The Age of the Mongols and their Terror campaigns.
In the 14th century the nomadic herds men of the Mongolian steppe traded live stocks, horses and hides with the settled agricultural civilization of China to the south. But the relation between the two were usually marked by hostility and suspicion. In the 13th century the Chinese
empire has become weak and fragmented. This has created a ‘Power Vacuum’ which provided the Mongols an opportunity to burst into seizing power.
Mongols are a fierce race of skilled horsemen who are normally warring tribes united under the inspired leadership of Genghis Khan. Genghis did not seek war at all costs first. He gave his enemy a chance to surrender. If they refused he unleashed a campaign of terror sacking cities and massacring the entire population.
At first the Mongols were no more than a million, their ranks were swelled by Turks, Arabs and other subject peoples.
In less than 20 years, in a series of
conquests without parallel in history, Genghis
Khan shattered the Muslim states of Central Asia , over ran Northern China and sent Troops on a lightning raid to Russia. Genghis successor was his 3rd son Ogodei who reigned as GreatKhan. Under his rule he subdued and destroyed Jin and Khwarizm empire, continuosly fighting with Song. The Emperor of China. He also invaded parts of Europe upto Hungary and Poland. The conquest of Song was completed by Kublai Khan grandson of Genghis. Kublai Khan then became the emperor of China.
Genghis’s successors extended his conquests across Asia and deep in Europe, but his empire then split into 4 khanates
The first set back to Mongol expansion came at the hands of Mamluks who in 1260 A.D prevented their advance into Egypt at Ain Jalut. .By 1400 the Mongols were a divided and weakened force and most of their conquests had been lost.
The Mongols chief aim was to extract tribute from the conquered people, but they also brought long periods of peace. Travellers were able to cross Eurasia in safety along the old silk road. In the reign of Genghis Khan grandson Mongke (1251 – 59) it was said that a virgin with a pot of Gold on her head can walk unmolested across his empire. The two most famous travelers to benefit from the Mongol
peace were the Venetian merchant Marco Polo who claimed to have spent 17 years in the employment of Kublai Khan and even Ibn Battuta , a muslim legal scholar from Tangier in Morocco, who also travelled as far as China.
Mongol horsemen mounted on the stocky ponies were the finest cavalry men of the Age. Disc shaped stirrups gave the rider a steady platform , allowing him fire his bow in any direction, even when riding at speed.
Mongols made their mark in World History for their fighting abilities, Conquests, maintaining peace in the regions ruled by them and also gor their cruelty as well.
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