The Mongol Conquest Of Russia

Emily Pawlak

AP World Casto Period 7

Chapter 14 Questions

1. What was the impact of the mongol conquest of Russia? Of the Islamic heartlands?

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.

2. What was the impact of the Mongol conquest on Chinese social and political structure?

After many years of conquests in China, the Mongols slowly established their own culture and structure in the Chinese Empire, though they were met with opposition. Initially, Kubilai passed laws to differentiate between the Mongols and Chinese. The Chinese scholars had to learn the Mongol alphabet and writing in order to keep formal records for the government. The Mongols ould not intermarry with the Chinese, and even mutual relationships between the two cultures was frown...

... middle of paper ...

...contrast with those of the Mongols?

Though the Mongols were brutal in their campaign to conquer, the conquests of Timur-i Lang were extremely harsh, much more so than that of the Mongols. He is heralded as one of the toughest rulers of the time, and he expanded the empire through harsh measures. Rather than the Mongols, who post-conquest were somewhat peaceful, Timur-i Lang was harmful to those he conquered in Asia. He slaughtered villages and burned them down. Most likely because of his rule and the vastness of the area he ruled, the Mongol empire was not united and failed to garner any big trading network that it previously had. Overall, Timur-i Lang was much more brutal than the rule of any other Mongol Khan, especially during the conquests and after the conquests. His zeal to get more land prevented any conquered peoples to live peacefully under his leadership.