The role of women Mongol women had power, influence and considerable freedom because they managed daily life in the camp. Their tasks are listed in the following table.
Tasks of Mongol women Herding and milking all the livestock Making cheese, yoghurt and butter Packing the yurt Making felt by soaking and beating sheep fleece for winter insulation of the yurt Raising the children Cooking and sewing animal skins into warm winter clothing
Marriage ties were very important to Mongol tribal organisation. Marriages were arranged through discussion with clan leaders and were regarded as an important step into adulthood. Men were permitted to have many wives. Once married, a woman was responsible for her own yurt. The location of the yurt, in relation to the man’s yurt, indicated seniority among the women. The first married wife placed her yurt to the east of her husband’s and subsequent wives placed their yurts to the west. If the husband died, it was expected that the youngest son or brother would take care of the widow. Married women had particular status in Mongol society and were identified by elaborate headdresses.
SOURCE4 An extract from a first-hand report written by European Giovanni da Pian del Carpini, who visited the Mongols between 1245 and 1247 at Pope Innocent IV’s command
Girls and women ride and gallop as skillfully as men. We even saw them carrying quivers and bows, and the women can ride horses for as long as the men; they have shorter stirrups, handle horses very well, and mind all the property. The Tartar (commonly used term for Mongols) women make everything: skin clothes, shoes, leggings, and everything made of leather. They drive carts and repair them, they load camels, and are quick and vigorous in all their tasks. They all wear trousers, and some of them shoot just like men.
SkillBuilder discussion Using historical sources
1. How does Giovanni da Pian del Carpini’s description of Mongol women challenge the traditional gender roles of the time? 2. What skills and tasks did Mongol women perform that were typically associated with men in other contemporary societies? 3. In what ways did the skills and responsibilities of Mongol women contribute to the overall mobility and effectiveness of Mongol society and military campaigns? Hunters and horses Horses were the Mongols’ most treasured asset. The herders and hunters of Mongolia spent their lives in the saddle. From childhood they were taught to hunt on horseback. This outdoor life gave the Mongols independence and mobility. Traditional hunting expeditions, called the nerge , also provided military training. By riding in a vast circular formation, Mongol riders gradually forced wild game such as deer and boars into a corral (enclosure). The hunt required great teamwork, skill and endurance. Mongol warriors were known to ride for days without rest, surviving on dried milk curd and the blood drawn from an incision into the veins on their horse’s neck. The life that the Mongol nomads knew from birth created powerful warriors.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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