Neh: Central Asia in World History 7-19-2016

NEH: Central Asia in World History 7-19-2016

Tim May

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  Mongols part 2
  
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    Chinggis not Genghis! Why? Temidjun took title Chinggis which means firm resolute, etc. not oceanic conqueror, in 1204
    
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    So Mongols spell it as a script Letter looks like a 4:, the Arabs have a similar looking letter 7: that has similar sounds but not really, the Egyptians don’t have that letter or sound so the closest is a jjj sound, the French are in Egypt and spell it with G, and Americans like their hard Gs…
    

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  Unifies Mongolia in 1206
  
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    Chinggis rules differently than others in the past, mostly because of the hardships he survived when his Khan father is murdered. He is more egalitarian than tradition called for
    
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    Everything is organized by units of 1,000. Military units, and the households that support them.
    
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    Kills those disloyal and those that harm the unit but not those who want to leave in times of rest or peace.
    
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    Ruling classes of Mongol groups face most change
    
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    Everyone is a Mongol, so may keep same tribal name but you are a Mongol first. Talent and loyalty are key and most important.
    
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    What you know gets you Chinggis notice then that power tends to be focused on inheritance by children.
    
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    Unifies Mongol script based on Uighur system (L to R, horizontal) to Mongol script (T to B, vertical)
    

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  Mongol Expansion
  
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    Expansion by vengeance from enemies
    
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    Xi Xia 1^st big takeover – still questionable
    
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    Jin Empire (Remember Chinggis was a vassal to Jin Empire and fought the Tartars for them)
    
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    As Chinggis takes over these places, he signs a treaty, establishes rule, then goes back to Mongolia.
    
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    Jin do not give up, keep resisting, Jin moves Capital and Chinggis feels that this might indicate the Jin are up to something so back he goes and attacks for conquest again, no more negotiated treaties.
    
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    Reactions to Muslims: Many say Chinggis persecuted them – but it was more that the Muslims weren’t paying taxes and causing problems with non-Muslims so Chinggis says “practice your religion but keep it to yourself”
    

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  Khwarazmian Empire – Central Asia along Silk trade routes.
  
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    Khwarazmians believe that a Mongol caravan is really a spying expedition, so they are all killed but one, who wasn’t spared, he just wasn’t there.
    
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    Word gets back to Chinggis who stops his campaign against the Jin and demands a meeting – he wants the caravan contents back – virtually a treasure. He had invested a ton of $. K people at caravan sari don’t have it anymore, and the ring leader is the leader’s relative. Awkward…
    
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    Ringleader won’t give up treasure, when Chinggis gets him, and you know he does, he melts part of treasure down and fills ringleader up with molten silver so he will always have his treasure.
    
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    Still no negotiations so he moves on to Otrar, 1219. This is famous speech I am the Scourge of the Earth… drops the Mic and attacks… Bukhara
    

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  Return to Xi Xia
  
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    Out riding, thrown form horse, suffers internal injuries
    
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    Keep fighting – come to my tent and tell me that the Tanget are no more but don’t tell the troops that I ma dead.
    
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    It goes just like he says…
    

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  Look at map! Conquered more than any other single person.
  
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    But it will get bigger
    

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  4 sons
  
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    Jochi, oldest but not biological (Börte’s Rape)
    
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      Goes to what is close to Kazakhstan
      
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    Chagatai (2^nd son)
    
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      Central Asia
      

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  Ogodei (3^rd son)
  

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  Drunkard and called out for it – so he says he will cut his cups in half and he does, but he uses bigger cups.
  
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  Great military leader and called that by father so this carry’s great weight.
  
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    Campaigns:
    
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      Jin Empire 12-30-1234
      
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      Chormaqan 1230-1340
      
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      Western Campaign 1235-1241
      
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        Problems: Hungary: rainy weather, all the bad things add up to defeat. When the animals start to die, it is dire.
        
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        Large sections of Hungary and Poland killed off, peasants kept alive while Mongols there but when they leave to go back to Mongolia, they kill the peasants too so there is now an unpopulated void or buffer between them and the West
        
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      Establishes capitol in Mongolia, large sedentary group of people and now moves more people there when drought hits now animals and people start dying.
      
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  Achievement’s:
  
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    Yam – Postal service
    
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    Administration
    
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    Yosa (tradition) and Yasa (law) Doesn’t apply these to conquered people immediately because that just builds resentment, etc. So everywhere Ogodei went, life for Joe Nomad or John Public doesn’t change that much.
    
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    Yasa, no evidence of a written, codified Yasa – was it just oral tradition? No Mongol Archives
    
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    There are individual decrees, etc.
    
