Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Rise of the Mongols

Genghis Khan was a very important Mongol khan. He was very loyal to his army. If you treated him with respect, he would treat you the same way. He became so powerful because he united the nomadic tribes. Then after he did that he started the Mongol invasions, which led to him conquering most of Eurasia. The Mongols had very many tactics and strategies. One of the tactics was throw-into-disorder tactic. If the enemy was strong on the battlefield or sheltering in a fort they would herd oxen and wild horses towards the enemy lines to confuse them.

Each Mongol soldier typically maintained 3 or 4 horses. Changing horses often allowed them to travel at high speed for days without stopping or wearing out the animals. The Mongols used siege machines. These machines were an important part of Genghis Khan's warfare, especially when attacking fortified cities. During a siege, the Mongols would gather a group of local residents or soldiers surrendered from previous battles, and would make them go forward first in the battles. This would help the Mongol warriors stay more safe. This was called the Kharash. The Mongols were very smart when it came to technology.

The geography of the Steppe provided important routes for travel and trade. The flat, grassy lands provided a route between Asia and Europe. Living on the Steppe, it was priority to be tough and rugged people to survive; they started to learn around ages 2 or 3 to use a bow and arrow to hunt and kill. The Mongols survived by living a nomadic lifestyle- never staying completely dormant and moving around a lot. They lived in Yurts which they could pack up efficiently and move along to the next area. This is why they were able to conquer so much land. They would rely on their animals. Drinking their blood, milk, and eating their meat are some examples of how they relied on them. The Steppe provided the grassy plains for the animals to graze. The Steppe was very important to the Mongols and caused them to become adaptable to changing conditions.