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