independence, this would prove to be invaluable. Unlike other conquerors, the Mongols had no desire to convert their subjects to a foreign religion. In fact, the Golden Horde was eventually converted to Islam, yet still showed favoritism for established religions in their territories. The recipient of such favor in Rus was the Orthodox Church, and as such, it did not have to pay any taxes. The Church used this privilege to great effect to preserve much of Russian culture. Additionally, the Mongols were happy to rely on local leaders to provide administration for their territories, as long as they paid tribute and proved to be loyal. The rulers of the small post of Moscow proved to be more than willing. Over the next two hundred years, they would use that trust to eventually leverage enough strength to push out the
Mongols. !!!Lesson Summary Conquering everything from China to Persia, the settlements of the Rus were firmly in the Mongols’ sights during the first years of the thirteenth century. The Mongols sent ambassadors to ask for a peaceful surrender. The leaders of Kiev, the principal city of the Rus, responded by beheading the emissaries. Within ten years, many of the cities of the Rus had been burned to the ground, with their populations either sold into slavery or murdered. However, despite the savagery of their entrance onto the plains of the Rus’s lands, the Mongols proved to be surprisingly easy for conquered cultures to live under. Eventually, a small city called Moscow, allied with the growing power of the Orthodox Church, would take advantage of this leniency to great effect.
To start, the mongols were able to used brutal and strategic military tactics that helped them conquer more than 4,800,000 miles of land. The Mongols leader “Genghis Khan” was a very smart and strategic leader. He organized his army into groups of ten, hundred, and one thousand. If such groups runs away or flees, the entire group was put to death. Genghis Khans army was able to succeed in conquering land due to horses. His army
The Mongols were a group of nomadic people who were known for not only their ferocity in battle but also their tolerance of other cultures. Over the course of their many empires, the Mongols conquered lands from as far as the Korean peninsula to the Islamic civilizations of the Middle East. The movement of the Mongol people into these areas was met with mixed opinions, as members of some societies respected the braveness of the Mongols while others saw them as destructive. According to Ala-ad-Din Ata-Malik Juvaini, 15th century Korean scholars, and Rashid al-Din, the Mongols were a group of tolerant people who attempted to eradicate injustice and corruptness (1,3,4). However, members of other societies viewed the Mongols as coldhearted and merciless because of the damage they dealt in the conquest of Russian cities and the taxes they forced upon their conquered societies (1,2). Nonetheless, some scholars and historians recognized the Mongols power and braveness, but were indifferent with their views of the Mongol civilization.
The Mongols, a nomadic society in the 13th century, were quickly able to conquer a vast amount of land in Eurasia. The Mongols were able to accomplish expanding their empire so widely and so fast because they had many military tactics, and their army was extremely well trained. These both got them a leg up on their enemies. The Mongols were incredibly ruthless at times in battle and used interrogation tactics to gain intel. Plus, their soldiers were trained from a very young age and always prepared.
The unsuccessful attack of Japan and Java is what caused Khubilai Khan to realize that the transport of food through ship is cheaper and more effective than by land route. The attack also educated the Mongols about shipbuilding. The Mongols used peaceful pursuits of trade when their military efforts were unsuccessful (223). The duration of conquering time for the Mongols had ended, and now it was time for the era of peace. Instead of sending mounted warriors and fearsome siege engines, the Mongols now had humble priests, scholars, and ambassadors (220). The Mongols promoted trade along the routes across the empire and diffused shelters with supplies every twenty or thirty miles (220,221). The stations had animals and guides to give the merchants guidance through tough terrain. In the system of shares, of all the goods confiscated in war, the members of the Golden Family, each orphan and widow was designated to a share of the wealth of each part of the empire. The Mongol officials received goods instead of being paid money, and they could sell or trade the goods to the market for money and other merchandise.
The Mongols, or as the Western Europeans called them, the Tartars, were a nomadic, militant people that dominated the battlefield during the pre-industrial time period (“Tartars” 7). Over the span of the 13th century, from the Central Asian steppes in the east to the Arabian lands to the west, the Tartars subdued the unfortunate inhabitants and expanded their empire vastly. To the fear and dismay of the Western Europeans, the Tartars desired to triumph over all of Eurasia; therefore, the Western Europeans were to be conquered next. News of the imminent Tartarian attack rapidly spread through West Europe like a wildfire, and the powerful Holy Roman Church contended to prepare a strategy against the onslaught. In the year 1245, Pope Innocent IV, the head of the Church at the time, sent a group of Friars led by Giovanni da Pian del Carpini to gather some knowledge about the Tartars. It was a dreaded mission, one that would probably end in a terrible death, since the Tartars were a cruel people towards outsiders. Nevertheless, Carpini valiantly ventured into the unknown darkness, and returned to his homeland with valuable information about the Tartars. Through the insight he gained during his travels, he wrote his account of the Tartars in a report called the “Historia Mongalorum” (“Tartars” 19), which is known today as “The Story of the Mongols Whom We Call the Tartars”.
