Deck 12: E: Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage the Mongol Moment 1200-1500

Question 1

Personal Reflection: Do you find convincing the long-established interpretation of pastoral societies being a destructive force in human history?

Answer 1

•The destruction and disruption caused to sedentary societies by pastoral invasions
•How much the accounts of that destruction might have been exaggerated because they were written by enemies of the Mongols
•The question of whether the Mongols should be singled out as particularly destructive,especially in light of twentieth-century attempts at total war and genocide
•The role of pastoral peoples in strengthening networks of exchange between settled societies
•The policy of religious toleration and accommodation of local customs under the Mongols
A really good answer might consider whether settled societies are in some way superior or preferable to pastoral societies and whether this perception shapes our interpretation of pastoral societies.As part of this reflection,an answer might consider the experiences of individuals,especially women,in both pastoral and settled societies.

Question 2

Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast the creation of the Arab and Mongol empires.

Answer 2

•Both empires relied heavily on armies that were initially drawn from pastoral peoples,and both expanded rapidly and were the largest empires in the world at their heights.
•Both the Arabs and the Mongols borrowed heavily from the traditions,institutions,and personnel of conquered peoples to rule their empires.
•Both empires were profoundly shaped by the cultures of the peoples they conquered.
•Both had founders who played important roles in bringing pastoral peoples together.
•Both empires actively promoted commercial networks of exchange.
•There were at least two key differences between the Arab and Mongol empires: the relative longevity of the Arab Empire,and the promotion and spread of Islam by the Arabs,a process that had no parallel in the Mongol Empire.

Question 3

Historical Analysis: Were the Mongols something new in the realm of pastoral empires?

Answer 3

•The Mongols shared many characteristics with other pastoral empires,including their reliance on pastoral peoples for troops,their initial confederation under a charismatic leader,and their goal of extracting resources from settled societies.
•But the Mongols did create a significantly larger empire than any other,in part because Chinggis Khan reorganized the social structure of the Mongols in a manner that diminished the divisive tribalism of old.
•Mongol forces also established a reputation for being brutally ruthless and destructive,which proved to be a valuable military asset in that it could induce their opponents to surrender without resistance.
•For all of its size and fearsome reputation,however,the Mongol Empire had less of a cultural impact on the societies that it conquered than many other conquerors did.