10.6.3 Conquering the world Mongol military campaigns were well planned. They learned new battle strategies from their enemies, such as siege machines and gunpowder from the Chinese and Persians. They used catapults and smoke grenades in battles. People in the path of the Mongol army had to choose: surrender and live, or resist and die. If a city rebelled after surrendering, the population was killed and the city was destroyed. The Mongols used terror as a weapon, spreading stories of their conquests to frighten others into surrendering. Genghis Khan began his invasion of China by attacking the Jin people in northern China and Manchuria. In 1213, the Mongol armies broke through the Great Wall of China and conquered the Jin capital city of Yanjing within two years. So many people were killed in northern China that it was said white hills made of bones appeared.
SOURCE3 Mongols used more than just their advanced horseback tactics. They laid siege to larger cities with up to 300 000 warriors across their empire and used complex devices such as the trebuchet, shown in this depiction of a thirteenth-century attack.
SkillBuilder discussion Historical significance The trebuchet was an important innovation in weaponry to the Mongols. Discuss the significance of this innovation to Mongol expansion. The empire after Temujin In 1227, Genghis Khan died within eight days of leaving for a campaign in China. His cause of death is unknown, and his son Ögedei became khagan (‘great khan’) in his place. He continued to conquer new lands but brought far more stability to the regions his father had invaded. 10.6.4
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator