The Mongols, who were the perfect example of nomadic culture, existed as a society for a long time before they became a force on the broader world scene. The Mongols were excellent horsemen and archers and probably could have been a world power early on in the development of major civilizations. What kept them from unifying were the rivalries between tribes and clans. So for centuries they fought among themselves and remained isolated from the rest of the world.
All that changed in the early 1200s, when Genghis Khan using his tremendous military and organizational skills unified the Mongol tribes and set them on the path of expansion that would lead to the largest empire the world has ever seen.
Genghis Khan unified several nomadic tribes of Mongolia and led the invasion of China in 1234 which was the beginning of the enormous Mongolian conquests. The Mongol Empire spanned from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe. After the death of Genghis Khan, his followers split into different groups called hordes. The members of these hordes elected a new Great Khan, but by the election of Kublai Khan, these hordes were largely independent without any sort of central leadership. Kublai Khan ruled China, the Golden Horde conquered the region of modern-day Russia. In addition to invading Russia, Persia, Central Asia, and China, Mongols also conquered India.
Mongols, who were ruthless warriors destroyed cities but once their domain was established, the empire was relatively peaceful. The empire allowed for the exchange of goods, ideas and culture from one distant region to another. Mongols, who were illiterate, nomadic people prior to their conquests and education reforms brought out by Genghis Khan, eventually became assimilated into the cultures of the people they defeated.
In the 1200s and 1300s, a lot of people gave in and those who did not, met with their death. Mongols weren’t called ruthless warriors for nothing. They were more than fierce warriors, they were highly organized and mobile. They learned and practiced launching arrows from horseback which could travel more than anybody else’s. Their armies were divided into units, extremely motivated. Genghis Khan would punish traitors and rewarded the courageous generously. In short, they were really good at what they did, conquering.
As strange as it sounds, Mongols in their own way brought the world together. By 1450, as their empire was well in decline, the world would never again be disconnected.
So, there it is, a bit of history for this week. Please feel free to share this post.
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