Mongols

=Mongols =

// By Matt Mcvickers & Alex Chapa //
===The Mongols were a very powerful empire that existed in the 12th and 13th century. They were the most powerful empire in their region and one of the largest that ever existed. They were located above what is now China and below the country of Russia. They relied on their military strength and their very powerful leader, Genghis Khan, to defend them and expand the empire. Their culture was also one of the most impressive because it was the only one nationally recognized, yet unorganized. These are all some of the reasons for why they became one of the largest empires that ever existed. ===

Geography
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Region
Mongolia is split up into two different "zones". There is the Khanga zone and the Gobi zone. The Khanga zone has a lot more landforms and water than the Gobi zone. It has Mountain ranges, valleys, salt lakes, rivers, and elevated steppes. It also has a much more favorable weather all year round. The two zones combined is twice the size of Texas with 603,909 square miles. (Lassieur, Page 19-20//)// The wildlife in the Khanga consists of elk, deer, moose, wolves, foxes, bears, rabbits, lynxes, sheep, leopards and mice. (Page 31) The Gobi zone has much less water and grasslands than the Khanga zone. It also has many animal reserves, but less population than the Khanga zone. (Page 20) The wildlife in the Gobi consists of gazelles, marmots, squirrels, cammi, and other rodents. (Page 33)

Animals
Mongolia has a very wide variety of animals. It has an abundant amount of horses on its steepes. The horses are smaller and sturdier than other horses. They have larger heads, stocky legs, and shaggy coats. They can survive in the extreme temperatures of the steepes and can live on little vegetation. The horses are important for milk, meat, hides, and sport. (Brill, Page 25) There are a total of 136 different species of mammals, almost 400 different species of birds and 76 species of fish. (Lassieur, Page 24) There are also several endangered animals like the Bactrian camel. It is one of the most rare animals that remain wild. There are only 950 of them living in the wild. (Page 32) Today, the wildlife is not as strong as it used to be. Many of the animals have died from hunting and competition. These animals are hunted for their very rich fur. Even still, Mongolia has a very lush wildlife.

Climate
The Mongol lands were in between the Siberian tundra and the Gobi desert. This caused extreme climate changes. The temperature in the winter would drop to as low as –40 degrees below Fahrenheit and in the summer the temperature would soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus making it impossible to farm (Taylor, Page 10). It is the cause of the drastic changes in temperature the Mongols would journey from the high plains in the summer to river valley in the winter. (Morgan, Page 33).

Movement
The origin of the Mongols is still a mystery in everywhere except legend. The Mongols believed that they originated from a white wolf and a gray deer. The legend says they crossed the northern lake into Mongolia and the deer gave birth to a human. The deer then gave birth to Mongoljin, which the Mongols believed had to be eventually part of each and everyone's family tree. Mongoljin was believed to give birth to twelve sons who went and established the first tribes. (coldsiberia.com) The Mongols were nomads that roamed the plains of central Asia trying to find better pastures for their animals. They often meet up with other tribes on their way. Sometimes the two tribes will declare war over a pasture. There were two pastures owned by a tribe, one in the Orkhon river-valley for winter and one in the high plains for summer. The Mongols didn't live in towns; instead they lived in mobile homes called 'gers' or commonly called yurts in the west. The gers could be assembled and disassembled in two hours. The gers were nine feet high, with a fifteen-foot circumference and resembled the shape of a Hersey's kiss. The door had to face south when the ger was set up and when inside you have to move clockwise because moving counterclockwise was bad luck. The grass is greener on the other side is what the Mongols lived by because they always wanted another tribes pastures.(Mrdonn.org)

Organization
The Mongols had a very sophisticated way of organizing their army. The army was broken up into different units. The units were then combined to make the army. The units were made up of 10 men (called //Arban//), 100 men (called //Jaghun//), 1,000 men (called //Mingghan//), and 10,000 men (called //Tjumen//). There was at least three tjumen in an attack where two flanked from either side. Each group had its own leader. The groups of 10 and 100 assigned their own leader, but for the groups of 1,000 and 10,000, the leader was chosen by the Khan (or overall ruler). In command of the Tjumen there were supreme generals who were out ranked by Genghis Khan alone. (cold siberia) Also, to show different rankings, men would wear different uniforms and have different haircuts based on their rank. (May, Page 31) Along with the units there was a special group called the royal guard. The royal guard had eighty night troops and seventy day troops who followed and protected the khan at all costs.(Hull, Page 43)

