DeCarlo, Carolyn. The Mongol Empire. Part of the Empires in the Middle Ages series. 2018. 48p. ISBN 978-1-68048-784-8. Available at 950.2 MON on the library shelves.
The nomadic Mongols roamed the steppes of East Asia for centuries before they were united under the ruthless leadership of Genghis Khan. Skilled at combat on horseback and able to cover vast distances, Genghis Khan’s troops soon spread throughout China to the west and reached deep into Eastern Europe. In barely a few decades, the Mongol Empire covered a large swath of the globe, toppling monarchies and countries along the way.
Content to let the local rulers continue to govern as long as tributes were paid, the Mongols pushed East, West, and South, giving rise to several new states due to distances between the borders and the capital, including the Golden Horde which covered the nascent state of Russia, while Kublai Khan’s forces overthrew the Chinese Emperor and claimed the throne for their leader. Through it all trade boomed and contacts between East and West expanded.
Eventually, the Mongol Empire collapsed, to be replaced by states that incorporated many of their cultural elements, such as Persia, Russia, and modern China. Fans of history will appreciate learning about the significant events that led to the creation and the failure of the Mongol Empire.
Titles in the Empires in the Middle Ages series include:
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