INTRODUCTION

When it comes to understanding world history, none compare to the intrigue and fascination of the rise and fall of the Mongolian Empire. Their ascension from nomadic horsemen to imperial stardom has both puzzled and fascinated historians and non-historians alike. Many are familiar with their dominance of the battlefield thanks to their skills as horse archers. Their imperial expansion was vast and quick, representing a unified empire under Genghis Khan until his death on August 25th, 1227 CE. With the Mongol Empire immediately split between his sons, many textbooks seem to end the stories of the Mongols there.

However, like the Romans, the Mongols continued to live on after their empire broke apart. Many of the Mongols who roamed Asia and Eastern Europe had a profound influence on the history of different nations. While some people like the Russians were able to drive off their Mongolian rulers, other nations had their Mongol rulers assimilate into their society. This begs the question of how the Mongols were able to adapt so drastically to their domains in such a short amount of time. Why was it successful for the Mongols in the Ilkhanate compared to the Golden Horde?

ACTIVITY

Let’s start with a brief video on the Mongols

Now let’s take a look at the map of the Mongol domains and briefly go over each of the Mongol domains in Persia and Eastern Europe. This will help us understand how the Mongols ruled and lived in their domains.:Now that we have gone through this activity, let’s answer the following questions in the comment section:

1) What do you think was a key aspect of Mongol assimilation?

2) Why do we think the Mongols assimilated into Persian society and not Russian society?

3) What can we learn from Mongol assimilation in Persia that can help us understand other cultures assimilating into new places?