The Mongols

Describe three arguments John Green makes for the Mongols being awesome.

-The Mongols really did reinvigorate cross-Eurasian trade. The Silk Road trading routes that had existed for about 1000 years by the time the Mongols made the scene had fallen into disuse, but the Mongols valued trade because they could tax it, and they did a great job of keeping their empire safe. -The Mongols increased communications throughout Eurasia by developing this pony express-like system of way stations with horses and riders that could quickly relay information. It was called the yam system. -Another thing that traveled along the Mongol trade routes was cuisine.

Describe three reasons why the Mongols might not be so great.

-The Mongols were seriously brutal conquerors. The Mongols destroyed entire cities, and most historians estimate the numbers they killed to be in the millions. -Their empire didn't last. Within 80 years they'd left China and been replaced by a new dynasty, the Ming. And in Persia they blended in so completely that by the 15th century they were totally unrecognizable. -They also weren't particularly interested in artistic patronage or architecture.

How did Mongols choose their leader?

A prospective ruler would call a general council called kurultai, and anyone who supported his candidacy for leadership would show up on their horses, literally voting with their feet.

What two innovations does John Green cite as the reasons Temujin won a Mongolian civil war and united Mongol confederations?

First, he promoted people based on merit rather than family position, and second, he brought lower classes of conquered people into his own tribe while dispossessing the leaders of the conquered clan.

What was Genghis Khan's birth name, and around when was he born?

Temüjin and he was born around 1162.

What are some characteristics of Khan's army?

They were built on speed and archery, interrogators, a lot of military power, and rapid communication.