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Nomadic Empires 2 marks Where was Genghis Khan from and what was his contribution?

Genghis Khan was born around 1162 near the Onon River in the north of present-day Mongolia. He was the son of Yesugei, the chieftain of the Kiyat and was named Temujin. He united the Mongol people into a more effective, disciplined military force. He spent his life leading and directing campaigns into adjoining areas in North China, Transoxiana, Afghanistan, and eastern Iran and Russian steppes. How was the Mongol rule a unifying factor? Mongol rule was a unifying factor for the people of vast area that they had conquered because inspite of their own faith in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam etc., they never allowed their personal beliefs to dictate the public policy. They recruited administrators and armed contingent from various conquered lands. All this was unusual for the time when they were ruling. Briefly mention about the administrative features of Genghis Khan's rule. During the rule of Genghis Khan's rule civil administrators were recruited from the conquered lands. But they were posted in areas far of from their home. Such as Chinese secretaries deployed in Iran and Persians in China. These administrators retained the confidence of their masters till the time they continued to increase the revenues for them. These administrators could sometimes command considerable influence. What was Qubcur Tax? It was a tax imposed and willingly paid for by the people for the maintenance of courier service. Under this tax the Mongol tribes paid one tenth of their heard either horses or livestock as provisions for maintenance of the system through which they benefited vastly. What was the effect of Genghis Khan conferring titles? Genghis Khan conferred the title of blood brothers publicly to military persons and honoured certain humbler persons as bondsmen a title that indicated their close relationship with Genghis Khan. It did not preserve the rights of old clan chieftains and the new aristocracy derived its status from its closeness to Genghis Khan. What were the problems encountered by the army of Genghis Khan? The army of Genghis Khan was composed of diverse people which complicated the relatively small undifferentiated army into complex mixed mass of people. So his army looked like band of different people with different mind but it was Genghis Khan leadership ability that made them unmatched force. Why did India escape the attention of Genghis Khan? India escaped Genghis Khans visit though he considered returning back from one of his expeditions through north India and Assam. But because of heat, natural habitat and ill omens that were reported to him by his soothsayer which made him change his mind. Why was Genghis Khan successful in defeating the Chinese? Genghis Khan was successful in defeating the Chinese because at this time the Chinese were a divided society and was being ruled by three dynasties each controlling an independent area. What does the Great Wall of China symbolize?

The Great Wall of China symbolizes the disturbance and fear that was brought upon China by the nomadic raids on the agrarian societies of north China and Central Asia. How was Genghis Khans political system different from Attilas? Genghis Khans political system was more durable as it survived its founder. It was stable enough to stand against large and better equipped armies of China, Iran and Eastern Europe. They also administered the complex agrarian economies and urban settlement far from their home thought they did not have much experience of it in their homeland. Who were Mongols? The Mongols were a diverse body of people who were linked by similarities of language to Tartars, Khitan and Manchus to the east and, to Turkic tribes in the west. Some of the Mongols were pastoralists while some were hunter gatherers. They nomadised in the steppes of Central Asia. 5 marks Briefly mention about Yasa. It is assumed that Yasa was officially declared by Genghis Khan at the Quariltai of 1206. In its earliest formulation the term was written as yasaq which meant law, decree or order. By the middle of the thirteenth century, the Mongols started using the term yasa in a more general sense to mean the legal code of Genghis Khan. The yasa was most probably a compilation of the customary traditions of the Mongol tribes. The yasa tried to join together the Mongol people around a body of shared beliefs. It recognized their kinship to Genghis Khan and his descendants and, even as they absorbed different aspects of a sedentary lifestyle, it gave them the confidence to retain their ethnic identity and impose their law upon their defeated subjects. It was an extremely empowering ideology inspired by Genghis Khans vision and was vital in the construction of a Mongol universal dominion. How was Mongol authority established after the various conquests? After the war, when peace was established by Mongol conquest (Pax Mongolica) trade connections matured. Travel and trade along the silk route increased under the authority of Mongols. But now the silk route got extended. It continued north of Mongolia and to Karakorum. Communication and ease of travel was essential to maintain the authority of the Mongol regime. So, as a symbol of state authority the travelers were given a pass (paiza in Persian;gerege in Mongolian) for safe conduct. Traders paid baj tax for the same purpose, there by acknowledging the Mongol authority. Briefly explain about the courier system introduced by Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan had formed a swift courier system that connected the distant areas of his regime. Fresh mounts and despatch riders were placed in outposts at regularly spaced distances. The Mongol nomads contributed a tenth of their herd -either horses or livestock-as provisions for the maintenance of this communication system. This was called the qubcur tax, a levy that the nomads paid willingly for the multiple benefits that it brought. The courier system (yam) was further refined after Genghis Khan's death and its speed and reliability surprised travellers. It enabled the Great Khans to keep a check on developments at the farthest end of their regime across the continental landmass. How did Genghis Khan organize his army?

