This is my mongol progect that I worked on. I hope you like it.
THE MONGOL EMPIRE
The Mongol Empire, although short-lived, was one of the largest and most
powerful empires ever on the face of the Earth. The whole of the Mongol
Empire lasted from 1206, when Genghis was proclaimed Khan of Khans, until
1368, when the Yuan Dynasty of Kublai Khan was overthrown. The Mongol
Empire one of the largest empires ever created in the world was destroyed in
a matter of 168 years. At its height the empire covered an area from modern
day Korea, China, Russia, the Middle East, India, and all the land in
between.
The Mongol Empire began in the year 1206 when Temujin was declared Genghis
Khan and ruler of all Mongol people. Genghis Khan had been able to succeed
in something that no other Mongol chieftain had ever been able to do. He
united the Mongol people into one unifying force. The Mongol people had
never known such unity, for many generations they had fought against each
other but now they were fighting side by side against anything that would
stand in there way. This unified Mongol force could and would destroy
almost every opposing force that tried to go against the Mongols.
It was actually the year 1209 before the final independent Mongol tribe was
united with the main Mongol force. The last tribe to be taken in was called
the Uighur and it is their written language that Genghis chose to have as
his own. The idea of incorporating other cultures inventions into their own
lifestyle was greatly utilized by the Mongols, in fact many military tactics
and weapons were borrowed from foreign civilizations to make their own army
stronger and deadlier.
There were several things about the Mongol Empire that were quite unique.
Their most surprising and advanced characteristic is that they were tolerant
and actually supported outside religions. This is something that is almost
never heard of in other empires of that time or any time for that matter.
What is just as surprising is that many of the religions that were in the
Mongol Empire hated each other and yet they fought with each other to expand
the reach of the empire. For instance there were many times when Buddhists,
Muslims, and Christians were fighting along side each other despite their
many differences. This was one of the ways that the Mongol people kept
their captured lands in peace, the Mongols did not prohibit any religion and
in fact they usually promoted it among the people.
The Mongol Empire in many ways is also considered the driving force that
created a unified China and Russia. Before the Mongol Empire both of those
nations existed in only fragmented kingdoms that were constantly bickering
and at war. However once the Mongols came into power and invaded those
lands the people living their were forced to join their kingdoms and small
empires together to make governing easier for the Mongol conquerors. Once
the Mongol Empire became large it became quite clear the governing it would
be a problem so the Khan of the time would divide up the land into Khanates,
a Khanate is comparable to a state or province, each with its own head of
government that would report directly to the head Khan. So in an indirect
manner the Mongols inadvertently united the Russian and Chinese lands into
one nation that would of course eventually turn on their Mongol invaders.
So in effect the Mongols were the unifiers of two of the most powerful
nations in the world today, China and Russia.
The Mongol Empire was ruthless, cruel, and power hungry. They destroyed
everything that stood in their way and they killed a countless number of
people to create their empire. To them everyone and everything was fair
game for attack, which included armies, animals, woman, and children. They
were great creators and destructors. More than once did they burn a town to
the ground and kill everyone, in fact that was the exact fate of the Russian
cities of Moscow and Kiev of which both were burned.
The Mongol armies were extremely successful despite being greatly
outnumbered by almost every foreign army that they ever encountered. Time
and again the Mongols destroyed the opposing force even when they were
outnumbered more than six to one as it was when they began the invasion of
the Qin Empire, modern northern China. This was mostly due to their
ingenious military tactics, their extreme discipline, and their excellent
use of modern weapons that were usually stolen from conquered armies. The
tremendous discipline of the Mongol armies is outstanding, in fact some
things that they did with their military would be considered outrageous by
today's standards. The armies were extremely orderly despite the lack of
great communication that we are capable of today. They had an excellent way
of deploying the Mongol military, what they did was the men, sorry no woman,
were formed into groups of ten, then ten of those for a hundred, then ten
for a thousand, and finally ten of those for a unit of ten thousand men
which was called a tuman. A practice in the Mongol army to deter traitors
and cowardice was when one man in a group of ten would desert the entire
group of ten would be killed. With that policy each soldier's life
literally depended on each other which made them act more like a team. Each
Mongol was also required to carry his own food which usually consisted of
dried meat and dried yak milk.
