Aim : How did the Mongols create and rule their empire?

1. Thursday – February 9, 2012 Mr. Lombardi Aim: How did the Mongols create and rule their empire? • Do Now: Complete the following: • Describe your own personality. • Do you think you would be able to lead an entire empire? Why or why not? • Describe the personality of someone who would make a good/strong leader. MrLombardi22@aol.com

2. H.W. #4 • The Mongol Empire: • Read the handout; highlight all important parts. • Complete the vocabulary based on your reading. • Complete the graphic organizer. • Answer questions 1-3 in full sentences. • Due: tomorrow, February 10

3. The steppes from which the Mongolians originate are a treeless green pasture, not suitable for agriculture. Mongolia is one of the highest countries in the world, with an average elevation of 1,580m (5,180ft). Its highest mountains are in the far west. Between the peaks are stark deserts where rain almost never falls. The Gobi Desert dominates the southern third of Mongolia. Although barren looking, it has enough grass to support scattered herds of sheep, goats and camels. Much of the rest of Mongolia is grassland, home to Mongolia's famed takhi horses, which Genghis Khan used so successfully in his wars of conquest. Mongolia's climate is extreme. Long sub-arctic winters are the norm and you can see snow in the Gobi Desert as late as April; some lakes remain frozen until June. There's a short rainy season from mid-July to September, but showers tend to be brief and gentle. In Ulaan Baatar, the winter (October to April) is long and cold, with temperatures dropping to -22F in January and February. Horrific dust storms kick up during the short spring (May to June). The Mongols adapted to their environment by maintaining a nomadic existence.

4. 1a. Describe the environment the Mongols had to overcome. • 1b. How would this harsh terrain make the Mongols better warriors?

5. Genghis Khan “If you do not pay homage (respect), we will take your property.If you do not have property, we will take your children.If you do not have children, we will take your wife. If you do not have a wife, we will take your head.” – G.K.

6. Genghis Khan “Man’s highest joy is in victory: to conquer one’s enemies, to pursue them, to deprive them of their possessions to make their beloved weep, to ride on their horses, and to embrace their wives and daughters.” – G.K.

7. 2. What do these quotes tell you about the leadership of Genghis Khan? • “If you do not pay homage (respect), we will take your property.If you do not have property, we will take your children.If you do not have children, we will take your wife. If you do not have a wife, we will take your head.” • “Man’s highest joy is in victory: to conquer one’s enemies, to pursue them, to deprive them of their possessions to make their beloved weep, to ride on their horses, and to embrace their wives and daughters.”

9. Summary • How did the Mongols create and rule their empire? • How can we compare and contrast the Mongol Empire to the Roman Empire? • Which two continents did the Mongols have control over?

10. Mongol Empire (1216 – 1400) • Location: • The largest empire that ever stretched across Asia and Eastern Europe. It was approximately one million square miles.

11. Mongol Empire (1216 – 1400) • Mongols’ Method of Governing: • Conquered people were forced to pay tribute to the Mongols, but were otherwise allowed to keep their culture and lifestyle. • Mongol rulers in China allowed freedom of worship for all. This reduced the threat of rebellion by conquered peoples. • Mongol rulers encouraged intermarriage with conquered people. This made the Mongols seem less like barbarians and more like fellow citizens.