Weapons and Armor
The Mongols main weapon was a composite bow. It was made from horn, wood, and sinew. It went on average, 300 meters, and a max of 500 meters. It had a draw weight of 600lb.The accuracy diminished around 300 meters though. It was much better than other armies' bows or crossbows because it went farther, and it was more accurate. (May, page 50) It was even better than the English longbow. It was the best-long range weapon the world ever saw until the invention of the rifle. (coldsiberia) They used a thumb ring to prevent stress on their thumb. (May, Page 50) They wore helmets that were made of iron with bronze skin on it for the heavy cavalry as the light cavalry wore leather armor. (coldsiberia) They resembled an upside down acorn. The helmet had flaps on the side of it to protect the neck and ears. Even though they were cavalry, they still wore armor. They wore Lamellar, which is very protective against arrows. Their back, however, wasn't protected. (May, Page 53) Over their Lamellar, they wore a tunic that would have fur on it in the winter. They wore trousers that matched the tunic. Over the tunic, they would wear a vest. For soldiers that fought in hand-to-hand combat, they wore ox hide with iron on it. (Greenblatt, Page 50) A soldier could also be wearing a silk shirt. He may wear a silk shirt because it is good insulation. It also stops a wound from spreading when an arrow penetrates the skin. When removing an arrow the skin tears more but if you pull it out with a silk shirt on, the wound doesn't spread. The following weapons were also used: a shield, an axe, a sword, a lance, a knife, javelins, and crossbows. The army also used catapults as artillery. (coldsiberia)

Strategies
The Mongols strategies played a huge part in their success. They were a very fast moving, cavalry army. They were so fast because they rode on horses. The horses were a large reason for the Mongolians success. They had great endurance and increased the army's movement greatly. The Mongols would usually attack in autumn because it was better for both the horses and for the men. (May, Page 54) The Mongolians used their bows to their advantage. They would stay a distance away from their enemies and then shower them with arrows. This strategy made it easy for them to defeat armies with much larger armies then their own. (Page 71) One of their strategies was to have two flanks and a center column and surround the palace and lay siege on them. They would also take out the field armies first, that way they wouldn't have to deal with them during the main battle. Also, the Mongols never began a campaign without information on the enemy that they were attacking. They would use all kinds of people like merchants, spies, or scouts that went ahead of the army. The Mongols strategies played a huge part in their success. (Page 69) Another strategy was one were one Jaghun would charge and then retreat causing their foes to pursuit them to where the rest of the Mongolian army waited for an ambush. The Mongols trained hard everyday because they believed that the quality of troops is better then the quantity. The Mongols were also thought to be demons because merchants of Italy came and heard of the Tatars, a Mongolian tribe that was very warlike, and confused them with tartars, which translate to demons. The Mongols used that to their advantage by sending merchants ahead to scare their foes. (coldsiberia)

Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan is one of the best leaders that ever existed and is one of the reasons that the Mongols were so successful. It was because of him that the Mongol tribes were able to unite themselves into one nation.

About Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was born around 1167. His real name was Timujin. He was given the name Genghis Khan when he became the leader of all Mongols, so most people call him Genghis Khan. He was named after another tribal leader that his father had captured. His father was Yisugei the Brave. Yisugei the Brave was their tribe leader. This meant that Genghis would become the tribe leader when his father died. His father died when Genghis Khan was 10. 4 years later, at the age of 14, Genghis became the head of the family and tribe. He also got married at the age of 16. (Greenblatt, Page 8)

Uniting the tribes
Genghis Khan was elected the chief of all Mongols at the age of 39. He immediately began bringing the tribes together trying to make one nation. (Greenblatt, Page 15-16) In order to bring the tribes together, he started doing things that no other leader had ever done before. For example, he put soldiers from different tribes into the same unit. He also treated all men equally and promoted men on their leadership skills and not on their tribal rank. All of these things weakened tribal leaders and strengthened loyalty to Genghis Khan. (Page 17)

His Legal Code
Genghis Khan had a very sophisticated legal code. It was called the //Yasa.// He had many different laws to try to make the Mongol empire better. For example, there were laws that were against lying, spying and stealing. There were also laws that made it so all religions were treated equally and laws that moderated, but not prohibited, alcohol. In addition, there were laws on how to carry out military operations, how to return lost property, and laws on interfering in other peoples' fights. Genghis Khan's legal code helped to make the Mongol empire more civilized then most other empires. (Greenblatt, Page 17)

Conquests and Army
Genghis Khan had many different conquests. Some of them were with the Xia-Xia, the Jurchun, and the Khwarazm Shah. The war with the Kwarazm Shah was the lo​ngest. It lasted 7 years, but in the end, the Mongols were victorious. Genghis Khan was able to win all of these battles because of his superb army and strategies. He had men from age 15-70 serve in his army. All members of the army were very well trained. In addition to being well trained, they were very loyal to both each other and to Genghis Khan. Having a loyal army is one of the reasons for Genghis Khan's great success.