The Mongol armies and their leaders were excellent at deploying and
inventing military strategies and they had one that destroyed many armies.
What they would do is send a small force near an enemy city and retreat as
soon as the opposing force was spotted, the opposing force would then take
chase to the small Mongol force. The enemy army would then suddenly find
themselves surrounded by Mongols ready for battle but that is still not the
end of the Mongol plan. The surrounding Mongol army then begins to start
fires so that their is no room for the opposing army to retreat allowing
them to be killed by the armor piercing arrows laid upon them by the great
Mongol army. Another favorite strategy of the Mongols is rather creative
but their is quite a bit of work involved with this one. The Mongols would
find an enemy city and as with all cities they would offer to spare the city
if the citizens agreed to pay tribute to the Mongols by giving them one
tenth of everything in the city, including people. Usually the citizens
would answer no and that is when the Mongols would start their stuff. The
Mongol army would cut down trees and build a wall around the entire city
closing it off from food, resources, and outside help. The walls would lead
the city to starvation and finally the Mongols would bomb the city with
stones and fire until they surrendered, they were all dead, or the Mongols
got board and decided to enter the city so that they could kill them in hand
to hand combat.
CUSTOMS, LIFE STYLE AND CELEBRATIONS
One custom was that a sheep‚s shoulder blade was thrown into a fire to make
predictions. A vertical crack was a good omen and horizontal cracks were
not. Another one was Mongols who died were buried with valuable possessions
in a secret grave witch was usually the persons favourite place. A Mongol
tribe was divided into clans, called oboks, who made there own camp and had
their own leaders. The members of an obok hunted, fought and travelled
together. Usually all the men were related but wives were not. When a father
died, his possessions passed to the youngest son of his chief wife. This son
would also marry his father‚s wife. Often a smaller and weaker tribe would
befriend a lager and stronger tribe so they would save them from being
attacked. A tribal leader was the absolute commander in wartime. In
peacetime, he would advise and help settle disputes. A successful leader
could persuade men to leave their own obok and join his. An oath of
brotherhood kept the men in his new obok, and this was considered as a
strong as family ties. Men who taken this oath were none as nokers.
Food
The Mongols did not grow any of their own food. They bought rice, tea and
other foods. When they could not trade they had to rely on what was around
them, so their food was mostly meat and milk. When horsemen were any on long
raids there was no time to stop and cook raw meat, so it was put in between
the saddle of the horse and was eaten after it had been tenderized. The
Mongols said that grass made men weak and was for horses so they didn‚t eat
many vegetables, only a few which grew in the wild like leek, garlic and
onions.
Food facts
§ Kumiz was a nutritious and highly alcoholic drink made from mare‚s milk.
§ Running water was sacred so the Mongols never washed themselves or cooking
utensils in it.
§ Chargui was dried meat, which was sliced very thinly and hung in the sun
to dry and eaten in the winter when food was scarce. Meat was also made of
sausages
Children
Mongol children usually knew how to ride horses at the age of five so they
could move with the obok. Their fathers and uncles taught boys the skills of
riding, how to make and mend saddles and bridles, how to milk mares and how
to repair and make bows and arrows. All these were vital skills like reading
and writing are today. Their mothers or older sisters taught girls. They
learned how to cook, how to milk cows and goats, how to ride and how to make
and repair yurts. Mongols children loved stories and grandmothers or aunts
mostly told them. Most of them were told about journeys on the steppes.
Mongols married at a very young age. Boys usually married at 17 to 18 and
girls at 15 to 16.
