The Fall of the Mongolian Empire Essay Example

age twenty Genghis Khan had his wife stolen from him by a rival tribe of Mongolians.

Through political manipulation he was able to unite all the tribes in Mongolia to defeat the rival tribe and win back his wife. Now with one unified Mongolia Genghis Khan had an entire army of loyal soldiers under his control. Being a wise man, Genghis understood that the mighty China would not stand to have such a powerful nation as their neighbour. He knew that once word spread of them, China would attack. So he took his entire army before China could even move and invaded them, working his way to the capital of Beijing. Once he reached their walls Genghis had no way to attack.

So he performed a blockade taking all the food that was meant to go to the city. Being in no rush Genghis waited outside the walls eating supplies and taking on scientists from Beijing with open arms, learning all about how to make siege weapons. After a month, starvation was taking its toll on the people and Genghis Khan had no problem taking over the city. From there, Genghis Khan went on easily taking over the rest of Asia using fear and brute strength. Even after his death expansion continued, engulfing land westward until they hit Europe, Eastward to Korea, and South all the way to Vietnam.

Genghis Khan was a great leader that inspired all who followed him. Under him all were obedient and willing to join in the Mongolian commune that was so prosperous. After his death however none were able to strike up the same amount of

passion, or able to make Mongolia one sound nation. Political ineptitude plagued Mongolia leading to its downfall. Kublai Khan had worked hard to rid his nation of corrupt government, but soon after his death it came back strong and weakened the entire nations trust in their leaders.

Corruption on a local level added hardships to millions of ordinary Chinese people with crushing taxes that weren’t being used to help out the Empire. The Yuan dynasty was never fully accepted, and the corrupt government fueled the anger for the rebellious Ming Dynasty that came from the ashes of the weak and beaten Chines workers. Kublai’s seizure of power and his humiliation of his brother divided the family Genghis Khan, and shattered the unity of the Mongol Empire. Kublai Khan the grandson of Genghis Khan took over power of the title of great Khan and ruler of the Yuan dynasty.

He did so by over powering his brother Ariqboke, rallying up his supporters and pushing Ariqboke out of the country. Following this the leaders of the four major regions in the Mongolian empire felt that they could no longer take orders from one leader. Even though they were still considered one nation, the regions never functioned again under one ruler. Political ineptitude was the fuel that broke up the Mongolian Empire and cause for no one true leader after the 13th century. Natural disasters tore away at the foundation of the Mongolian Empire, weakening its infrastructure and opening it up to revolution.

Genghis Khan opened up the Silk Road, making it extremely safe and bringing in trade from the west. Unfortunately with this came

the Black Death. In 1331 the Mongol empire could be blamed with starting the plague by opening up vectors for disease to travel. With their dirty streets filled with rats, and hub of trading ships travelling all across the known world. It is estimated that this plague killed at least half of the population of the Empire. Killing young and old put the plague gripped the entire nation with fear and putting everyone on edge.

In the 1440s due to low up keep of the dams. The Yellow River flooded three times. Each time these floods washed away valuable farmlands and brought famine in its wake. And after each time the flood occurred the Yuan Dynasty would force the local farmers to abandon salvaging their land and help repair the dams. This forced labour was the original spark that caused such rebellious groups like the red turbans to rise up and over throw the Mongolian rule of China. At the time Genghis Khans death, he felt that he had not succeeded in his quest to rule the world.

He wanted more and told his inheritances so. So till the end of the Mongolian empire, their rulers have been obsessed with having more. This greed for land and power crippled them when their invasions were on hostile neighbours who would fight them till the end. In 1274, the great Kublai Khan decided to invade Japan and make it a Mongolian vassal. Kublai didn’t trust the Japanese and wanted their resources and power under his control. Unfortunately these invasions dealt heavy blows to the Mongolian army that they were never able to recover from.