Chapter 11: The Mongols: Pastoral Peoples from the north of China, 1206 - 1368


The Mongols were nomadic Mongol and Turkic tribes who shared the mountains of historical Mongolia in the north of China, between China and Siberia. Their empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206 and dissolved in 1368 when the Han Chinese Ming Dynasty took control. Genghis Khan reigned for 21 years until he died at age 65 years old. It seems like a short period of time, but their army, while under his command, conquered huge chunks of central Asia and China. His descendants expanded the empire even more to far off places such as Poland, Vietnam, Syria and Korea. The Mongol Empire reshaped the world geography, culture and history in ways that nobody would have thought of doing it before. Some people focus on the good changes and others on the destruction and brutality they caused. In this research, I found both reasons, for and against the Mongol Empire. 


Talking points for the statement: "The Mongols got a bad rap. In fact, they should be respected as a significant civilization that made long-term contributions to the development of the Eurasian world."


  1. Despite the Mongols' brutality, they modeled a can-do attitude independent of society status and were the first in a significant number of pastoral people ever to be notable in World History. Their great conquering strategies and persistence were admirable. They ended up establishing the largest land based empire in history, bigger than the Roman, Greeks or Persian lands. 

  2. Even though the Mongols kept enemies who survived from battles as part of their army, they allowed them to keep their culture and religious beliefs. 

  3. The Mongols' nomadic way of life made them realize the benefits of trade and, unlike the Chinese, they had a positive attitude toward merchants and commerce. 

  4. The Mongols were brutal but they used their brutality to protect people from thieves in the Silk Road.   

  5. As long as people agreed with the Mongols, they were protected in the Silk Road and felt safe to use their time for new inventions. The Chinese great inventions were the paper making, printing, gunpowder and compass.  


Talking points against the statement: “The Mongols got a bad rap. In fact, they should be respected as a significant civilization that made long-term contributions to the development of the Eurasian world." 


  1. The Mongols were responsible for the deaths of as many as 40 million people causing long-term harm to survivors and ravaged societies who were terrified by their brutal and ruthlessness battles.

  2. When the Mongols conquered the areas, they kept the remaining enemy survivors and made them part of their own army.  They didn’t only threaten to kill them if they rebelled but also separated them from their own people and put them in training to go back to the battlefields to help the Mongols.

  3. The Mongols didn’t leave much legacy to future generations: No new religion nor economic structure. 

  4. They were not producers or traders and were instead promoters of commerce. They charged high taxes for people to use their land for profit.  

  5. “The Mongols and merchant caravans that were poorly quarantined and under reported by the Mongol government inadvertently brought the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) from central Asia to the Middle East and Europe. This plague is estimated to have killed 200 million people throughout the years 1347 - 1351. 



10 Things You May Not Know About Genghis Khan
www.history.com › news › 10-things-you-may-not-know...

List of the Mongol rulers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mongol_rulers


Strayer, R. (2016). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Bedford/St. Martin

Why Was Genghis Khan Feared - TIMES NIE
toistudent.timesofindia.indiatimes.com › news › culture

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