Clothing
Both men and women wore long sheepskin or fur lined coat called a del. This
was buttoned right down the front and was worn on top of an undershirt and
leather boots. In winter they wore two coats, one with the fur on the inside
the other with the fur on the out. A pouch was on the belt that hade
chopstick and flint for lighting fires. Mongol men wore hats made of silk or
felt. Mongol girls hade long hair and married women cut their hair and
shaved their sides. Most hats were shaped like tight fitting caps with
turned up brim. There were lots of variations.
MONGOL LEADERS
Genghis Khan, was born in the year 1162 to a Mongol chieftain, Yesugei, and
his wife. He was born with the name of Temujin which means iron worker in
his native language. When Temujin was born his fist was clutching a blood
clot which the wiseman declared as an omen that Temujin would be a heroic
warrior, which history has proven to be true.
Very little is known of Temujin until he was around age 13 when his father
declared that his son was to find a fiancée and get married. After several
days of travel Temujin and Yesugei came across a tribe of Mongols that were
very hospitable and welcoming. Bortei the daughter of the chieftain of that
tribe was to become his wife. She was 14 years of age.
Now with a wife for his son Yesugei decided to head for home and leave his
son with his new fiancee. However on his was back to his home tribe he
encountered a group of Tatars which just happened to be the arch enemy of
nearly every Mongol. Yesugei was murdered and very quickly word came to
Temujin that his father was dead, he declared that one day revenge against
the Tatars would be his. Temujin left his fiancée and headed back to his
tribe where he intended to declare himself leader of that tribe, keeping in
mind that he is only 13 years old. The members of the tribe laughed at him
and rejected Temujin as chieftain, they also abandoned him and his family to
the brutal Mongolian plains. Temujin also vowed revenge against his clan
for doing this to him and his family. Life was very hard on the Mongolians
plains so when it was discovered that people within his clan were stealing
food from each other he killed the thief, who happened to be his brother.
News of his ferocity began to spread around the lands. He was known as a
stern leader that would kill his own brother to keep order. Another act of
bravery on his part would soon take place. On a hunting trip he was
ambushed by an enemy tribe and taken prisoner. While prisoner he killed his
guard and escaped. The enemy tribe tried to find him but his excellent
survival skills kept him alive until he could meet up with his own tribe.
This act of courage spread his name even farther to all parts of the
Mongolian plains. Not long after that another raid by strangers left them
with only one horse and very little food. Temujin took chase but could not
catch them. During his chase he met up with Bogurchi, a son of a rich man,
who would become his blood brother and one of his most trusted allies.
Bogurchi helped Temujin chase the raiders and eventually they retrieved the
stolen horses but the thieves were able to get away. Again word spread
across the land of Temujin's great courage, in many cases it was exaggerated
into almost God like proportions. The time had finally come to marry Bortei,
almost four years later and as a wedding present her father gave him a very
rare black sable. This gift proved to be one of the most important assets
ever given to Temujin. Temujin used it to persuade Togrul, his fathers
sworn brother, to join him in his revenge against the Tatars and other
Mongol enemies. Togrul agreed to join him and get back all of Temujin's
fathers followers. Temujin was now at the ripe old age of 17 and already
his road to glory had begun.
It was now the year 1183 and the Mongols that gathered declared Temujin
their great Khan and gave him the name Genghis. The name Genghis, or
Chingis, is also widely debated by historians as to its meaning. Some say
it means "precious warrior", where others give it the meaning of "spirit of
light", either way it meant power for Genghis and an empire to command. One
of the most amazing things that Genghis Khan and the Mongols did was that he
created a written code of laws for the Mongols, it was called the Yassa.
The Yassa was the Mongols version of the Ten Commandments and it was
followed very strictly. With all of the Mongol tribes united and under his
control he could now concentrate his forces on outside empires so that his
own could be expanded.
Despite Temujin being declared Khan the Mongol people were still not
completely united into one entity. It would not be until 1206 that Genghis
would be named the Khan of Khans or King of Kings by the Mongol people. For
it would be that year when almost all Mongol people were under one ruler.
