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20 - The Mongol Empire and inter-civilizational exchange

from Part V - State formations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

By
Michal Biran
Edited by
Benjamin Z. Kedar  and
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
Benjamin Z. Kedar
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
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Summary

The nomadic Mongols embarked upon an unprecedented mobilization of peoples, goods and ideas to forge the largest contiguous empire the world has known. This chapter focuses on the Mongols' promotion of cultural, religious and economic exchange. It also discusses the legacy that they bequeathed to future empires and the Mongols' imperial enterprise. The basis for supra-tribal unity in Mongolia was the legacy of the prior steppe empires, most notably the Turks, as these polities bequeathed a religio-political ideology and templates for military organization. The immense size of the Mongol Empire encouraged cross-cultural ties both within and beyond its borders, as no polity had hitherto commanded such a large portion of Eurasia's talent pool. The Mongols cultivated economic ties that extended well beyond the empire's borders. The Chinggisids' bequeathed a different institutional legacy to each of the various civilizations that they encountered.
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge World History , pp. 534 - 558
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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