Rise Of The Mongol Empire

880 Words2 Pages

Founded by a nomadic tribe in the Eurasian steppes led by Genghis Khan, The Mongol Empire was the largest empire the world has ever seen, spanning from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to that of the Pacific Ocean. While the Mongol dominance in the 14th and 15th centuries improved diversification of trade goods across the Eurasian continent and provided a catalyst for the Age of Exploration, it also started the spread of black death in Europe and left Japan in an economically deprived state that led to civil war.
The stability of the Mongol Empire during its peak is referred to by many as Pax Mongolica, Latin for Mongol peace. The Mongol Empire during Pax Mongolica was both quite liberal and accepting when it came to new ideas and religions. …show more content…

The most impactful religious development came when the Kipchak Khanate or Golden Horde endorsed Islam as the official religion of the state. Differentiating from the religious tolerance of years’ prior, the Golden Horde’s strong stance on religion led the Empire to begin an assault on the trading post of Kaffa in 1346 in efforts to end trade with Christians. During their attack on Kaffa, Mongol soldiers contracted black death and were forced to withdraw military forces. Innovatively, the Mongols turned the weakness of their lost soldiers to their advantage by participating in a very early form of biological warfare. Diseased cadavers were catapulted into the city of Kaffa in hopes of infecting its citizens. The diseased cadavers killed citizens of Kaffa and as trade ships continued to enter the port at Kaffa exchanging goods, ships would continue throughout the Mediterranean trading and spreading the black death across Europe. Clearly, the Mongol Empire was in part responsible for the deaths of what some estimate was 60% of Europe’s population due to black

More about Rise Of The Mongol Empire

Open Document