The Mongol empire was the largest land empire the world has ever seen. First began as a nomadic group of tribes. Mongols were united and emerged into an empire that conquered lands stretching from Europe to Central Asia under the rule of Genghis Khan. The Mongol empire was able to succeed in expanding, and conquering was due to their ability to adapt to any living conditions, their sheer brutality force, and their strong military organization. To begin, one factor that supported the Mongols in their conquests was their capacity for foraging, allowing them to survive under harsh living conditions.
Finally, one more good thing that came out of Mongol rule was that Genghis Khan rule was that he accepted all religions. He knew that he could never unite a country under one religion or the people would rebel so he saw it best to let them do their own religions. Sometimes thanks to the trading routes religions intermingled. Also thanks to these trading routes different religions reached different places.
The Mongols were also known for their surprise attack which spread to other armies, making it a keen warfare used all around the world. This battle tactic consisted of a group of men who are fighting out on the battlefield and they begin to retreat only to draw the enemy into a trap. The enemy runs into a rain of arrows as the rest of the men are hiding off to the side with loaded weapons, and fierce ground fighters ready for combat. This is one key that the Mongols had to help them conquer Asia. Lastly, the Mongols had a positive impact on the world because they united most of Asia.
The military exploits of the Mongols under Ghengis Khan as well as other leaders and the ruthless brutality that characterized the Mongol conquests have survived in legend. The impact of the invasions can be traced through history from the different policies set forth to the contributions the Mongols gave the world. The idea of the ruthless barbarian’s intent upon world domination will always be a way to signify the Mongols. Living steadfast upon the barren steppe they rode out of Mongolia to pursue a better life for their people.
The impact of the Mongol conquest of both the Islamic heartlands and Russia was extensive and long lasting. After the Mongol conquests into the regional cities of Russia, they established a long run for two and a half centuries. Russians had to pay tribute and turn over all their goods to the Mongol overlords. These peasants essentially became serfs as they were giving their goods for protection in turn. On the other hand, Moscow prospered despite being destroyed during the conquests. With its rebuilding, it became the tribute center for the Mongol lords, and the center for the Orthodox Church. To continue, the Mongols helped organize the Russian military and partially helped establish a political precedent of a centralized authority with little limitations to the assigned power. In the Islamic heartlands, the Mongol conquest killed the caliph and destroyed Baghdad, leaving the Muslims without a follower and capital center. In a sense, this second conquest was much harsher than the one of Russia with its violence and religious impact.
In comparison to many battles between multiple civilizations in history, each side of the warfare or argument will have their foes. To tie this theory into the documents, the Mongols were recorded to have many foes. The enemies that they had were the populations that disagreed with them or abandoned [escaped] them. Throughout the documents and further reading of historical context, the Mongols were defined as brutal attackers that did not settle their disputes in a what could be considered “proper” manner. Although, my previous statement may be slightly accurate, the Mongols are also credited for having the largest empire known to man, successful power and military, and advancements in trade and conquest. The Mongol empire accomplished the conquest of a large territory in a short amount of time because they were productive in the creation of strategic propositions, adequate in execution, and brave in all aspects of warfare.
By the start of the 13th century, Genghis Khan unified all the clans of the Mongol. Genghis Khan has bestowed the mandate to subjugate the un-submitted peoples of all people. Consequently, the once isolated population of migration started to interact with people of different cultures. The Mongol conquest of China allowed them to control the trade routes. By 1279, the Mongol’s influence had spread to the eastern shores of China and Eastern Europe with the entire trade route under their control. As the Mongol
The Mongols in 1241 invaded Poland with the intent of also taking Hungary. The Mongols under the leadership of Ogadei the son and chosen successor of Genghis Khan had been gaining control of Western Russia since 1236 and were in position to invade Europe. The appearance and disappearance of the Mongols in Europe was sudden. By December 1241 they returned to Mongolia after the death of Ghenghis Khan’s successor Ogadei to take part in the election of a new leader. They accomplished their objective of eliminating the threat of Henry II’s and Boseslav’s armies. Conquest of Europe had to be abandoned as a result the Mongols only accomplished the slaughter of numerous Europeans and the temporary occupation of a swath of land. Europeans attributed the military victories of the Mongols to the Mongols being not entirely human and supernatural in some way. The triumph of the Mongols was due to their discipline and tactics.
Over the years there have been many great nomadic groups, such as the Vikings and the Kievan, but no nomadic group has been more successful than the Mongols. The Mongols have had many lasting influences on Russia, China, and even Europe. The Mongols have left a mark on the European trading systems in technologies as well as in their trading systems trade routes. One thing that stayed the same throughout Europe was their many religion.
The Mongol invasions of the 13th century resulted in the far-reaching and vastly influential Mongol Empire. While these conquests brought much bloodshed and many atrocities, they were exceedingly important as they made the world more connected than ever before. At the heart of the Mongol Empire was its creator and first emperor, Genghis Khan. This “Great Khan” was able to unite nomadic tribes to form a shockingly powerful empire. Without him, the Mongol Empire likely would have never came to be. Genghis Khan’s strong and persistent character is the reason for this great empire that truly altered the world in a tremendous manner.