7 3 Notes The Mongol Empire The Mongol

7 -3 Notes: The Mongol Empire

The Mongol Invasion • Mongols were fierce nomadic warriors who lived in the vast plains northwest of China • 1200 s ACE - Invaded and conquered China

A Great Leader • Mongols lived in independent family groups called clans, which were linked together in groups called tribes • 1206 ACE - Temujin united the Mongol tribes by fighting and defeating his rivals • Took the title “Genghis Khan, ” which means “universal ruler” • Quickly organized the tribes into a fighting force and began a campaign of conquest • Invaded northern China and then West Central Asia • Mongols used nomadic fighting techniques (moving quickly, identifying weaknesses and exploiting them) to conquer all of Central Asia by 1221 ACE

The Mongol Empire • Genghis Khan died in 1227 ACE • His son, Ogadai, took power and captured the rest of northern China and extended Mongol rule west to Persia and Russia • Empire was divided into 4 large parts known as khanates - a different descendent of Genghis ruled each khanate • 1260 ACE - Kublai Khan, Genghis’s grandson, took over the Chinese part of the empire • 1279 ACE - Kublai’s forces finally defeat the Song dynasty, ruling all of China until 1368 ACE

Mongol Government: Learning to Rule • Kublai Khan - 1 st ruler in 300 years to control all of China • Mongols first ever foreign power to control China • Kublai ruled for 15 years, dying in 1294 ACE • Kublai kept much of the Chinese government’s organization • Kublai built his capital, Beijing, in the Chinese style, declared himself emperor • Founded the Yuan dynasty

Maintaining Control • Kublai ended the civil-service examination system as a way to keep Chinese from gaining too much power in the government • Kublai chose who would receive government jobs (Gave them primarily to Mongols or trusted foreigners) • Chinese officials were only given minor jobs with little or no power • Confucian thought still important though as Mongols used many Confucian approaches to problems and appointed Confucian scholars to educate their children • Kublai rebuilt much of China, including extending the Grand Canal 135 miles north to Beijing • Paved a highway that connected Beijing and Hangzhou

Opening China to the World • Mongols made trading safer by combating banditry and intimidating others to bring an end to warfare and reduce theft • Mongol Ascendancy - Period of Mongol control of Central Asia that helped make overland trade safe • Caravans traded along the Silk Road, ancient trade routes that stretched from China to the Black Sea • Chinese merchants took silks, porcelain, tea, and other goods to Western Asia and Europe for foods, plants, and minerals • The Mongols, while ruling China, developed a thriving sea trade which helped to open up China to the rest of the world • Ships crossed the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea to thriving Chinese ports such as Guangzhou and Fuzhou

Foreign Contacts • Trade brought increased contact with people from other cultures • Arabians, Persians, and Indians frequently visited China • Missionaries and diplomats from Europe frequently came as well • Helped to spread information about Chinese culture • Marco Polo - Young trader from Venice, Italy • Traveled the Silk Road with his father, uncle - Arrived in China in 1275 and stayed for 17 years • Became an assistant to Kublai Khan, traveling on government missions throughout China • Published a book about his adventures (Book was successful but many Europeans found it hard to believe)