Mongolians United; History of Ancient Mongolia

Imagine a land separated, nomadic tribes roamed, and no one was united. The was Mongolia in the late twelve century. Over the course of Mongolian history from 600 C.E. to about 1450 C.E. there have been many changes, like changes in khans from Genghis Khan to Kublai Khan, along with the expansion of the Mongolian empire from China all the way to Egypt and Japan before being stopped, along with the Mongolian Empire encouraging and reviving trade along the silk roads. There were also a few continuities, such as the Mongols style of warfare, perfecting the art of warfare on horseback and in organization. The Mongolians also had a continuous need for horses, which stayed as an important factor in the ancient Mongolian Empire by providing transportation along with milk and food.

There have been many changes in Mongolian rulers, most notably the change between Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan. Genghis Khan was born Timuchin, and was the son of a poor noble. He gradually unified the previously scattered tribes of Mongolia, and in 1206 was elected Genghis Khan, or “Universal Ruler”. Genghis quickly united and built up a small fighting force, which was able to conquer larger armies in more densely populated areas. Genghis was ruthless when it came to conquering areas, if an city refused to surrender, Genghis would lay siege to the city and slaughter all of those within. This is very different from a successor of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan became ruler of all of China. During his rule, he started to adopt Chinese principles and governing structures. These were very different ruling structures because Genghis Khan’s rule was mostly about expansion and conquest, whereas Kublai Khan’s rule was much less violent, while he did attempt some invasions, most of them failed.

The Mongolian Empire started out relatively small, only slightly larger then modern day Mongolia, but through conquest and wars, the empire expanded. During Genghis Khan’s rule, the empire expanded greatly. Genghis invaded Western China and Northern China creating the Yuan Dynasty, Central Asia-the northeast provinces of Persian. During the 1200’s, the Mongolian Empire expanded to Hungary, Korea, Russia-which became part of the Golden Horde- Persia and Mesopotamia, among others. In 1260, the Mongolian expansion was halted at the Battle of Ain Jalut near Egypt, when the Mongolians were defeated by the Muslims. The Mongolians also launched some failed attacks on Japan in 1274 and 1281, the Mongolians were stopped by tidal waves that sunk a majority of their navy. However, the Mongolian Empire continued to expand until 1279, and in 1294 the Empire was split into four different parts. After this, the size of the Empire began to decline, the Chinese defeated the Yuan Dynasty, and the Russian Timur defeated the Golden Horde. Between 1400 and 1454 the Empire continued to decline due to civil wars.

Genghis Khan not only made many conquests, he also encouraged trade on the Silk Roads. Before Genghis’ rule, between 600 C.E. and about 1200 C.E. the Silk Roads were treacherous and dangerous to travel, Genghis Khan changed this. Genghis achieved this by conquering many of the areas through which the Silk Roads were. He made an alliance with Uighur Khan, marrying his daughter and securing a position near the Silk Roads. Genghis also conquered the Jin dynasty of the Jurchen people. The Jurchen controlled much of the trade that occurred on the Silk Roads. As Genghis’ empire expanded, he was able to encourage trade, along with keep the Silk Roads safer from bandits and other criminals.

Throughout Mongolian History, they have always used the same style of warfare; the cavalry and organized troops. This style of warfare was very effective, which helped with the expansion of the Mongolian Empire. The army was built of from squads that consisted of ten men, which was referred to as an arbat. Ten arbats would make up a company of 100, known as a zuut, and so on. The Mongolians became very skilled horsemen, able to accurately shoot arrows while at a gallop. The Mongolians also were able to move what seemed like impossible distances in a short amount of time to their enemies. This speed can be attributed to their horsemanship, some warriors would ride with two horses, able to switch horses at a gallop during battle. Another thing that attributed to the Mongolian armies’ speed would be that the army moved independently from the supply train, which meant that they could move much faster without having to wait. All of these things combine lead to a lethal army.

Horses were also very important to the Mongolians everyday life, and remain so today. The horses of Mongolia were small fast and hardy. Almost every family had at least one horse, and they were sometimes buried with their owners, so that they could serve them in the next life. Without horses, the Mongolians would have had a much less efficient cavalry, making it so that they would not be able to conquer the vast tracks of land that they did. The horse also provided food, the blood of a horse could be spilt for drink and mare’s milk was turned into an alcoholic drink called kumiss. In modern times, many Mongolian families still depend on the horse for transportation and food. Without the horse, the Mongolians would never have been able to expand their empire as far as they did nor would they have the same style of living.

There have been many changes in the Mongolian Empire, however there were many things that stayed the same. Over the years, Mongolian rulers have come and gone, and the size of the empire has changed greatly. During the Mongolian rule, the Silk Roads went from being a treacherous trek to being a relatively safe road to travel. The Mongolians also kept the same style of warfare once they were united, and the horse has stayed as an important part of the Mongolian society for hundreds of years. The Mongols have changed greatly over the years, however they have also kept many continuities, through these changes and continuities, they have remained an important part of the world’s society.