U368 Mongol Conquest Lecture
Week 4, Monday:  Mongols and their neighbors

 

  1. States in North China and Turkestan
    1. Jin (=Chin) dynasty (1125-1235), about 45 million people
      1. Vast majority Chinese, rulers Jurchens, also Kitans
      2. Border on Mongolia defended by Jüyin/Jin troops (Kitan, Tangut, Tatar)
    2. Western Xia (=Hsi-hsia) dynasty (1038-1227) in Northwest
      1. Mostly Chinese, rulers Tanguts, also Uighurs, Tibetans
    3. West Liao/Qara-Khïtai dynasty (1124-1218)
      1. Vast majority Tajik, Turks, Uighurs, rulers Kitans
  2. Kereyid and Naiman ("The Eight"): emerging steppe kingdoms
    1. Hereditary dynasty>>palace intrigues
    2. Kereyid conversion to Nestorianism, by Marquz, 1009 AD
    3. Wealthy: gold cup, gold embroidery, gold tent §186, 187
    4. Clan names being lost for subjects, huge inje dowry (§208)
    5. Dayguards (turqa'ud), special crack regiments (§170)
    6. Naiman's borders quarded by scouts §188
    7. Naiman:  Turkic, Uighur scribes, Nestorians, magicians §143, 189
  3. Steppe diplomacy
    1. Kereyid in 11th century, under rule by Kitan's Liao dynasty
    2. Khitans destroyed in 1115 >> Kereyid independent
    3. Kereyids allies of Qara-Khïtai, sometimes Tanguts
    4. Naiman conquered by Qara-Khïtai, but rebel >> hostile to Kereyids
  4. Mongols and steppe diplomacy
    1. Marco Polo says Mongols paid tribute to Jin (or Kereyid?), one beast in ten
    2. Kereyid, Naimans saw Mongols as poor, smelly, fierce §189, 195
    3. Mongols saw them as untrustworthy, lazy, unwarlike
  5. Tatars
    1. Very powerful group in 10th-11th centuries
    2. Gave name to all Mongolic-speaking nomads on the plateau
      1. "White Tatars" vs. "Black Tatars"
      2. Tatar becomes "Tartar"
    3. Wealthy--area has silver mines, controlled fur trade, §133, 135
    4. Tributary to Kitan's Liao dynasty, then to Jurchen's Jin dynasty
      1. Never able to unite
    5. When too strong, Jin used Mongols against them, §132-5
  6. Önggüt or "White Tatars"
    1. Turkic-speaking, Jurchen vassals until 1205
    2. Famous for camels, white wool; Mongol-Turkestan trade, §182
      1. Signficant Turkestani Muslim community (Marco Polo, 105)
    3. Rulers Nestorian (much more so than Naiman or Kereyids) §190