Nomadic Empires and Genghis Khan

Study Notes

Nomadic empires were formed by nomadic groups which moved from place to place.
Genghis Khan was the leader who established a transcontinental empire spanning Europe and Asia between the 13th and 14th centuries

The Mongols themselves didn't document their history, but sources come from travelers, including:
- Buddhist, Confucian, Christian, Turkish and Muslim
The Mongol successes attracted many travelers who wrote various accounts of the Mongols, some sympathetic and others hostile.
Nomadic Mongols were a diverse group of people who spoke similar languages.
Mongols lived a nomadic life in Central Asia.
- Mongols lived in tents, moving herds seasonally.The Mongols were pastoralists, they herded animals like horses, sheep, cattle, goats and camels.
Their nomadic lifestyle prioritized animal husbandry over farming practices.
Mongol society was patriarchal

Born in 1162 near the Onon River in present-day Mongolia.
His original name was Temujin.
His father, Yesugei, was a chieftain of the Kiyat clan.
His father was murdered at a young age and he was raised by his mother, Oelun-eke was Genghis Khan's mother, who raised him after his father's murder.-eke.
He experienced extreme hardship during his childhood, including being captured and enslaved.
His wife, Borte, was kidnapped and he had to fight to recover her.

While enduring hardships he made important friends, like Boghurchu and Jamuqa.
Temujin rose as a dominant figure in the politics of the Mongol steppes, a position recognized at an assembly of chiefs.
He was proclaimed "Great Khan of the Mongols" and given the title Genghis Khan, which means "Oceanic Khan" or "Universal Ruler."

Genghis Khan's first conquest was China, which was divided at the time into three realms:
- The Hsi Hsia dynasty in the northwest.
- The Chin dynasty ruled north China.
- The Sung dynasty ruled south China.
In 1209 the Hsi Hsia were defeated and the Great Wall of China was breached in 1213.
Battles against the Chin continued until 1234.

Sultan Muhammad of Khwarazm executed Mongol envoys, which worried them about an invasion.
Campaigns between 1219 and 1221 led to Mongol victories and the fall of these cities:
- Otrar, Bukhara, Samarqand, Balkh, Gurganj, Merv, Nishapur, Herat
Cities that resisted were devastated by the Mongols.
Mongol forces pursued Sultan Muhammad into Azerbaijan and defeated Russian forces.
Another Mongol force pursued Sultan Muhammad's son, Jalaluddin into Afghanistan and The Sindh province.

At the banks of the Indus, Genghis Khan considered returning to Mongolia through North India and Assam but changed his mind due to:
- Heat
- Natural habitat
- Ill portents from his Shaman soothsayer
He died in 1227.