It has often been asked why the Mongols suddenly disappeared. They did not disappear as such but simply became assimilated as nomadic culture became marginalized, hastened by the use of gunpowder. In Iran the Mongol Il-Khan, Ghazan, converted to Islam around 1295, and thereafter the Mongol elite became increasingly Persianized, increasingly adopting Persian habits, dress, manner, and speech. The Golden Horde in the Russian steppes became increasingly Turkish-dominated, and a breakaway faction possibly gave birth to the Ottoman state. In China the Yiian dynasty, often disparaged by traditionally minded Mongols for its adoption of Chinese ways, was replaced by the Ming dynasty (1371-1644), but their heritage and even their treaties have persisted to the present. In India the Moguls, who traced their descent from the Chinggisids, went with the advent of the rule of the British Raj (ruled 1760-1947).
Chinggis Khan differed from previous steppe leaders. The Mongol leader possessed many qualities that have distinguished him from other military strategists, nomadic chieftains, and conquering emperors, and some of these characteristics will be examined in later chapters. However, an overriding difference relevant to this introductory chapter should be emphasized. This was his recognition of the nature, worth, and strength of the sedentary world and his willingness and ability to utilize those qualities in order to advance his own cause. Chinggis Khan achieved celebrity and greatness as a steppe ruler, but he went down in history as a world conqueror and empire builder, and two of his grandsons, Qubilai and Hiilegii, ruled over two of the world's greatest and most sophisticated civilizations: China and Persia.
World History
