Mongol conquests

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Mongol conquests

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The Mongol conquests established the largest contiguous empire in history across Eurasia.

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Origins & Early Life

The Mongol conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating the largest contiguous empire in history, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered a significant portion of Eurasia. At its height, it stretched from the Pacific to Central Europe. As the Mongol Empire began to fragment from 1260, conflict between the Mongols and Eastern European polities continued for centuries. Mongols continued to rule China into the 14th century under the Yuan dynasty, while Mongol rule in Persia persisted into the 15th century under the Timurid Empire. In the Indian subcontinent, the later Mughal Empire survived into the 19th century.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The predecessors of the Mongol tribe were first recorded in the late tenth century, as they migrated from eastern Manchuria into the Mongolian Plateau, where they settled southeast of Lake Baikal near the mountain Burkhan Khaldun. During the twelfth century, the Mongols rose to prominence as its khans made allies and led raids on the Chinese Jin dynasty. The killing of the khans Qutula and Ambaghai in the 1160s ended this first confederation. The Mongols were reduced to comparative penury; other tribes, such as the Naimans in the west of the plateau and Kerait in the centre, became much more powerful, while the Mongols competed with smaller tribes like the Merkit and the Tatars, the allies of the Jin, in the east and north. One nephew of Qutula Khan, named Yesugei, had some success fighting against the Tatars, and was a great friend of Toghrul, the khan of the Kerait.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With his wife Hö'elün, whom he had abducted from her previous Merkit husband, Yesugei had several children, including a boy named Temüjin (the future Genghis Khan) who was born c. 1162. Yesugei was poisoned by Tatars when Temüjin was still young and Hö'elün's family were abandoned by their tribe on the steppe. They survived the hostility of other tribes and the dangers of the steppe itself, while Temüjin killed his older half-brother to secure his familial position. As an adult, Temüjin formed alliances with Toghrul of the Kerait and an old friend named Jamukha who was now leader of his own tribe; they worked together to retrieve Temüjin's newlywed wife Börte, who had been kidnapped by Merkit raiders in retaliation for Hö'elün's abduction. The victory over the Merkit brought Temüjin prestige and a considerable following; although he and Jamuqa initially remained close, their individual ambitions soon conflicted and turned hostile.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1206: 1206 Milestone — The Mongol conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating the largest contiguous empire in history, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered a significant portion of Eurasia.
2. 1260: 1260 Milestone — As the Mongol Empire began to fragment from 1260, conflict between the Mongols and Eastern European polities continued for centuries.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Mongol conquests

True or False: “The Mongol Empire's peak extent was limited only to Asia and did not reach Central Europe.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): At its height, the Mongol Empire stretched from the Pacific all the way to Central Europe.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Béla IV of Hungary — Historical peer (Born in 1206) (1206): King of Hungary and Croatia, known for rebuilding the state after Mongol devastation.
• Ismail al-Jazari — Historical peer (Died in 1206) (1206): Pioneering polymath, inventor, and mechanical engineer from the Islamic Golden Age.
• Charles VI of France — Historical peer (Born in 1368) (1368): King of France, known for his reign from 1380 to 1422, plagued by mental illness.
• Emperor Go-Murakami — Historical peer (Died in 1368) (1368): 97th Emperor of Japan, reigning during the turbulent Nanboku-chō period.
• Meister Eckhart — Historical peer (Born in 1260) (1260): A pivotal German mystic, theologian, and philosopher of the High Middle Ages.
• Władysław I Łokietek — Historical peer (Born in 1260) (1260): Piast dynasty ruler who was King of Poland from 1320 to 1333.
• Fujiwara no Teika — Historical peer (Born in 1162) (1162): Master poet and literary critic of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods.
• Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona — Historical peer (Died in 1162) (1162): Count of Barcelona who formed the powerful Crown of Aragon.

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