The Mongol Conquests
Chapter 12 Section 2
A. Determining Main Ideas As you read about the Mongols, take notes to answer
the questions.
The Rise of the Mongols1. What was the primary cause of conflict between steppe nomads and settled communities?
Because of the scarcities and the hardships of their lifestyle, steppe Nomads raided towns and villages to acquire pasture land for their herds and resources for survival
2. How was Genghis Khan able to unite the nomadic Mongols?
He fought and defeated his rivals, one by one
3. What traits enabled Genghis Khan to conquer most of Asia?
He was a brilliant organizer, gifted military strategist and a cruel terrorist.
The Khanates
4. Into what four khanates did the successors of Genghis Khan divide the Mongol Empire?
Great Khan (China)
Khanate of Chagatai (Central Asia)
Ilkhanate (Persia)
Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia)
5. How did the Mongols rule?
At first, they ruled ruthlessly, destroying the land and irrigation systems and wiping out populations; later they adopted aspects of the cultures they ruled and imposed stability and law and order across much of Eurasia
6. How did the cultural differences among the khanates eventually affect the empire?
It contributed to its splitting up
The Pax Mongolica
7. What was the Mongol peace?
From the mid-1200s to the mid-1300s, the Mongols established stability and law throughout much of Eurasia.
8. How did this peace affect trade and cultural interaction?
It made travel and trade safer and fostered the exchange of goods and ideas across Asia and Europe.