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    Qaraqorum & trade: Crowning achievement. Today, it is Er deizu a sacred site and monastery so we can’t explore and excavate. Great land for pasture, water, etc. Used Q as office leaders nomadized 1-2 days away. Q was marketplace, a corner for each set of goods like horses, all loot sored and divvied up, very diverse, invites merchants and they come even though it si off the silk road path – he pays the merchants double to get them there.
    

Why? Wants to get people there, build reputation, build market, etc.

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  Ogodei dies and wife, Toregene, becomes regent, 1241-1246.
  
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    Her enemies remark on cunning shrewd, brilliant and also remark that she is not that attractive.
    
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    Princes have no problem with this.
    
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    Restructures some administration aspects.
    
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    New administrators – not the smartest but great at raising money and sharing that wealth with the Princes
    
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    She is in charge of selecting new Khan but she takes her time
    
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      Guyuk, 1246-1248 – re-establishes administration – in bad health as second brother, dies
      
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  Oghul Qaimish, Guyuk’s wife, a hot mess, regent but she is not interested and her 2 sons set up own govt. so there are 3 govt. and no one knows what to do or who to listen to. Oghul also changes administration and surrounds herself with cronies.
  
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  Tolui (4^th son)
  
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    Also great general but he falls in line under Ogodei
    
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    Leads attacks against Jin and killed in battle
    
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      Tolui’s wife Sol and 4 great sons: Mongke, Kublei
      
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      Toluid Revolution Mongke Khan 1250-1259
      
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        She deals with families in 4 different ways:
        
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          Toluids: promoted
          
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          Jochids: supporters
          
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            Pay taxes, tribute, left alone, status of Batu
            

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  Chghatayids: purged but keeps a few around for loyalty
  
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  Oghulids: purged
  
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    Wife on trial, stripped naked, only the khan ahs seen this body and you are no khan, sown up in a seamless bag and thrown in river, no blood, river flowing water keeps evil away…
    

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  Mongke Khan
  
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    State of Empire in 1250 is a mess, 3 set tups , none of which worked
    
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    Administration: centralization efforts, destroys passports, and id cards” to issue new ones, keep better track of who and what and increase efficiency.
    

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  Strict, harsh, swift
  
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    Middle East (Hulegu leads expansion)
    
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      Nizari Ismailis (Assassins) Muslim Shi’as
      
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      Abbasid Caliphate – take over despite dire warnings, sacks Baghdad, divide cities into 10s, some killed, but artisans and people with skills were saved, encouraged, and sometimes relocated. Population significantly lowered and city becomes regionalized, no longer wealthy capital, but still important with libraries, education, etc.
      
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      Mongols don’t leave ruin, they rebuild and encourage cities to flourish, usually.
      
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      No one is worried about over extending empire. Mongols can raise 1million nomadic horsemen and even more sedentary potential soldier. Military service compulsory for nomads. FYI, service for nomads didn’t happen to family group at same time. Men and women could competently work each other’s traditional roles “Shifting Duties” still patriarchal society.
      
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      “legislative” meetings called for short periods of time, for specific purposes, not democratic, nomadic leaders could only stay together as long as pasture land held out.
      
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      Ayyubids in Syria
      
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      Crusader kingdoms?
      
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      Youngest brother in capital Ariq Boke
      
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      Mongke dies 1259
      
      • 
        Who is regent? Who is in charge?
        

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  Qubilai in Song Empire
  
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    Civil War 1260-65
    
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    Arik Boke should have called for decision for Khan
    
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    Qubilai interrupts all kinds of proceedings, including return of Mongke’s body
    
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    Three vie for power: Hulegu, Arik Boke, Qubulai, Hulegu out, now just the 2 and finally seizes Qaraqirum and Arik Boke by siege (900 cart loads of food arrive a day from china with food since Qubulai is in China, he cuts off supply. Arik dies of natural causes and Qubulai wins
    
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    War shifts to C. Asia against Qaida (Grandson of Ogodei)
    
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    Qaidu dies in 1301
    
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    Qubuali mores capital to Daidu (Khanbaliq)
    
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    Changhatayid Khanate divided
    
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    Qubilai builds Shangdu aka Zanadu (Coleridge’s Poem) 100 miles north of Modern Beijing
    
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    Meanwhile, Jochids are still fighting the Ilkhanates because they were supposed to get the Iranian area 1262 -1335 all-out war for 90 years over…
    
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      Azerbaijan
      

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  4 Khanates:
  
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    Golden Horde is really Jochi’s Khanate and sort of Khanate of Persia
    
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    Chagatayid Khanate (Central Assia)
    
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    Khanate of the Great Khan (Qubulai’s Khanate)
    
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    Ogodei followers still around but no official khanate
    

L. Waligora, 2016