Unlike the Romans and their Latin language, the Mongols did not give their subjects a new universal tongue. Unlike the British, who brought democratic forms of government to new lands, the Mongols did not leave a new, lasting political legacy across their empire. But the Mongol invasions influenced Asia and Europe in many ways.
to the Mongols, the Ming Dynasty ruled a united China, and that unity remains today. China under the Mongols also made greater contact with the outside world than at any other time in its prior history. The Mongol presence in Russia, through the Golden Horde, helped the princes of Moscow gain power and eventually build their own Central Asian empire. In Persia, the Ilkhans promoted the arts and helped the Persian language thrive, replacing Arabic as the main language. The Mongols’ religious tolerance also saw Roman Catholicism make its first gains in East Asia, and Buddhism spread into new areas. The Mongols also welcomed Islam and boosted its presence throughout Central Asia.
The Mongol World
Mongol influence stretched front front Korea to Eastern Europe and constituted the largest continuous area of land ever controlled by one family.
Old and New
This photo was taken in 2004 just outside the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Many Mongolian farmers and herders still live in gers-with television sets.
Another important feature of Mongol rule was greater contact between Europe and Asia. That contact, helped by the writings of several European priests and explorers, eventually led the nations of Europe to seek sea routes to Asia. By sea, the Europeans could trade directly for the highly valued spices of the Far East, instead of dealing with Central Asian and Middle Eastern merchants who controlled the land trade with eastern Asia. The desire for a new sea route to Asia inspired Christopher Columbus to travel west instead of east, as the sailors before him did. His voyages led Europeans to discover the “New Worlds” of North and South America. And perhaps the Mongols would have had an even greater impact on Europe if the death of their leader had not stopped their march into Europe during the 13th century. The Europeans of that era were barely prepared to fight such a superior force.
After the Mongols, no other nomadic people from the steppes challenged the power of sedentary societies. Modern technology changed
World History