With all of the Mongol tribes united and under his control he could now
concentrate his forces on outside empires so that his own could be expanded.
In the year of 1227 Genghis Khan died. Genghis Khan a master horse rider
fell from his horse during a hunt and was severely injured. He created the
largest empire ever created in the life of one man. He united the Mongols in
a way that they had never thought possible. Upon his death the Empire was
divided between his three areas each controlled by one of his sons, the
Golden Horde that was in west Asia which included Russia, the Middle East
Khanate, or State, and the main area of East Asia Khanate which included the
Mongol homeland.
Unlike the deaths of other Khans there was no great confusion in the
leadership when Genghis died. This is mostly due to the fact that Genghis
had decided that one of his sons, Ogadei, would follow in his footsteps.
Ogadai officially became Khan in 1229 when he was elected Khan. In 1242
Khan Ogadei had died. With Ogadei dead his main wife, Toragene, took control
of the empire. However this was only to last while a new Khan was to be
instated. This control of a woman is actually quite surprising since woman
were not well regarded in the Mongol Empire, this attitude also reflects a
good part of the world for that era. In fact most Mongols had four "main
wives" and several concubines. After four years in 1246 Guyuk, a son of
Ogadai was made the next third great Khan. Guyuk was not a very good leader
and history has actually made him more of a drunk that tried to enjoy life
too much. Only two years in the throne Guyuk died in 1248.
Once again turmoil erupted in the Mongol Empire over who would become the
next great Khan. It took three years but in 1251 Mongke, son of Tolui and
grandson of Genghis, was made the next Khan. Mongke was another Khan that
was too infatuated with the pleasure of life that he ignored the empire.
However Mongke did make a few advancements for the Mongol Empire. In 1253
Mongke sent a fighting force of over 150,00 troops to the Middle East.
Through the next five years the middle east army ravaged the area and
finally in 1258 the major Muslim city of Baghdad is attacked and sacked.
This army was led by Hulagu who happened to be another grandson of Genghis
Khan. This would be one of Mongke's only contribution to the Mongol Empire
since he died in 1259.
This time after Mongke Khan's death there was not the normal confusion that
followed that normally came after a Khans death. However the problem was
that two men had been declared Khan! The men were Arigh Boke and Kublai who
were both related to Genghis Khan. The conflict that resulted would be
somewhat of a major turning point of the Mongol Empire. In fact after 1260
there is not really much of a unified Mongol Empire left to speak of. This
minor break up of the Mongol Empire is blamed on the conflict at home which
caused a major loss of communication between the homeland and its outlying
areas. Around 1264 Kublai would be victorious over Arigh Boke and he would
be proclaimed the only Khan to rule.
The year 1264 is believed to be the beginning of the end of the Mongol
Empire. What happened is that Kublai moved the Mongol capitol from
Karakorom, in central Mongolia, to Daidu, which is modern Beijing. Kublai
had Daidu especially built, over the former Qin capitol, to be the new
Mongol Empire capitol. He did this because he had spent most of his life in
China, he enjoyed the culture of the Chinese, and he felt more at home in
these lands. However the loss in communication and morale of the Mongols
due to the capitol being moved is unimaginable. It took much more time for
the messages to travel across the empire and now since many Mongols could
not relate to China they felt that their centralness of a culture and
livelihood had been lost. This action sent much of the empire to self rule
and what Genghis Khan had created, a unified Mongol people, was beginning to
crumble and Kublai did not see it.
Kublai's reign of power would finally end in 1294 when he died leaving the
lasting legacy of a unified China. The death of the Khan resulted in the
complete loss of communication in the Mongol Empire and each division acted
almost completely independent. The Mongol Empire had become fragmented with
poor rulers in control of most of the areas. By 1335 they would be forced
out of the Middle East and revolution or attack would leave much of the
empire in pieces. Finally in 1368 the Yuan Dynasty that was started by
Kublai in China would be overthrown by the Chinese people and replaced with
the Ming Dynasty, who drove out all remaining Mongol armies and leaders from
the area.
