since prehistory humans have learned that living in groups ensured higher levels of security and better odds of surviving against the dangers of nature large villages were built to lodge an ever-increasing number of people as the ages passed the villages turned into prosperous and bustling cities to protect the cities giant walls were built around them the citizens could carry on with their lives without any concern humanity kept evolving towards more civilized and organized societies there were still people in the world who maintained a nomadic lifestyle preferring the freedom to switch from one region to another instead
of establishing in one specific place the distant plains of mongolia were home to many nomadic tribes who still kept that simple way of life surviving on wild animal hunting and goat and sheep farming since farm animals needed food constantly there was a need to always be in search of new pastures for that reason the mongols did not have established houses the solution was to create camps capable of being disassembled and taken in wooden wagons allowing an entire tribe to travel together with the herd to more fertile places life was not easy under those conditions one
family needed to share a tight space inside huts called yurts built with a wooden structure and covered by a tent of felt or wool some larger tribes even occupied large portions of land with their huts creating a prominent amid the hills the tribes were commanded by tribal chiefs known as khans responsible for deciding political and military matters to help them travel long distances the nomadic tribes specialized in the domestication of wild horses despite their short stature mongolian horses are very hardy and capable of running at high speed making them a crucial resource in that environment
horses were so important that the wealth of a tribal chief was measured by how many animals he kept the mongolian plains are hit by strong winds and the days are almost always cold but with the arrival of winter the living conditions became really difficult those planes were also filled with groups of thieves and renegades who attacked the flocks to steal animals they even invaded smaller camps in search of valuables or to kidnap women the constant need for land for the herds incited rivalries between the mongolian tribes who often solved their differences with brutal fighting other
nomadic peoples like the tartars also made violent incursions against the mongolian camps for the mongols life was filled with challenges and uncertainty to the powerful chinese kingdoms the mongols were nothing more than pure savages who attacked caravans and small border villages but were never seen as a real threat for centuries the chinese dynasties tried to keep the tribes of mongolia fighting each other paying cash or goods to hire and bribe the local leaders this ensured that they remained rivals the jin dynasty greatly hindered the development of the mongols since the borders were always threatened by
the expansion of tribes the mongols seemed destined to live in mediocrity and forever in the shadow of stronger kingdoms but in 1206 a man named temujin used his fierce determination to win the right to be called the genghis khan which can be translated as the great khan genghis khan launched a campaign to unify the tribes those who refused to join him were put to the sword gathering a large number of warriors genghis khan marched towards the proud chinese cities at that time china was not a unified kingdom it was divided by three great dynasties the
tango dynasty controlled the northern portion of chinese territory the jin dynasty was located in the northeast while the song dynasty dominated the southern part of china the tangouts were the first target of the mongols their territory was closer to mongolia and not all their cities had walls the mongols had no siege weapons and did not know the technology to build them which made the walled cities extremely difficult targets to attack but the mongols had an advantage time they surrounded the cities and set up their traditional camps just as they did for many generations chinese citizens
no longer could go out to look after the crops or get any other source of food the mongols on the other hand had their flocks to ensure their livelihood sending soldiers to fight the mongols in the open was a fruitless effort for many centuries the mongols lived riding and hunting in the plains those skills made them excellent knights and archers the mongols used a type of bow that was reinforced with animal horns and tendons this allowed the bow to shoot arrows from a long distance with amazing power and accuracy the compact size of the bows
also allowed agile handling even during a full speed gallop when quarreling the mongols always sought to keep their distance while punishing their enemies with a massive reign of deadly arrows the mongols highly valued military intelligence and were ambushing experts one of the strategies most used by the mongol warriors was to pretend to be retreating when attacked by large infantry or heavy cavalry when enemy troops began to show fatigue from the chase they were surprised by the quick maneuvers of the mongols the mongols managed to control their horses using only their knees leaving their hands free
to handle weapons this strategy allowed the mongols to defeat more numerous and better equipped armies but if it were necessary to fight closer combat the mongolian warriors could fight with great ferocity the mongol archers were known as mangudai they were trained from childhood to fight these men spent so much time riding their horses that many developed problems with their leg joints for the mongols no matter whether it would take weeks or months the besieged cities would starve and be forced to surrender the mongols transformed the precious city walls into great traps to be used against
