LESSON 10.12 Review 10.12.1
Key knowledge summary Use this dot point summary to review the content covered in this topic. 10.2 How do we know about the Mongol expansion? • There are a number of primary and secondary sources from which historians draw their knowledge of the Mongols of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. • There are official records such as the official history commissioned by the khan, as well as the writings of explorers who visited the Mongol Empire from Europe, such as Marco Polo. • There is a lot of surviving artwork, from calligraphy to paintings, that depict both ordinary life and famous battles. Some of these were painted at the time and some in the centuries after. • There are many artefacts such as jewellery, tools and other everyday objects. 10.3 What was China like before Mongol conquest? • The ruling family before the Mongols were the Song, who ruled from 960 CE. • Under the Song a strong civilian government was built up, leading to a period of peace during which the population grew significantly. • As a result of the peace under the Song, the cities became busy and bustling places, with a lot of trade. • Song cities were built in the shape of a square with strong defensive walls. The houses were grouped together and there was organised rubbish and waste collection. • There were many peasants living traditional agricultural lives, who were bound to the land through farming. • The family was a strong unit, with loyalty to the family coming before loyalty to even the government. • During the Song dynasty, inventions flourished, many of which eventually spread to the Western world, such as gunpowder and printing. • The peace of the Song dynasty opened it to weakness, as their enemies grew stronger through war with other tribes. • Eventually the Jurchen invaded and drove the Song dynasty out of northern China, establishing their dynasty in Beijing and leaving southern China to the Song, until eventually they were defeated by the Mongols. 10.4 Who were the Mongols? • The Mongols were a nomadic tribal people from the cold and barren lands of Mongolia to the north and west of China. • The Mongol region was too cold and dry for crops, so the tribes raised animals, such as herds of cattle, goats, yaks and sheep. • The lives of the Mongol people were harsh, with few luxuries and shaped by the seasons. • The Mongols used camels and oxen for carrying things. However, horses were their most treasured asset, used for transport, hunting and warfare. • The Mongols were powerful and seasoned warriors. • They lived in small clans who formed a tribe, ruled by a chieftain or khan. • Many of the links within the tribe were formed by marriage connections. • Women managed the daily camp life and were valued for this. 10.5 How did Temujin come to power? • Temujin was born around 1162. He was the son of a warrior and minor chieftain. • Temujin’s father died when he was young and his mother Yulun raised Temujin, instructing him in the skills of a warrior. • Temujin became tribal chief and in 1206 was elected khan, leader over his fellow tribal chieftains, taking the name Genghis Khan, meaning ‘universal ruler’.
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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