The Mongol Empire

The largest contiguous land empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, which connected East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe and reshaped trade, warfare and diplomacy.

Region
Eurasia, from the Pacific to Eastern Europe
Period
1206 – 14th century, with successor states later
Founder
Temüjin, proclaimed Genghis Khan
Successor states
Yuan dynasty, Ilkhanate, Golden Horde, Chagatai Khanate

Key takeaways

  • Founding: Temüjin united the Mongol tribes and was proclaimed Genghis Khan in 1206.
  • Conquest: Mongol armies defeated states from northern China to Persia and the Rus' principalities, and took Baghdad in 1258.
  • Government: the yam relay system carried messages and officials, and the empire used a script adapted from Uyghur.
  • Exchange: the Mongol peace eased travel along the Silk Road, moving goods, people, ideas and also epidemic disease.
  • Division: after 1260 the empire divided into four khanates, including the Yuan dynasty in China under Kublai Khan.

Armies and administration

Mongol armies combined mobile cavalry with siege techniques learned from conquered peoples. The rulers employed administrators, scribes and scholars from many cultures, and allowed religious diversity.

Impact

The conquests caused vast destruction and loss of life, and also created new political orders. The Mongols connected previously separate regions and supported scholarship in astronomy and medicine across Persia and China.

Sources

Our knowledge comes from Persian, Chinese, Arabic, Armenian and Russian chronicles as well as the Mongolian text known as the Secret History of the Mongols. Historians compare them to account for different viewpoints.

References

  1. UNESCO, History of Humanity, Vol. IV [Tier 1]
  2. International Dunhuang Project
  3. Dumbarton Oaks
  4. Journal of Asian Studies (Cambridge)

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