The Successors of Genghis
 There were many successors to Ghengis Khan but the most notable were his son Ogedei Khan and Qubiai his grandson. They lack his genius and cared more for their own power. Ogedei, one of Genghis Khan's four sons by his main wife Borte, became Khan. (coldsibiera) He continued the war with China, as was Ghengis plan. He had a general Subedei who continued to the military strategies of the late Ghengis until the Chin of China committed suicide. It was also under Ogedei’s reign that a new capital was built in Qarraquorm. This was located in the Orkhorn valley. It was still not a true city as the Mongols were nomadic people but it was a center for trade. (Morgan, Page 115) Qubilai was a grandson of Ghengis Khan. He was known for changing the name of the Mongol Dynasty in China to the Yuan Dynasty. (Page 119) It was during his reign he attempted to take over Japan. However, Japan could not be reached on horses so this is the first time they had to fight on ships. Both of their charges were failures. The first charge toward Japan the Japanese overran the Mongols. In the second charge the warriors were caught in a typhoon. He also moved the capital out of Mongolia and into China. In doing so, he began to unite China. This also began the demise of the Mongol empire. He did not affix his palace to Mandarin customs but left it to the Mongol way; this cause conflict with his Chinese advisors. (coldsibiera)

= Culture = The culture of the Mongols was flourishing during their empire as they conquered foreign lands and brought back their culture too. The Mongols had busy daily lives but religion was the most important part of the day. The Mongols also invented interesting technology and arts. They had believed that educating their young was a priority.

Religion
The religion of the Mongols was the most important part of a Mongolian day. The major religion of Mongolia was Shamism. It was the belief of natural spirits, which included river, forest, lake, stones, animals, and mountain spirits. (Hull, Page 18) It also is the belief of Eternal Blue Heaven and Mother Earth as the deities of men.(coldsiberia) The priests of this religion were called shaman. They dressed in white, rode white horses, and carried a drum. They were believed to wander to and from the spirit world and back with prophecies and blessings. They even held weddings. The Mongols also cherished the element of water and because of this they never bathed. They believed that polluting water was polluting the soul so they did not wash anything.(Taylor, Page 60) After a while, new religions found their way into Mongolia. Reincarnation is an example of one. It is the belief of death just another part of life that has no meaning. Another religion was Monotheism. It was the belief of one god who created men to worship him and the Monists believed that he was their protector. The Mongols also believed in ancestors and spirits of the dead who controlled peoples' lives. To avoid the bad spirits they executed officials and princes by boiling them and priests by breaking their back so their blood didn't spill. (coldsiberia)

Daily Life
The daily life of the Mongols was very busy with chore and activities. The women were important to the household when the men were away at war or a trip. The women were allowed to sell, trade, and buy anything they wanted with the husband's allowance. When the men were home they helped with everything financial, cared for the animals, and ran the house. All the women had to do was to do household chores with the children. At the start of a Mongolian day a family would wake up and pray then eat, they then would do their share of chores. Next, the family ate and the children go and play with other kids as the adults attend meetings and their fathers train for war and go hunting. After that the fathers would teach their offspring survival skills and skills in general. Then, the family would offer offerings to their gods and eat. Last, the family will go to sleep again.(Taylor, Pages 15,16) A man usually had 500 wives or more but only married once. He would marry his first bride, then he would obtain more wives from defeated enemies. (Taylor, Pages 60,61) Farming was impossible with the climate so intense. Instead they became herders, hunters, fishermen, and nomads that traveled the country for better pastures of grass. (coldsiberia) The Mongols graded their animals from the least to the greatest. The scale starts with horses at the top because of the Mongols love for horses. They loved their horses because they offered transportation. The sheep were next because it provided warmth and food to families. The cows were the third because they provided milk and meat to families. Last came the goat because the Mongols thought them use less. (Taylor, Pages 15,16) The scale made horse breeders better known then sheep breeders in their social status. (Page 15) The cammi and ox of the steppe were the Mongols beasts of burden as the dog and the falcon were for hunting.(Page 16)

Education, Science, and Art
Mongolia was a country that loved science and arts but it was never a career. Education though, was a different subject all together. The education of the Mongols started at an early age. As soon as one could walk he had to learn to ride a horse and then shoot an arrow from the saddle.(Hull, Pages 24-27) Young Mongol boys were sent to monasteries to learn how to become monks or shaman. Those who didn't become monks or shaman joined the army. (Lassieur, Pages 88-95) The girls were taught more domestic tasks, for instance, how to cook and sew. The science of the Mongols prospered only because of the need to improve their skill riding a horse and from stealing from the Chinese. The technology they did have was very simple. They would make wooden carts and wheels.(Hull, Page 18) They would also produce weapons and tools from simple techniques. It also included metal working, wood carving, reins, the saddle, and the stirrups.(Page 18) The technology they stole from the Chinese were things they can not produce themselves. It included the following: silk, gold, silver and tools such as hammers.(Page 18) The arts of the Mongols were made but they were not for making a profit. The arts the Mongols made were for themselves. Some of the arts were: knifes, belt buckles, shoes, clothes, jewelry, deer-stones (giant stone animals carved from boulders) and they made the first chess sets. (Nickleson,Page 24) They also wrote songs and poems. Painting was a common art that women did to decorate their gers. Gers are Mongolian tents that were easy to assemble and disassemble. (coldsiberia)

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**In conclusion, the Mongols went from being various tribes to a highly successful empire. This was due to their huge military success under the ruler Genghis Khan. The lands they conquered added to the culture. They were a religious people that made prayer as much of a part of their daily life as chores were. The Mongols didn't only concur the world they also kept the empire in tact for a century making it the largest and longest empire of the ancient world.** ======