Genghis Khan worked to remove the old tribal rivalries and identity of groups who joined his confederacy. He stopped the practice of organizing the army in decimal units. He divided the tribal grouping and distributed their members into new military units. No individual could move from his/her allotted group without prior permission. If they did so they were punished severely. The military units were to serve under his four sons and specially chosen captains of his army units called noyan. A band of followers who served Genghis Khan loyally through grave adversity for many years also became important within the new realm. How was the Military success of Genghis Khan achieved? The Military success of Genghis Khan was incredible. He had achieved all the military success by his ability to innovate and transform various aspects of steppe combat into effective military strategies. The horse riding and hunting skills of Mongols and Turks provided fast and fierce attacking. They carried out field manoeuvres in winter by using frozen river as highway to enemies' cities and camps and brought their knowledge of moving light in terrain as an effective strategy of war. He learned the importance of siege engines and naptha bombardment quickly. His engineers built light portable equipments which he used against his opponents. Describe the early days of Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was born in 1162 near river Onon in the north of present day Mongolia. The early days of Genghis Khan were very difficult. His father was murdered at an early age. He, along with his brothers and step-brothers, was brought up by his mother. Next ten years were full of hardships. At one time he was enslaved and soon after his marriage had to fight to recover his wife who was kidnapped. He also formed alignments with Boghurchu, a friend; Jamuqa, his brother, and his old uncle, Ong Khan. From 1180-1190, he used his alliance with Ong Khan against Jamuqa. After this he gained confidence and moved against many other tribes and consolidated his position. This increased his influence in the politics of steppes lands. The assembly of Mongol Chieftains recognized this and he was given the title of Genghis Khan. He was considered as the most barbaric ruler of his time. Why was the Mongol community divided? The Mongols were divided into patrilineal lineage. The richer families owed more animals and pasture lands along with large followers and were influential in the local politics. Whenever there were harsh winter conditions or dry spell leading to drought conditions then there were conflicts among the families over pasture lands and predatory raids occurred in search of livestock. Groups of families formed alliance in defence or offence during these times but this unity was for very short duration. The size of Genghis Khans confederation of Mongol and Turkish tribes perhaps matched in size to that of the confederation in the fifth century by Attila Khan. Why were there no cities in the regions inhabited by the Mongols? There were mainly two reasons for this. The time for cultivation and other agricultural activity was very short and just surviving on the trade of fur of the animals which is difficult to trap them in summer was not possible. The Mongols themselves were not interested in taking up farming. Neither the pastoral nor the hunting-gathering economies could sustain dense population settlements and as a result the region possessed no cities. This led to their leading a life of nomads and living in tent cities. They travelled with their herds from their winter to summer pastures lands. Briefly explain the campaigns of Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan was born some time around 1162 near the Onon river in the north of present day Mongolia. His original name was Temujin. He was the son of Yesugei, the Chieftain of the Kiyat, a group of families related to the Borjigid clan. He united the Mongol people into a more effective, disciplined military force. The first of his concerns was to conquer China, divided at this time into three realms. By 1209, the Hsi Hsia was defeated, the 'Great Wall of China' was breached until 1213 and Peking sacked in 1215. Long drawn-out battles against the China continued until 1234 but Genghis Khan was satisfied enough with the progress of his campaigns to return to his Mongolian homeland in 1216 and leave the military affairs of the region to his subordinates. 8 marks Write a short essay on social and military organisation of the Mongols. Social organisation: Genghis khan demonstrated liberal and tolerant attitude to the beliefs of others and never persecuted people on religious grounds. Genghis Khan created a national seal, encouraged the use of a written alphabet in Mongolia and exempted teachers, lawyers and artists from taxes, although taxes were heavy on all other subjects of the empire. Military commanders of different communities helped in integrating the distant dominions. Their backgrounds and training were always helpful in blunting the harsher edges of nomadic predation on sedentary life. The Mongol Khans trusted them as long as they continued to raise revenue for their masters. These administrators could sometimes command considerable influence. Military organisation: The Mongol military organisation was simple, but effective. It was based on decimal system known in Iranian cultures. The army was built up from squads of ten men each, called an arbat; ten arbats constituted a company of a hundred, called a zuut; ten zuuts made a regiment of a thousand called myanghan and ten myanghans would then constitute a regiment of ten thousand (tumen), which is the equivalent of a modern division. In battles Mongol forces used extensive coordination of combined arms forces. Mongols were famous for their horse archers. The army's discipline distinguished Mongol soldiers from their peers. The forces under the command of the Mongol Empire were generally trained, organised and equipped for mobility and speed. To maximise mobility, Mongol soldiers were relatively lightly armoured compared to contemporary armies they faced. In addition, soldiers of the Mongol army functioned independently of supply lines, considerably speeding up army movement. Throughout the empire, trade routes and an extensive postal system (yam) were created. Many merchants, messengers and travellers from China, Middle East and Europe used the system. Skillful use of couriers enabled these armies to maintain contact with each other and with their higher leaders. At the same time, any resistance to Mongol rule was met with massive collective punishment. Cities were destroyed and their inhabitants slaughtered if they defied Mongol orders. Discuss the achievements of Genghis Khan. What are his legacies to the Mongols? Genghis Khan was a great warrior and Mongol leader. He carved out a vast empire by defeating many important rulers of the time. His achievements could be listed as follows: Military achievements: Defeated powerful Tatars, the Kereyits and Ong Khan 1203. The final defeat of the Naiman people and the powerful Jamuqa in 1206, left Temujin as the dominant personality in the politics of the steppe lands. Defeated the

