Post on 22-Dec-2015
The Imperial Alternatives
• Run empire on traditional nomadic lines, as a tribal confederation
• But, what to do with sedentary peoples of China and Persia?– Extermination?– Ruthless exploitation?
• Example of Il Khanate
The Imperial Alternatives - 2
• Borrow practices of previous Turco-Mongolian Peoples– Cooked and uncooked barbarians– Uighurs
• Introduced writing to Mongols
– Qara-Khitai (or Khitans)• Darugachi, a provincial administrative figure
• Yam – the postal service
The Imperial Alternatives - 3
• Adopt methods of the settled peoples– Most prominent in
China and Persia– Persia: local
elites, such as Juwayni, recruited into service
The Imperial Alternatives - 4
– China• Lower level of bureaucracy staffed by Chinese
• Upper levels reserved for non-Chinese, often from Central Asia, such as Mahmud Yalavach
Mongol Institutions
• The Army
– In a sense, all Mongols belong to the army
– Highly mobile
– Decimal organization
Mongol Institutions - 2
• The Great Yasa (1206?), or law code
• Taxation– Head tax (qubchur)– Sales tax (tamgha)
• Communications
Factors for Imperial Disintegration
• Horizontal stratification: a nobility emerges
• Vertical differentiation: armies split off from rest of the people
• Sedentarization and denomadification of ruling elites, e.g. Kubilai Khan
• Example of Kubilai Khan– Moves capital to Beijing– Adopts Chinese dynastic name (Yüan) – Becomes a Buddhist
Factors for Imperial Disintegration - 2
• Lack of clear rules for succession to imperial throne– Mixture of hereditary right and election– Both lineal and lateral succession recognized– Designation by ruling khan also used
Factors for Imperial Disintegration - 3
• Ögodei, 3rd son of Chingiz Khan,designated and elected, 1229
• Küyük, son of Ögodei, elected, 1247
• Möngke, son of Chingiz’ youngest son, elected over opposition, 1251
• Kubilai, brother of Möngke, elected in a disputed election, leading to civil war, 1260