Mongol+Compare+and+Contrast

__Nomadic Tribes Before Genghis Khan: (414-415)__
The Mongols were always a nomadic society

They valued their herds of goats and sheep which was their main food source. They traded with the people they encountered along their roaming the few things that they did not produce.

Their basic unit was their tribe and relatives who herded and lived together. Within these clans there was a need for a strong leader, who would step forth after their father had died. Women had a lot of rights, and were allowed to participate in most aspects of everyday life.

When raided from an outside source the many tribes would form together to defeat the enemy. There were often smaller wars between the tribes.

**__The Rise of the Mongol Empire Under Genghis Khan:__**

 * I**n 1170 future nomadic leader was born. Genghis Khan's father died when he was 15 and he was kidnapped by a rival tribe. He escaped his capture and made ameneds with higher status tribesmen. This way he was able to form loalty and trust with more respected tribesmen and which allowed Genghis Khan to quickly rise to power. He was named Khagan, the surpreme leader, in 1206. From this rise to power Genghis was able to regroup old tribes into military organization. These groupings were called //tumens//. Genghis Khan was able to unite the old family tribes into a large empire and under his rule the Mongol Empire because the largest land empire in the world consisting of 11-12 million square miles, thirty different countries and 3 billion peoples.

__The Division of the Mongol Empire and Genghis Khan's Successors:__
Genghis Khan died in 1227. He had four successors, three sons and one grandson who continued to conquer land. Ogedei was the main Khan and the divided empire ruled separately but all under Ogedei's ultimate rule. The following are his successors and their accomplisments:

__Russian Expansion:__ New Russian campaign led to the division of four territories or //khanates// around the time of Chinggis Khan's death. Under rule of Chinggis Khan's grandson Batu, sections of empire split into; Ilkhan Empire, Golden Horde Empire, Djagatai Empire, and Empire of Kubilai Khan.

__Ogedei:__ -Third son of Chinggis Khan -directed Mongol energies into further campaigns and conquests: Russia, Eastern Europe, Islamic heartlands, and China.

__Batu:__ (//Golden Horde//) -a grandson of Chinggis Khan, and heir of the current khagan (after the death of Jochi, the first heir) -first to conquered Russia in the winter, possible by cavalry (frozen rivers, ground is hard for the horses) -a focus on Moscow -Became the center of tribute collection, had access to trade, regained power from the Mongols in the //Battle of Kulkova// -death of khagan Ogedei, forced Batu to withdraw from Western Europe campaign, in preparation for the struggle of succession.

__Kubilai Khan:__ -grandson of Chinggis Khan -In 1260, assumed title of great khan; later in 1271 changed name of Mongol regime to Chinese dynastic title, the Yuan. -passed many laws to preserve the distinction between Mongol and Chinese; -forbade Chinese to learn Mongol script (need for imperial positions) and inter-marriage. -reestablished civil service exams, created Asian "caste" system (from Mongols, Asian and Muslim nomads, to Chinese) -wife Chabi, influenced Kubilai's political and diplomatic matters, and promoted Buddhist interests in government. -major patron of Chinese arts, and promoter of Chinese culture.

__Hulagu:__ -grandson of Chinggis Khan -ruler of Ilkhan khanates of Mongol Empire -attacked Islamic Heartlands (Chapter 12) with the capture and destruction of Baghdad in 1258. -murder of the Abbasid caliph, one of some 800,000 people reported killed in Mongol retribution for the city's resistance.