civilized peoples nevertheless the waiting always irritated the powerful genghis khan he went on to completely shatter the cities that would not agree to submit to his army maybe because they were subjected to a difficult and hostile life or out of contempt for civilized peoples the mongols showed no mercy to their enemies taking prisoners was seen as something useless by the mongols they had no prisons it would have to feed more people it was an unnecessary problem it is estimated that about 30 million people lost their lives during the mongol invasions in china cities were plundered
and reduced to ashes leaving a trail a devastation everywhere mongol cruelty was not just savagery it was a form a psychological terror against their enemies after all if the population of an entire city was decimated for resisting an attack in all likelihood the next city would end up encountering the same bitter fate and would surrender without putting up a fight but the mongols were also practical and they knew how to adapt quickly they always tried to keep alive the chinese noblemen and those with useful skills such as carpenters cartographers blacksmiths and cooks and with the
help of chinese engineers the mongols built siege weapons which made the process of conquering cities faster even the great city of beijing with its 12 meter high wall failed to withstand the siege of the mongols the success of genghis khan's achievements brought even more warriors to join the army the mongols occupied a huge share of land with their camps some chinese cities were spared as long as they accepted to pay a monthly tribute to the mongols the tribute was paid in gold and silver high quality wood and precious silk rolls the mongols quickly began to
adopt and adapt new customs and technologies such as the manufacture of high quality weaponry and armor so clothing and jewelry even the horses used by the elite mongolian warriors became equipped with iron-plated armor by the year 1215 the mongols already controlled the territories that had once belonged to the tangut and jin dynasties the song dynasty was the one left which thanks to its incredibly large army managed to defend its borders against the mongols under genghis khan the mongols accumulated great wealth and fertile territories starting one of the greatest empires in history in 1218 the mongols
ruled the conquered territories in china with an iron fist the chinese had paid a high price for underestimating the step barbarians now they were forced to collaborate and obey their new sovereigns the mongols didn't give much value to coins or precious metals they soon realized that it would be a waste to accumulate such things with the help of chinese experts the mongols learned that trade was the best way to make a kingdom prosper genghis khan decided to make use of a large number of plundered coins and started sending emissaries to distant kingdoms like korea india
and persia the intention was to establish trade routes with other kingdoms while attacking the song dynasty constantly but one serious diplomatic issue changed the course of history forever persia was run by a muslim empire called khawarazam the mongolian emissaries who were sent to seek trade deals with the coruscant were accused of being spies and executed such an offense could not go without an answer the mongol set out to confront the brave muslim armies in command of two hundred thousand warriors jenga's khan advanced against large persian cities the kwarazam had great armies with brave and well-trained
knights but even that wasn't enough to defeat the mongols who were fighting like angry wolves the cities of samarkan and bukhara were besieged and shattered by the mongols the destruction was so massive that not even the animals were spared millions of human lies perished during the mongol invasions in persia in 1220 the korazam empire was extinct and the world knew it would never underestimate the mongols again the mongols had already learned about the benefits of adding different types of soldiers to their ranks and because of this many muslim warriors were allowed to join the mongolian
army the gigantic mongolian army had people of different ethnicities and cultures mongols chinese and arabs lived side by side in the camps this had many benefits for the development of new ties between these peoples the mongols were incredibly tolerant of the religious and spiritual beliefs of other peoples allowing cults and rituals of all kinds in their camps and cities the religion of the mongols is known as tangrism it's based on the belief of a supreme deity called tangri which would be heaven itself above all things on earth tangerism incorporates shamanic elements and ancestor worship however
over time it has also come to include elements of tibetan buddhism with the capture of the persian territories the mongols had under their rule much of the famous silk road the silk road connected the commerce of several countries being used by caravans from more distant and exotic lands it is where the most valuable goods of the time passed through the mongols did not forgive thieves they kept relentlessly going after those who dared to commit crimes in their territories because of this the silk road became safe for travelers and merchants which popularized the term pax mongolica
mongol peace to control such a source of wealth was decisive for the emerging mongol empire with this pretext the mongols set out for europe where they began to conquer lands in russia and ukraine nothing seemed capable of stopping the events of the mongol armies commanded by generals with authority to decide when to attack or retreat the mongols divided their forces and attacked multiple targets at the same time preventing the enemies to be reinforced but in 1227 the great leader genghis khan passed away abruptly his death brought a wave of uncertainty among the mongols many leaders