As of 1368 by all practical means the main force of the Mongol Empire had
been destroyed. However there would be some areas where Mongol leaders
would remain in power. It would not be until 1502 when Russia, the Mongol
Golden Horde, would be completely free of all Mongol influence. The Golden
Horde was the last vintage of the Mongol Empire, the Mongol Empire was now
destroyed in both land and name.
MONGAL LANGUAGE
The Mongol script ( the classical Mongolian script) was adopted about 800
years ago by Genghis Khan's decision. It adopted the ancient Uighur script
and the Mongols developed it to today's script.
The Mongol script is a "vertical " script and written from the top to the
bottom . The Mongol language belongs to the Mongolian branch of Altaic
Family, and it is a alphabetic language. But the letters of a certain word
are written continuously .Mongolian alphabet have 23 basic letters ( 7
vowels and 16 consonants) plus some other letters to stand for foreign
words.
MONGOLIA TODAY
The Republic of Mongolia is a landlocked nation that is approximately equal
to the size of Alaska and is home to about 2.2 million people. With a
population of only 2.2 million that makes Mongolia one of the lowest
population dense nations in the world. In fact Mongolia has more livestock
than people with over 25 million heads of livestock. Mongolia became the
second nation in the world to become communist, after the USSR, when the
USSR participated in the Mongolian revolution of 1921.
The People
The population of Mongolia is about 90% native Mongols, that 90% in a
combination of two main groups called the Khalkhas (75%), the Oirats (15%),
and several smaller tribes. The rest of the population is made up of a
mixture of nationalities from neighboring countries with the Kazakhs being
the largest minority. The Mongolian population has been on a rapid increase
over the last few decades causing more than half the countries population to
be under the age of 15.
The main religion practiced within Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism which has
had a great revival with the onset of democracy and the freedom once again
to practice religion. During the communist reign religion was strictly
forbidden and was nearly eliminated in the years between 1937 and 1939
during a Soviet crackdown. The new Mongolia has declared Buddhism to be the
national religion although other religions are permitted.
The economy in the area is slowly improving although heavy losses in
livestock, due to worse than average winters and pressure from Russia has
slowed the progress of a free-market economy. However with help from
neighboring countries through trade and aid Mongolia is becoming a much more
economically healthy despite the cutoff of Russian subsidies, oil shipments,
and the constant threat of overdue debt.
The Government
As stated before Mongolia has renounced communism and has moved to free
elections. The new Mongolian constitution created the People's Great
Hural, which is similar to the U.S. congress, and it created the leading
post of Prime Minister, again similar to the U.S. president.
TIME LINE
(sorry, it didn't copy)
MONGOL QUIZ
1. Mongols lived in a:
a. Yurt (answer)
b. House
c. Shack
2. Mongol women:
a. Fought in wars
b. Sat around all day
c. Did work or chores (answer)
3. Most Mongols warriors fought on:
a. Camels
b. Horses (answer)
c. Elephants
4. Mongol clothing was:
a. T-shirts and shorts
b. A del (answer)
c. Leather clothing
5. Mongols didn‚t do:
a. Grow crops (answer)
b. Eat meat
c. Fight
6. Mongol children learned how to ride a horse at the age of:
a. Five (answer)
b. Fifteen
c. Eighteen
7. A Mongol child‚s pet was often:
a. Horse
b. Goats
c. Dogs (answer)
8. Genghis Khan was:
a. A murder
b. A great leader (answer)
c. A traitor
9. Mongols at one point didn‚t know how to make:
a. Siege weapons (answer)
b. Bows and arrows
c. Swords
10. Mongols often made up:
a. Stories (answer)
b. Games
c. Imaginary friends
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Omniglot A Guide to Writing Systems, www.omniglot.com/writing/mongolian.htm
The Mongols, Robert Nicholson, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 1992, 32pp
Mongolia Vanishing Cultures, Jan Reynolds Harcourt Bracing Company, 1994,
28pp
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