The Mongol Empire and the World It Made

Most of Eurasia (the Middle East, East and South Asia, Eastern Europe) was once incorporated into the Mongol Empire and greatly influenced by Mongol rule. It may be said that the beginnings of modern history on the Eurasian continent were shaped by the impact of the Mongols and their non-Mongol (mainly Turkic) partners. This course explores the history of the pan-Eurasian empire founded by Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) in the 13th century and the smaller empires into which it devolved: Yuan China-Mongolia, Chaghatayid Mongolia-Central Asia, Ilkhanid Iran-Anatolia, and the Golden Horde Eastern Europe-Western Siberia. The course also surveys various post-Mongol successor states, such as the Timurid and Mughal Empires, and the Kazakh, Uzbek, and Crimean Tatar Khanates, as well as touches upon important non-Chinggisid successor polities, such as Muscovy-Russia and Slavic Cossacks. Students explore the history and landscape geographies of the Mongol venture through fascinating primary sources and internet resources.