and generals believed themselves worthy of taking the title of khan of the khans the successor of genghis khan was his third son olga day responsible for continuing the expansion of the mongol empire the other sons and grandsons of genghis khan were given command of territories that would become known as khanaids as was expected of a son of genghis khan ogde proved to be a strong leader under his command the mongols completed the conquest of northern china and completely dominated korea ogiday managed to enter the territory of the powerful song dynasty that started a war that
would last 40 years for the control of southern china following the model of divide and conquer the mongols continued to advance towards europe the mongols had the leadership of one of the greatest generals and military strategists in history subutai he had served zhang's khan and now sir ogade khan sugutai was a man of simple origins but thanks to his achievements on the battlefield he managed to rise to the rank of great general of the mongolian nation and is said to be even a personal friend of genghis khan supatai lived up to his reputation together with
other generals of the mongolian army he led an evasion against russia that in itself would be an act of courage given the vastness of russian territory and its history of having brutal warriors basubutai was not a common general and neither were his tactics subatai invaded russia in the middle of winter progressing with his troops and temperatures below zero the achievement was only possible thanks to the outstanding resilience of the mongol warriors the russians fought bravely but were unable to stop the mongolian war machine in 1240 the great city akiev was taken and plundered poland hungary
and romania were the next kingdoms to fall not even the european knights veterans of the crusades could answer the mongol archers the other european countries were already preparing for the inevitable invasion desperately trying to send emissaries to negotiate with the mongol leaders but the mongol empire suffered another unexpected blow in 1241 okade khan passed away due to alcoholism as the mongolian customs dictated all the leaders of the nation had to gather to elect a new sovereign this spared the rest of europe from being annexed by the mongol empire the election was presided over in the
capital of the mongol empire the city akarakorum which had been built in mongolia the death of olgadei revealed the ambition of many nobles in mongolian society in the following years there was an intense succession of leaders who fought for the title a great khan that field armed conflicts among the mongols the great mongol empire was already showing its first signs of instability years went by and disagreements among the noble mongols continued to weaken the empire then one of jenga's khan's grandchildren the famous kublai defeated his younger brother's troops and claimed the title of the supreme
leader of the mongolian nation the empire was divided into four major khanates in 1271 the yuan dynasty was founded by kublai khan and commanded the territories of china and korea chagatai the second son of genghis khan founded his empire in northern afghanistan which was called chagatai khanate the golden horde khanate controlled much of russia and hungary and was founded by batu khan the ilkanet was centered in persia and was commanded by hula gu khan conquered the last chinese territories that resisted mongolian domination he became the first foreign emperor to rule all of china as a
child kublai was educated under the customs of the chinese court soon he became an educated man and enjoyed the luxury of civilized life which was seen as a weakness by many traditionalist mongol leaders kublai khan's government was plagued by riots and political conspiracies his territorial administration was not having good results and uprisings frequently broke out at different points in the empire in an attempt to fortify his position as leader of a warrior nation kublai wanted to conquer new territories turning his attention to japan compared to the mongol empire japan was a small and poor country
it looked like an easy target to conquer using chinese boats the mongols assembled a large fleet and set sail for the japanese coast but they did not expect a sudden weather change a strong typhoon hit the japanese sea and the mongolian squadron was shattered their boats capsized or crashed into each other causing the death of thousands of warriors in the turbulent waters the japanese baptized those strong winds of kamikaze the divine wind they considered that only divine intervention could protect japan from being slayed by the mongols in 1281 the mongols crossed the sea yet again
to attack japan this time however the japanese navy was prepared and managed to block their progress the few mongol ships that arrived on japanese beaches did not have enough warriors to defeat the samurai inspired by the need to defend their land they fought with brutal determination kublai's reign suffered a major hit after disastrous attacks against japan slowly the mongol empire began to crumble the lack of an organized leadership opened space for revolts and the emergence of new kingdoms which started to expel the mongols from their old lands the mongol empire officially lasted until 1368 when
it finally dissolved most mongols returned to their homeland as nomads even nowadays there are still many people who lead a simple life in the mongolian steps but their stories will always keep alive the pride of their ancestors preserving the legacy of having one day covered the sun with their arrows and made the earth tremble under the hooves of their horses you