Chinese rulers who were divided into three wings. Defeated Qara Khita who controlled the Tien Shan mountains north-west of China in 1218, Mongol dominions reached the Amu Darya and the states of Transoxiana and Khwarazm. The sultan of Khwarazm left his territory as a Mongol envoy was killed in Khwarazm. Genghis Khan sacked the city of Nishapur. Recognition from Quriltai: Quriltai was an assembly of Mongol chieftains. Genghis succeeded against important rulers like Jamuqa, Tatars, Kereyits and Ong Khan. The final defeat of Naiman people by him placed him as an important ruler of the Mongols. Hence, Quriltai recognised him as the Great Khan of the Mongols. Administrative achievements: Tried to remove the old tribal identities of the people who joined the confederacy. Genghis khan distributed his old people in different military groups and divided them into decimal units. This resulted in the vertical grouping and thus, the chances of monopoly of a clan or tribe in a particular group was minimised. The new contingents were to work under his four sons. Genghis is said to have composed yasa, the code of law. His legacies to his successors were Vast and powerful Empire Genghis Khan left behind a vast and powerful empire for his successors. Political unification The efforts made by Genghis to destroy the tribal identity of different clans that joined the confederacy resulted in the unification of the empire. Administrative reforms - The military, administrative and postal reforms made by Genghis Khan led to the unification of the empire that survived after the death of Genghis khan. What was the impact of pause in military expeditions of Mongols on trade activities? Mongols are remembered in the history as ferocious warrior tribe. Under Genghis Khan the tribe rose to prominence and was able to expand its territorial boundary far and wide on the map of the world. The conquered people had no affinity with their new nomadic rulers. The Mongol raids destroyed many cities that flourished due to their trade. Agriculture in different parts of the world also faced similar end as it was not possible to give proper attention to the maintenance of irrigational canals in the desert regions. Owing to which desert crept in. The similar situation was faced by the traders who had to look for alternative routes of travel. Mongol empire extended from China to different parts of the Europe. Asian goods were in great demand in different parts of Europe. In the 13thcentury when these campaigns settled, the trade between Europe and China revived. It largely owes to the Mongols campaigns as they brought these territories closer to each other. The trade connections grew mature. Commerce and travel revived along the silk route. Now, the silk route was not limited to China but continued to Mongolia and to Karakorum. The trade through silk route reached its peak during this period. Communication and ease of travel was vital to retain the unity of the Mongol regime and travellers were given a pass (paiza in Persian; gerege in Mongolian) for safe conduct. Traders paid baj tax for the same purpose, all acknowledging thereby the authority of the Mongol Khan. The changes that were made by the Mongols in their administrative policies also eased the tensions and developed the feeling of security among the people. Qublai Khan emerged as the protector of peasants and people. Ghazan Khan warned his relatives and officials against killing and looting the peasants. He said that the empire will not prosper and stabilise by these acts.

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