For several centuries before the rise of Chinggis Khan, the Mongols were just one of many nomadic tribes that lived on the Central Asian steppes. Different Turkic peoples ruled the steppes for a time, and the Chinese also influenced the region. The tribes of Mongolia blended with the Turks, creating what is sometimes called a Turko-Mongol culture. By the 12th century, the tribes of Mongolia included the Tatars, the Mongols, the Kereyids, the Naimans, and the Merkits.
These Mongolian tribal peoples lived on the landmass called Eurasia. This continuous stretch of land includes the greater part of two continents: Europe and Asia. At its height in the second century, Rome dominated the western half of Eurasia. At about the same time, the Han Dynasty of China was the major power in the east. By the 12th century, both these empires were long gone, and a number of smaller empires and kingdoms competed for influence in the region.
Rome’s empire had split in two even before its fall in the fifth century. Western Europe then broke into many different kingdoms and principalities. The Byzantine Empire, which traced its political roots to the Romans, ruled parts of Eastern Europe. In the Middle East, a single great Islamic Empire had arisen in the seventh century. It then broke up into smaller dynastic empires. In South Asia, India had developed a great culture that was more than 3,000 years old. But by the 12th century, native Indian dynasties were losing power to outsiders. The northern part of the country eventually came under the control of Turks, who had embraced Islam. Farther east in Eurasia, two competing Chinese dynasties had developed after the fall of the Han: the Song and the Jin. A number of smaller empires, some Turkic, also competed for influence on the edges of China.
Throughout the world at this time, religion played a greater role in politics and daily life than it usually does today. Religion inspired great art. It could also fuel bloody wars. But to believers it was most important for bringing release from the suffering of this world. The two halves of Europe were divided by their religion, as each region claimed that its type of Christianity was the one true faith. Islam was dominant in the Arab world and in Persia, which had once been the home of great empires. The Islamic influence spread into Central Asia, where Turkic tribes lived. In India,
Names of a Conqueror
The historians of the Mongols' day wrote in a variety of languages, including Persian, Chinese, Arabic, and Turkic. Modern European historians using these Asian sources translate some of the Mongol names in different ways. Chinggis Khan, for example, also appears as Jingiz, Chingiz, Cinggis, and Genghis. His grandson Khubilai Khan (1215-1294) also turns up as Kubilai, Qubilai, and Kubla, and Khan is sometimes written Qa'an or Qan. The same problem emerges with geographic names. The Mongol capital of Karakorum, for example, is also spelled Qaraqorum. Sometimes, it can make for confusing history.
Hinduism and Buddhism (both native to India) were the main religions until the Moslem conquests began, while in China, Buddhism competed with Taoism (a native Chinese religion) as the main faith.
The Mongols had their own faith, but they often accepted the beliefs of the people they conquered.
The empires that dominated Eurasia in the 12th century were mostly sedentary-they were built around permanent towns and cities that focused on farming and trade.
They had great wealth compared to
The Mongols. But in most cases they could not match the military skill of the nomadic warriors. They also had political and religious differences that kept them from working together to fight the Mongols. Those differences made it easier for the Mongols to expand their empire.
World History
