The Mongol Empire was not only known for its vast territory, but also their incredible military prowess and cultural influence they left behind them. Not only did they bring new technology with them such as the horseback rider mode of transportation, but they also spread their language and culture across Eurasia. The Khan dynasty that […]
The Mongol Empire was not only known for its vast territory, but also their incredible military prowess and cultural influence they left behind them. Not only did they bring new technology with them such as the horseback rider mode of transportation, but they also spread their language and culture across Eurasia.
The Khan dynasty that reigned over Mongolia from 1206 to 15th century had many rulers who built upon what his predecessor set up in order to make sure the empire kept moving forward.
One of these people was Yesügerei (sometimes romanized as Yessugekh) or “Golden Hilt” which means golden sheath in Russian. He is most well-known for founding the Chingghis tradition where he would take an adopted son to be raised alongside his own children.
This article will discuss his legacy in more detail, along with some interesting trivia about him you probably didn’t know! Read on to learn more about the life of Öljei Khoelga, or Ogedei as he was called by friends and family.
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ogedeikho%C4%BB_Janggiin_Nasanraq_Chulgetynsman_.jpg
Legacy
Öljei Khoeltges died at the young age of 32 while still very much loved and respected.
The Mongol Empire was not only known for their impressive military prowess, but also for their desire to learn new things and spread that knowledge among others. Many scholars believe this passion to spread learning is what helped shape the development of civilization in Asia.
The Mongols made it a policy to adopt Asian cultures and blend them into their own. This included adopting the customs, traditions, and languages of China, India, Persia, and other nations they conquered or befriended.
They even encouraged intermarriage between Asians and Europeans or Caucasians — something that wasn’t common before then!
This unique approach meant that ideas, concepts, and materials from all over were mixed together and studied by people who would have otherwise never interacted with each other. It also gave rise to many different cultural forms we know of today like Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
As mentioned earlier, one of the defining characteristics of the Mongol Empire was their vast military might and incredible strength in numbers.
This didn’t just apply to conquering new lands either – they would actively seek out allies within their empire. The Mongols would fight alongside others for different reasons, but what they wanted in return was knowledge and resources that they could use themselves later.
By sharing this wealth with people who were not as powerful or wealthy as them, they helped promote cultural exchange. This is important because cultures are built off of lessons in how to do things, like how to make food or organize society.
The more people you share your culture with, the more you learn about it. And since the Mongols left a legacy that still lives on today (think China and Korea!), they played an integral part in creating newer, stronger cultures.
The next stage in their empire-building was conquering other tribes, kingdoms, or empires. This involved not only taking over their land but also incorporating their culture into theirs.
The Mongol Empire is known for its rich tapestry of cultures it absorbed during its nearly 250 year rule. These cultural exchanges included things such as clothing styles, cuisine, and even religion.
For example, after invading Russia, the Mongols adopted many aspects of Russian culture including replacing the fur lined leather coats with wool ones and adding decorations to their clothes.
They also incorporated some Eastern religions like Buddhism by having members adopt Buddhist practices. Some would even go so far as to be ordained as monks!
Buddhism spread quickly through the empire due to the respect they had for all life whether human, animal, plant or divine. Many people credit this influence for helping preserve Asia’s natural environment.
The Mongol Empire was not only made up of many different tribes, but also had various rulers coming from various ethnic backgrounds. Some were Turkic, some German, some even Latinized Roman or Byzantine in origin!
One such ruler was Temujin (or Genghis Khan as he is more commonly known). He was born around 1162 to parents who belonged to nomadic tribes that lived off hunting and gathering food. His father died when he was young so his mother took him with her as she moved between pastoralist clans.
He grew up learning how to survive by living off the land and practicing subsistence farming. When he came of age, he left home to see what was going on in the world and make decisions about whether to stay or go according to what he learned.
He eventually decided to head west where there were lots of resources for people to gather food. This was very common practice at this time since most civilizations relied heavily on agriculture and plundering other cultures’ crops allowed them to eat.
Genghis traveled through Central Asia meeting people of all kinds and getting advice from those he trusted. It is said that one day while sitting alone he asked himself why the moon stays still while the sun moves across the sky. After thinking about it for a few minutes he stood up and walked towards the east, then turned back and began moving west.
The next conflict was with China, which is known for its elaborate architecture and artistic expression. Architecture of the time was heavily influenced by the Chinese culture, and the Mongols would adopt many features from this style.
They would take these architectural elements and blend them into their own style to create something new. For example, they incorporated Tibetan Buddhism into their religion and decoration styles.
The Khan also imported plants and trees that flourished in his native lands. He grew or planted several crops including pineapples, oranges, lemons, grapes, and olive trees. Some of these plants still grow today!
These cultural exchanges not only helped develop the Mongolian empire, but also contributed to the growth and development of other cultures in Asia.
The next major conquest for the Mongol Empire came in China when they invaded the Song Dynasty in northern China. At this time, the dynasty was very wealthy due to their trade network that extended all the way down into Africa.
The Yuan (Mongol) empire needed resources and food so they attacked the south of China where most of it could be found- rice!
At this time, the Chinese were using water powered mills to process and cook rice which made it more nutritious but also costlier to produce. By taking over southern China’s supply, the Yuan people were able to make large profits off of the rice they consumed.
This new wealth allowed them to invest in other things such as technology, art, and culture. For example, one area they invested in was papermaking. The Song had spent years trying to find a good quality paper source but never succeeded until the invasion.
Now that the South was under their control, the Yuan people were free to take what they wanted without having to fight too hard for it. Some took slaves, some took money, and some took both at once by conquering small kingdoms and incorporating their resources.
One thing they didn’t take though is knowledge or ideas about how to run an efficient society because the Southern Chinese already knew how. This left many cities with rich cultural legacies even after the invaders moved onto bigger and better things.
After his death, Kublai Khan was succeeded by his son Günghar (or Kök Mongol in Chinese). This boy would later be known as Temür (Heavenly King) because of his pious lifestyle and desire to spread Islam across Asia. He allowed only one kind of meat for weeks at a time and made sure to always wash his hands before eating food or drinking liquids.
During his childhood, he read Buddhist scriptures and learned some Persian. When he became ruler, he tried to preserve cultural diversity by creating an environment that encouraged people with different cultures to live together in peace.
This didn’t prevent him from conquering other tribes though-he fought several wars during his rule – but he gave everyone under his control their own culture and religion. For example, after taking over China, he set up Tang Dynasty there and continued practicing Buddhism.
His legacy is still seen today in many ways. His family name — “Khan” – comes from the word khaanee, which means master or leader. The term mongol also originated from the Mongols and has come to mean anyone who practices the Muslim faith.
The Mongol Empire was not only known for its incredible conquests, but also for how it spread culture across Eurasia. Many cultures adopted aspects of the Mongols’ fashion, diet, and military strategies.
The concept of cultural appropriation is when one group takes culturally valuable resources from an oppressed or marginalized community. This typically includes taking styles, practices, and concepts that have no significance outside of the original community.
This can be done without permission or acknowledgement of the communities true owners. It is important to note that just because something has been incorporated into another culture does not make it okay to keep it as your own.
History repeats itself sometimes in unexpected ways, and by incorporating parts of other cultures, you risk creating new stereotypes or even promoting racism.
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