Part 79

Learn about the founding of the Mongolian Empire under Genghis Khan in Civilization V, its vast conquests, and its eventual fall.

The harsh climate of Mongolia, with short, hot summers and long, frigid winters featuring devastating blizzards (zud), historically challenged nomadic tribes. These tribes, adept farmers and huntsmen, were skilled horsemen and archers, often forming short-lived confederations like the Xiongnu alliance in 209 BC, which threatened the Qin Dynasty enough to prompt the construction of the Great Wall of China.

A pivotal moment occurred when a young chieftain named Temujin defeated a Merkit tribe. His discipline, forbidding looting and raping, impressed other chieftains, who granted him the title of Khan. After a military campaign from 1203-1205 AD, Temujin eliminated family rivals and united all Mongol tribes. In 1206 AD, he assumed the title "Genghis Khan," marking the official birth of the Mongolian Empire.

Genghis Khan maintained his empire through strict civil discipline and order, establishing the Yassa code. This code imposed harsh penalties (usually death) for disobedience, guaranteed religious freedom, forbade vandalism, and selected government officials based on merit. Despite its size, the empire was well-run and safe for those who followed the rules; cities that defied the Khan's decrees were systematically destroyed.

Extensive trade routes were established, facilitating safe passage from Europe to China. An efficient mail system called the Yam was instituted, later influencing the US's Pony Express. Roads were built, fair taxes were levied, and written language was taught. Life was good for those who obeyed the Khanate.

The powerful Mongolian horse archers and efficient government led to widespread conquests. At Genghis Khan's death in 1227 AD, the Mongolian Empire spanned from the Pacific to the Caspian Sea, twice the size of the Roman Empire at its height. His successors continued conquests for four decades.

By 1258 AD, Mongolian armies captured Baghdad, opening the way to Syria and Europe. Expeditions reached Ukraine and Poland. European nations sent treaties and letters, seeking peaceful alliances.

The empire's expansion was halted when Hulegu, a general and Kublai Khan's son, withdrew to Iran due to a death in the reigning Khan's family. Syria and western territories were lost. Hulegu and his cousin Berke then fought over suspicious deaths, weakening the internal armies. Kublai Khan quelled uprisings and resumed outward expansion, but the empire's solidarity was weakened, laying the foundation for its fall.

Internal struggles continued for a century. With the death of the Khan in 1335 AD, Persia fell into anarchy. The Black Death killed many officials, cut off commercial ties, and decimated the populace, leading to widespread chaos.

Western provinces fell, followed by the loss of China in 1368 AD. The remaining Mongols fled to their homeland, breaking into smaller tribes. In thirty years, the empire was reduced to rubble. For the next three centuries, the Mongols dwindled in power, returning to tribal ways, with the last Khan dying in 1634 AD. In 1691 AD, the area became part of Chinese rule, remaining so until 1911.